Association Awards Maryland’s ‘2010 Administrator of the Year’ Honor

The Health Facilities Association of Maryland (HFAM) selected 20-year industry veteran Donna Leister, PhD, administrator at FutureCare Cherrywood in Reisterstown, as the “2010 Administrator of the Year.”

“Donna is more than just an experienced long-term care administrator, she is a role model for our industry,” said Gary Attman, president of FutureCare Health and Management Corporation, in a release. “For the past 10 years, she has shown exceptional dedication in making the facility one of Maryland’s premier skilled nursing facilities. This honor is her crowning achievement in a lifetime dedicated to nursing and selfless service to the frail and elderly.”

A 1968 graduate of the Maryland General Hospital School of Nursing, Leister began her lifelong nursing career in trauma care. In 1999, she became a licensed Nursing Home Administrator in Maryland.

“I intended to stay in trauma care for my entire career, but the unthinkable happened and I fell in love with long-term care and never looked back,” Leister said in a release. “It’s truly an honor to be recognized for something that I enjoy doing every day.”

An avid piano player, Leister often plays the grand piano in the dining room of FutureCare Cherrywood, entertaining residents during meals.

Leister recently earned her PhD from Capella University in Planning and Organizational Management. She has also been featured in the HBO series, “The Alzheimer’s Project.”