Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Senior Living are profiling the McKnight’s 2021 Women of Distinction honorees daily July 6 through Aug. 6. To see the 2021 McKnight’s 2021 Women of Distinction awards ceremony, register for free here. For additional profiles of McKnight’s Women of Distinction, visit this page.

Kristin Harris headshot
Kristin Harris

After only six months of working as a floor nurse at her first facility, Kristin Harris was promoted. Since then, up has been her only direction.

Harris’ career has accelerated at a pace her peers say they have ever seen. After being promoted to director of nursing from floor nurse at age 24, she was recruited to the executive director position at a Nye Square Campus in Fremont, NE, a Nye Health Services assisted living and independent living community. Since that time, she has continued to work in Fremont at various company properties. She has continued to work in Fremont at various company properties.

After three years in her position at Nye Square, Harris received another promotion, to executive director at Nye Legacy, the flagship campus of the company. In this role, she was able to come through with deficiency-free surveys for the community, and she built consistent census.

In 2018, Harris was promoted to her current position, vice president of operations for Nye Health Services. Since she began in the position, all of Nye’s properties have been rated 5-star facilities. She has achieved Silver- and Bronze-level national Quality Awards from the American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living for Nye and is aiming for Gold-level awards. 

President of Nye Health Services Ron Gross said Harris was an easy choice for her current role because of her clear “triangle” mentality that is so central to how Nye operates. The triangle consists of the residents and their families, the 700-person team of employees and the company’s financial viability. 

Harris’ colleagues describe her as someone who is able to practice emotional intelligence on a daily basis as well as be a motivating force behind the company. She can be seen visiting campuses four days a week and engaging with the employees, knowing that keeping long-term care communities staffed is essential.

At home, Harris enjoys spending time with her two daughters and her husband. 

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Senior Living. The program’s Diamond sponsor is PointClickCare, and the Roundtable Sponsor is Paycor.