Editor’s note: McKnight’s Home Care, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Long-Term Care News are profiling the McKnight’s 2023 Women of Distinction honorees daily from July 5 to Aug. 15. For additional McKnight’s Women of Distinction content, visit this page.

Amanda Brooks’ entry into a long-term care career began at a young age, in 2005 during high school, when she was a receptionist at a skilled nursing facility. Brooks has an undergraduate degree from Christopher Newport University. She graduated magna cum laude from the Catholic University of America, where she earned a Master of Science degree in management. After graduating from college, she continued in aging services, working as a purchasing coordinator for Bainum Healthcare. She was promoted to purchasing director the next year and then to assistant administrator at Gardens at Fair Oaks, an assisted living community in Fairfax, VA.

Brooks earned her assisted living facility administrator license in 2015 and was promoted to administrator in 2018 before beginning her career with RUI. Later that year, she became the executive director at Aarondale. She transitioned to Paul Spring in 2020 and was promoted to her current position as senior executive director in 2022.

In 2020, during her time at Aarondale, the community received a Bronze Quality Award. Two years later, Paul Spring received the same award after Brooks joined. Paul Spring received the RUI Community of the Year Award in 2021, and Brooks received the RUI Executive Director of the Year Award that same year.

She is an active member of the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber Senior Resources Council and has contributed to the Alzheimer’s Association and the American Cancer Society.

RUI also credits her leadership and knowledge with the consistent year-over-year revenue growth seen at the communities she has led. For 2022, Paul Spring had an average occupancy rate of 99% or higher, according to the company. Brooks also is credited with going above and beyond with the #RUIGIVESBACK program, creating initiatives to serve the surrounding community. She also has provided guidance to some of RUI’s interns.

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Home Care, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. PointClickCare is the Diamond sponsor of this year’s program. PharMerica is the Silver sponsor. Additional sponsors include American HealthTech, Healthcare Services Group, Omnicare, Sentrics and ShiftKey.

Visit this web page to see lists of honorees from 2023 and previous years.