New Senior Home Administrator Appointed for Illinois Veterans' Homes

Springfield – The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) announced today that following an extensive selection process Lenard F. Winnicki of Herscher, Illinois, has been selected to be the Senior Home Administrator (SHA) for the Illinois Veterans’ Homes, state-wide.

“Len Winnicki has been an outstanding member of the IDVA team for over five years, and with his proven record of performance - and leadership at three of our four Veterans’ Homes - we are delighted to announce his selection to be our new Senior Home Administrator (SHA) for the Illinois Veterans’ Homes,” said Erica Jeffries, Army veteran and Director, IDVA.  “We know he will lead our Homes’ staff teams to high levels of performance and resident-centric service, providing the highest quality of care for our veteran residents.” 

A veteran of the U.S. Air Force and Illinois Air National Guard with almost 14 years of combined service, Winnicki brings over 22 years of professional operations and health management experience to this assignment.  Prior to selection, he served for five years as the Adjutant of the Illinois Veterans’ Home - Manteno, overseeing day-to-day operations and handling admissions, discharges, and transitions of residents in a highly complex and regulated environment.  Additionally, as licensed Nursing Home Administrator, Winnicki served as acting NHA for three of the four homes in the IDVA system (Anna, Manteno, and LaSalle) while the agency sought and hired high-quality, full-time Nursing Home Administrators. 

Winnicki has a Bachelor of Science degree in law enforcement administration from Western Illinois University and a Master of Science in health science from Touro University International.  From 1992 until joining the IDVA in 2010, Winnicki worked for Provena St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee as the Director of Facilities Management and Emergency Preparedness.   He is married with two sons. 

About Illinois Veterans’ Homes

The IDVA operates four Illinois Veterans’ Homes which are fully staffed with more than 1,200 caring and dedicated professionals who provide quality long-term skilled care and services to more than 900 resident members, with an annual budget of $127 million. Volunteers from veteran service organizations, local communities, and other groups provide many additional supporting services and activities to the veterans.

Each Home is licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health and certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center of jurisdiction.  The Homes work closely with the local healthcare community to ensure that each resident’s specific health care needs are available and met.  Emphasis is given to ensuring that each resident member is well cared for, has a full quality of life, and enjoys a caring, supportive environment.