Brandy Buchholz and Jayne Butler are candidates for nationwide honor celebrating compassion and excellence in caregiving
QUEENSTOWN, Maryland — Two caregivers at Queenstown Landing Assisted Living and Memory Care have received recognition for the compassion and dedication they bring to the senior living community’s residents each day.
Brandy Buchholz and Jayne Butler have been named candidates for the National Ceca Award, a prestigious honor recognizing exceptional caregivers across the country and internationally.
“We are grateful that these two well-deserving team members received so many nominations and shout outs, it placed them in the running to be potentially, nationally recognized,” said Kelly Johnson, Executive Operations Officer at Queenstown Landing.
Buchholz currently serves as Housekeeping Executive Assistant and has been part of the Queenstown Landing team for three years. Before stepping into her new role this year, she worked entirely as a caregiver who built strong relationships with residents and families through hands-on support.
A Certified Nursing Assistant who works specifically in the community’s LifeStories neighborhood, Butler has been with Queenstown Landing for nearly a year. In that time, she has made a meaningful impact caring for residents who benefit from specialized memory care services.
“Our caregivers are the heart of Queenstown Landing, bringing compassion, patience, and dignity to every moment,” Johnson said. “This award honors those who go above and beyond while building trust, creating comfort and making residents feel truly at home. To receive such recognition and be in the running for the national award is quite an achievement.”
According to Johnson, Buchholz and Butler embody the very spirit of caregiving the award seeks to celebrate.
“Brandy and Jayne are shining examples of what it means to care,” Johnson said. “Their dedication doesn’t just support daily living. It transforms lives. They are more than helpers. They are steady hands, kind voices and familiar faces that bring comfort when it’s needed most.
“Their compassion turns ordinary days into moments of dignity, connection and hope. I couldn’t be more honored to work with them and am so happy to see them be recognized for the incredible care and heart they bring to all of us every day.”
According to its website, the Ceca Foundation honors caregivers through a variety of national and international awards that extend beyond traditional recognition programs with care partners. These programs have recognized nearly 14,000 caregivers.
Since 2014, Ceca has selected National Award Recipients annually, highlighting care workers who stand out for their dedication and compassion, the website noted. In 2021, the organization expanded its reach by partnering with state and national associations to support awards presented at industry conferences across the country. A year later, Ceca partnered with Nurses for Global Impact, Inc. to recognize its first international award recipient.
In 2024, the website stated, Ceca launched “Celebrating America’s Care Force,” a national initiative that uses storytelling to spotlight the invaluable contributions of caregivers across the full continuum of care, including hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing centers, senior living communities, homecare and hospice organizations.
“We are proud to continue to deliver on our co-founders’ vision and mission to recognize and reward caregivers that positively impact the lives of those they care for, creating a quality and human-centric care experience,” Ceca said in a statement while referring to co-founders Matthew and Rosemary Lawlor.
For Queenstown Landing, the recognition of Buchholz and Butler is a reflection of the daily commitment caregivers make to ensuring residents feel safe, valued and truly at home.
For more information, contact Jay Hurley, Community Relations Director, Queenstown Landing, at [email protected]or call 410.304.2005.
