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Administrative changes at vets home

The Wisconsin Veterans Home in King has hired a new commandant and deputy commandant.

Jim Knight will lead the veterans home as the commandant.

A licensed nursing home administrator for the past 12 years, Knight has worked in both private and public sector facilities.

Prior to administering nursing facilities, he served as a budget analyst for the Department of Health and Family Services, assigned to the Family Care program.

Knight served six years in the U.S. Air Force upon graduating from college in 1981.

After his graduation from air navigation training, he was assigned to the B-52 aircraft and to K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Michigan.

Knight had attained the rank of captain at the time of his discharge in 1988.

In 1991, he completed his master’s degree in administrative services from Northern Michigan University in Marquette.

Knight lives in King.

His two daughters attend college in their home state of Michigan.

Diane Jahnke is the new deputy commandant.

“I feel very fortunate to be at King among all the men and women who served and kept our country safe,” she said. “I am equally honored to be working with a very dedicated group of employees and volunteers on our beautiful campus.”

Jahnke has a bachelor’s degree and is an occupational therapist.

She has worked as an occupational therapist at hospitals, nursing homes, home health and outpatient clinics.

“Each setting provided an exciting opportunity to work with patients on developing their independence after injury, chronic disease or an acute medical episode,” Jahnke said. “In my experience as an occupational therapist I developed an understanding of how the interdisciplinary team of nursing, social services, dietary and other departments worked together to provide their expertise and compassion for caring for the needs of their patients.”

She also earned a master’s degree in management and organizational behavior.

“My career shifted as I began working as a nursing home administrator because of my passion for seniors. I wanted to provide an environment and services that could support the needs of the growing senior population,” Jahnke said.

She created the first Medicare unit in Manitowoc County in order to rehabilitate seniors to return home.

“It was my feeling that although seniors may have had a life altering event, independence was still an option. Seniors began to go home with support services like home care or Meals on Wheels rather than staying in the nursing home,” Jahnke said.

Jahnke and her husband currently reside in Appleton. They have two grown children: a daughter who is married with two children, and a son who plans to be married in August.

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