CHICAGO — More than 200 aging services professionals, business partners and supporters celebrated a who’s-who of industry veterans Tuesday during the inaugural McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards ceremony. The awards are a joint effort of McKnight’s Senior Living and sister media brands McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care.
Awards went to 30 providers and long-time leaders in the senior living, skilled nursing and home care sectors. The new awards program was launched to honor those who have had a remarkable influence over industry standards, played key roles as change-makers or inspired others with their leadership approach.
“You’ve blazed the way, you’ve raised the bar, you have made us all so very proud to work with you as you bring a bright, warm light to this profession,” said emcee and McKnight’s Long-Term Care News Executive Editor Jim Berklan in one of several toasts.
Among the 2023 winners was Career Achievement Award honoree Robert G. Kramer, co-founder, past president and CEO and current senior adviser to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care, as well as the founder of Nexus Insights. Kramer was lauded for his entrepreneurial thought leadership and the way he helped revolutionize the use of data in the aging services space.
Kramer was one of 20 winners in attendance for the in-person awards gala. He was accompanied by many of NIC’s previous top executives, co-founders and current President and CEO Ray Braun, all of whom joined the packed room in a standing ovation for the honoree.
In his remarks, Kramer said his father, his Quaker education and a passion for a long-ago cause transformed him from a student shy about public speaking into a well-spoken elected official who went on to reshape long-term care through his visionary industry leadership.
“Every single one of us is here because we stand on somebody else’s shoulders. We stood on people’s shoulders who invested in us,” he told the crowd. “Every single one of us in this room, if this industry and this field is going to grow — and it needs to — every single one of us needs to be sure we have at least 10 people who stand on our shoulders. That means mentoring. That means time spent, because that’s where we have the greatest impact.”
The event was held at the iconic Ivy Room just off Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. The 1900s venue was once known as the Medinah Temple, the stage for productions such as circuses and recordings of Chicago Symphony Orchestra performances. Guests were treated to a cocktail reception, dinner and dessert at the venue.
The McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards recognize industry veterans with at least 20 years of experience in their chosen field. Winners were selected from a highly competitive pool of nominees by a national judging panel.
In addition to the Career Achievement Award, honorees were recognized in six other award categories acknowledging their contributions to the sector:
- Agent of Change Awards
- Industry Ally
- Inspiration Awards
- Setting the Standard
- Thought Leader Awards
- Unsung Hero Awards
See the full list first-year winners here and in this commemorative book from Tuesday night’s event.
Nominations for the 2024 class of McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards honorees will open this fall. Keep up-to-date on the program and learn more about the process on McKnight’s Senior Living’s Pinnacle Awards page.
The Platinum sponsor for Tuesday’s event was MatrixCare; Omnicare was a Silver sponsor; and additional sponsors included Pinnacle Quality Insight, HealthDirect and Sentrics.
