Jan Thayer Pioneer Award

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Jan Thayer​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​NCAL created the Jan Thayer Pioneer Award to recognize individuals who have moved the senior care profession forward, positively affecting the lives of those served and those who serve. Recipients must demonstrate dedication, leadership and considerable contributions to the senior care profession. 

The Jan Thayer Pioneer Award is posthumously named after the first Board Chair of NCAL and assisted living owner and operator Jan Thayer.  ​​

Strong candidates for the award exemplify the following types of contributions: 
  • Recognized champion and leader of person-centered care in assisted living and senior living communities.
  • Demonstrated ability to educate and advocate for the senior care profession at a national level. 
  • Recognized systems or practices that have resulted in significant quality improvement, prosperous operational outcomes, or an enriching workforce environment.  
  • Recognized as a catalyst for innovative approaches that enhance the overall customer experience and/or move the senior care profession forward.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​The recipient of the Jan Thayer Pioneer Award is honored in front of thousands of their peers at the AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo. ​
​

2024 Jan Thayer Pioneer Award

Gail Sheridan-JT.jpgGail Sheridan

Gail Sheridan is Executive Vice President of Lifespark Senior Living in Minnesota. Sheridan has played a key leadership role throughout various organizations. Her involvement with Care Providers of Minnesota (CPM) includes serving on the Board of Directors for more than ten years and serving as the Chair of the Board, as well as chairing the Quality Committee. At the national level, she has served on the NCAL Board of Directors, as AHCA/NCAL Quality Cabinet Co-Chair, Chair of the AHCA/NCAL Workforce Committee, and on various AHCA/NCAL committees. Sheridan developed tools to help providers respond to adverse events and improve Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement programs. Her ability to harness collective knowledge has resulted in practical, widely supported recommendations, improving compliance and transparency in the sector. Her leadership promotes excellence and person-centered care in senior living communities. Learn More

​​Nominations are now being accepted!

Nominations are now open through May 30, 2025​​!

‭(Hidden)‬ Nomination Process
Selection Process:
  • June 7, 2019: Nominations are due via NCAL’s online submission form. 
  • July 2019: The NCAL Executive Committee meets via conference call to review the nominations and select the candidate.
    • Candidates are selected based on the attributes outlined above.
    • The candidate receiving a majority of the votes will be selected as the Jan Thayer Pioneer Award recipient. 
  • August 1, 2019: The award recipient will be notified. All nominators of candidates who were not selected will be notified.
Nomination Submission: 

The nomination submission is a three-step process: 

  1. Notify the candidate you would like to nominate them for the award.
  2. Attain a copy of their resume or CV for submission.
  3. Submit the nomination form for the candidate via the online submission form.
 

Recipients
​The recipient of the Jan Th​ayer Pioneer Award will be honored at Delivering Solutions 25,​ AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo​. The recipient and one guest also receive complimentary:
  • Convention registration
  • Round-trip, economy airfare
  • 2-night hotel accommodations
  • Per diem

‭(Hidden)‬ Nomination Requirements

 

  • Nominations must be submitted by an individual with an organization that is a member in good standing of AHCA/NCAL.
  • Candidates for the award are not required to be NCAL members.
  • Candidates must be individuals; organizations will not be considered.
  • Nominators must notify the candidates of their nomination. 
  • Only one nomination is accepted per candidate. If multiple nominations are submitted for one person, the nominators will be asked to combine nominations or the first nomination will be accepted.  
  • The nomination must be 500 words or less; nominations exceeding 500 words will not be reviewed. 
  • The nomination must reference the nominee’s national impact. 
  • The candidate’s resume must be three pages or less; resumes exceeding three pages will not be reviewed.
​

 

Past Recipients

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Contact Us
Please email with us any questions about the nominations process o​r your submission.

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