AJAS, the Association of Jewish Aging Services awarded its 2025 Professional of the Year award to an unsung hero who possesses outstanding leadership qualities—Shawn Silver, Assistant Administrator.  

Shawn joined The New Jewish Home team 18 years ago as a housekeeping manager, and his leadership potential was recognized early on. He was promoted to director in just six months. For the past seven years, Shawn has served as assistant administrator and eight departments report up to him, including plant operations, housekeeping, safety and security and meaningful life. Every day, he leaves home at 5 a.m. to make sure he connects with all three shifts.

Shawn is The New Jewish Home’s grievance officer, a role in which he excels because of his warmth and down-to-earth communication style. When families, residents and staff speak with him, they all feel seen and understood.

What makes Shawn such an effective leader? He’s the one you want beside you during a crisis. Not only does he see the big picture, but he’s also meticulous about the details, which makes him exceptional at finding solutions to current and future challenges. He’s great with numbers and equally great with people.

Shawn carves out time to mentor his staff including new leaders, which he finds extremely fulfilling and soul nourishing. Shawn helps build up their confidence and leadership skills so they can delegate more effectively. Those who report to Shawn always mention his open-door policy and that they feel heard.

In 2023, Shawn was asked to oversee our Bronx Housing portfolio of five buildings during a transitional time. His extensive operations and facilities expertise made him the first choice for the role, and he not only accepted the new responsibilities, he thrived and led successful efforts to raise occupancy levels.

When asked what motivates him, Shawn’s answer was clear: “The goal of every decision I make is to positively impact the lives of our residents and patients—that originates from working so closely with my grandfather for many years. It’s one of the reasons why I focus so much on teamwork and staff satisfaction. When our staff works well together, it leads to good outcomes and better care for our residents. The work we do is far from easy, and it’s crucial that our teams feel appreciated.”

Though Shawn is never one to seek the spotlight or credit, his contributions, expertise and integrity are highly respected by all at The New Jewish Home. Please join us in congratulating Shawn Silver for the 2025 AJAS Professional of the Year Award.