Carol McKinley, Ph.D., has been appointed vice president of operations at the United Methodist Homes of New Jersey. The Homes operates five full-service and five affordable housing communities. McKinley will have strategic oversight and management of all five full-service communities: Bristol Glen (Newton), Collingswood Manor (Collingswood), Francis Asbury Manor (Ocean Grove), Pitman Manor (Pitman), and The Shores at Wesley Manor (Ocean City).

The Ocean View resident possesses senior level leadership and management experience delivering senior housing and health services within faith-based organizations. This includes continuing care retirement community service operations, assisted living and nursing home administration, budget and program development and implementation, strategic planning, staff development, risk and crisis management, community/church relationships, licensing/regulatory compliance, accreditation, union relations and numerous other areas.

Most recently, McKinley earned a Ph.D. in Administration and Leadership Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Prior to that Boston University awarded her a Master of Social Work with a specialty in Medical Social Work and Gerontology, complementing her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from West Virginia Wesleyan College. Nursing Home Administrator licensure in New Jersey adds to her credentials. For the past five years, she was executive director of the Homes’ Ocean City community, The Shores at Wesley Manor.

“Her track record of competent leadership, background and professional vision, represent a perfect fit,” reflects Homes’ President and CEO, Lawrence D. Carlson. “Her knowledge, wealth of skill and experience in gerontology, senior housing, leadership, and administration are strengths that will blossom from the local level to the entire organization.”

As a clinical and medical social worker and family therapist in her early career, McKinley conducted psychosocial assessments, family therapy, care plans, referral and discharge planning; consulted with psychiatrists/psychologists; and planned group education. In a hospice setting, she counseled terminally ill patients and their families, gave input in case conferences and made referrals.

Later, she transitioned to assistant nursing home administrator and assistant executive director of resident care and services at Foxdale Village (State College, PA). As vice president of service excellence at Albright Care Services (Lewisburg, PA), she assumed responsibility for staff competency, establishing benchmarks, corporate-wide quality improvement processes, resident and employee satisfaction surveys, and staff education, training and supervision.

These on-the-job experiences shaped McKinley’s broad understanding of working with seniors. “I view my work as a ministry, my calling. The foundation of my vocation is my faith and I live them in my passion about how care and services are provided to seniors, how families are integrated into this care, how staffs understand the impact of the care they provide, and how environments and programs need to adapt to meet the ever-changing philosophies of elder and health care.”

In academic circles McKinley has lectured at York College (York, PA), Millersville University (Millersville, PA), and Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA). While she has served on many boards throughout the years, she current participates on the boards of the United Methodist Association, LeadingAge (national and New Jersey Chapter), and St. Peter’s United Methodist Church Pastor Parish Committee.