Lifespace Human Resources VP Wins Industry Award

Joeilynn “Joey” Leonhardt, vice president of human resources for Lifespace Communities, has been recognized as a human resources “superhero” by the Society of Human Resource Management.

Leonhardt was nominated by members of her team and was recognized at the Iowa SHRM state conference October 8.

Sara Deich, co-director of the conference, says Leonhardt and other HR “superheroes” were chosen because each consistently demonstrates “amazing powers to do the right thing and make a positive impact on the organizations they lead and support.”

“The HR superhero is someone who can come into a situation and save the day,” Deich says. “Each superhero has slightly different powers – some have the power of strategic thinking, while others have the power to connect people to the right jobs so that amazing things can happen. Whatever the HR superhero power is, it deserves to be recognized.”

Leonhardt’s “superhero word” was “fearless,” Sara says.

Leonhardt, who has been with Lifespace for four years, oversees human resources for Lifespace’s 12 communities in seven states, employing nearly 3,000 team members. At the Lifespace home office in Des Moines, she leads a five-person team: director of talent acquisition Trish Kellow, director of compensation and benefits Gretchen Forristall, corporate human resources director Gena Garber, human resources assistant Tori Graham, and human resources analyst Kayla Showers. She credits her team with helping her be her best.

“I’m grateful to them for nominating me, and I’m humbled because I should be the one who’s thanking them,” Leonhardt says. “We really do function as a family here at Lifespace, and my team especially makes it a joy to do good work on behalf of the seniors we serve.”

Leonhardt has more than 25 years of experience focused on successful key human resource initiatives, providing strategic and tactical HR leadership in the areas of talent acquisition, talent development, diversity and inclusion, succession planning, compliance, compensation, performance management, employee relations and organizational development.

Prior to joining Lifespace, she served as the vice president of human resources for Marsh & McClennan, a global insurance firm headquartered in New York. In this position, Leonhardt was responsible for implementing key talent acquisition and human resource strategies across the United States.

Leonhardt was born in Des Moines and earned a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Upper Iowa, with graduate studies at Drake University. Leonhardt is very active in the Society for Human Resource Management, and has served on a variety of local philanthropic and community-based board and advisory committees.

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