Editor’s Note: We are profiling the McKnight’s 2020 Women of Distinction honorees daily through the program’s July 28 online awards ceremony. To learn more about this digital celebration, the Forum the next day (which offers three free continuing education credits July 29) and the program in general, visit mcknightswomenofdistinction.com.
Jaclyn Pritchett honed her human resources skills with child welfare, auto and restaurant organizations, among others, before joining Brookdale Senior Living in October 2016. She quickly moved from the position of director of talent management to senior director of talent acquisition to her current role, vice president, human resources – field operations, which she has held since March 2019.
In this role, Pritchett leads a team of more than 25 people who support the more than 50,000 employees at the country’s largest senior living company. She works with internal HR centers of excellence to help ensure that the HR function is aligned with operations goals, and she partners with leaders on strategic workforce planning, talent management, leadership development, and diversity and inclusion.
Also at Brookdale, Pritchett developed and executed a program designed to train people for key leadership positions, to reduce vacancies in those positions. More than 30 people have been hired through this program since its beginning in mid-2018. Additionally, she has fine-tuned the company’s talent review processes.
Outside of work, Pritchett uses her HR skills to give back to the next generation of HR leaders by volunteering with the Middle Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management, where she served on the board for a decade and most recently was an executive sponsor for the new leadership development program. Additionally, she frequently coaches Nashville-area HR professionals on how to handle various scenarios and on professional development and career advancement matters.
Outside of the HR realm, for approximately 10 years, Pritchett has served on the board of directors for New Frontiers, a nonprofit dedicated to helping youth and adults live intentionally through services ranging from youth camps to boys’ homes. She also is president of the board of directors for Crowned for Ashes, which supports wounded, ill and injured veterans as well as active-duty members of the U.S. armed forces and their families, and widows, through respite retreats, fellowship and opportunities for recreation.
Pritchett holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Auburn University and a master’s degree in industrial / organizational psychology from Middle Tennessee State University.
The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. The program’s Diamond sponsor is PointClickCare. Silver sponsors are OnShift and PharMerica, and the Signature sponsor is Acadia Pharmaceuticals.
