The McKnight’s Women of Distinction 2022 honorees were celebrated at an awards ceremony and dinner May 12. Photo by Tori Soper Photography.
McKnight’s Senior Living and its sister brands honored more than 50 women leaders in the senior living, skilled nursing and home care fields this spring with its return to an in-person McKnight’s Women of Distinction Awards and Forum.
The celebration at the W Chicago–City Center hotel brought together some of the sector’s brightest long-time executives, mid-career professionals and up-and-comers who are making their mark. It was followed the next day by a series of educational panels at the McKnight’s Women of Distinction Forum.
New this year were the Spirit Awards, which paid homage to workers who inspired through their devotion to residents and their employers during the pandemic.
The 2022 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Lifetime Achievement Award went to Patricia G. Will, founder and CEO of Belmont Village Senior Living. During the Forum, Will described how she transitioned to senior living from real estate after helping care for her mother-in-law.
“We have a tremendous competitive advantage, ladies,” Will told attendees, referring to the prevalence of women as both residents and caregivers. “I think this is an industry that lends itself to female leadership.”
She also noted the need for women leaders to retain their own sense of professional–personal life balance and help employees find it, especially in the current labor environment.
“It’s incumbent upon us as leaders to put ourselves back in the shoes where we were once upon a time and help people with their logistics,” Will said. “It wasn’t easy then, and it’s not easy now.”
Dinner and, oh, what a show
The mood at the May 12 awards dinner was one of resilience as well as jubilation at being able to come together after two years of virtual events. More than 300 guests attended from across the United States, including a handful of Women of Distinction honorees from the past two years who received their awards during the 2020 and 2021 online events.
Winners, family members, colleagues and other industry players first mingled inside the lobby of the Beaux-Arts style hotel. Helping to kick off the night were a photo booth and open bar. Attendees were treated to a seated dinner as the sold-out main event got underway.
After opening remarks by McKnight’s Senior Living Editor Lois A. Bowers and McKnight’s Home Care Editor Liza Berger, each honoree was beckoned to the stage by hostess Alle Pierce, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and hostess. Recipients chose their own walk-up songs, with the likes of Beyonce’s “Run the World (Girls)” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” helping to fuel the fun.
Two lucky tables won champagne toasts, further livening the evening as Pierce acknowledged the 54 winners in the Hall of Honor, Veteran VIPs, Rising Stars and Spirit Award categories.
Honorees had been nominated by colleagues earlier this year. They then were selected by an independent national panel of judges in spring.
Dedication and heroism on display
As Bowers noted in her remarks, this was the largest class of award winners and the largest party since McKnight’s launched the program in 2019. At the time, no one could have imagined the dedication and heroism that would be required of everyone during the pandemic.
“We are honored to continue to fulfill a need to recognize the outstanding women in long-term care, whose work often goes unrecognized or is taken for granted,” Bowers told the crowd. “Especially during these times, which continue to challenge the industry and those who work in it, we are inspired by your efforts to make the world a better place and humbled that so many of you made the time to lift up your colleagues for recognition — and came here tonight to celebrate.”
Details on the program, including a photo gallery of all the 2022 winners, appear at
mcknightswomenofdistinction.com. Nominations for next year’s awards will kick off in December. Honorees will be celebrated in spring 2023.
PointClickCare was the Diamond sponsor, OnShift and PharMerica were Silver sponsors, Reliant Rehabilitation was Bronze sponsor, and table sponsors were Dreamscape, Gojo/Purell and Sound Physicians.
Clockwise from top left, speakers at the McKnight’s Women of Distinction Forum included Lifetime Achievement Award winner Patricia Will, with McKnight’s Senior Living Editor Lois A. Bowers (right); Demetress Harrell; Alison Kippen; Jamie Merrill (right) and Carol Silver Elliott; Amy Schectman; and DeLaine Rice-White. Photos: Tori Soper Photography.
