Remarkable Women

Educating and Empowering Those Who Serve Older Adults

Jenny Novy, MA, MS, CPG, DCS, DCSCT, is the Owner and CEO of Amada Senior Care NorthShore and an accomplished entrepreneur, executive leader, educator, and speaker recognized for her strategic leadership, resilience, and innovative approach to building high-performing organizations. She has earned a reputation for transforming challenges into opportunities, leading through uncertainty with confidence, and cultivating a culture of excellence that drives both business growth and exceptional client care. While many organizations struggled through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jenny’s visionary leadership, sound business strategy, and unwavering commitment to her employees and clients positioned her organization to not only endure but thrive. Today, she leads one of Northern Illinois’ premier senior care organizations, overseeing more than 20 office professionals and over 250 caregivers who provide nearly 20,000 hours of compassionate care each month throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.

Jenny’s passion for senior care began in 1991 as an Activity Aide in a Chicago nursing home, where she discovered her calling to serve older adults with dignity and compassion. She earned her undergraduate degree in Theater and Communications, followed by master’s degrees in Gerontology and Therapeutic Recreation, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Gerontology. Throughout her distinguished career, she has led healthcare teams, consulted with senior care organizations, and trained professionals across Northern Illinois. With more than three decades of leadership experience, Jenny understands that sustainable success is built through people, purpose, innovation, and operational excellence. Since founding Amada Senior Care NorthShore in 2017, she has developed a thriving organization known for its exceptional service, strong workplace culture, and unwavering commitment to quality. Her ability to recruit, develop, and retain outstanding professionals while inspiring teams to achieve excellence has made her organization a trusted leader within the senior care industry.

Jenny’s expertise extends beyond business leadership. As a Dementia Connection Specialist (DCS), Certified Dementia Connection Specialist Trainer (DCSCT), and Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) Trainer, she is a respected educator who equips healthcare professionals, caregivers, and organizational leaders through leadership development, dementia education, and continuing education programs. Her passion for developing future leaders and advancing person-centered care continues to influence healthcare organizations throughout Northern Illinois and beyond.

Grounded in her Christian faith and guided by servant leadership, Jenny leads with integrity, humility, and compassion. She and her husband, Jim, have shared a remarkable journey together since meeting in kindergarten and have celebrated more than 30 years of marriage while raising four children. Whether speaking on leadership, organizational growth, navigating change, team development, or building resilient businesses, Jenny inspires audiences to think differently, lead courageously, and create organizations where both people and purpose flourish. She is someone you should know.

Dorothy P. Niles Hope to the Nations

For more than fifty years, Dorothy P. Nilles has walked beside people in their deepest pain. As a psychiatric nurse, she spent thirty five years in inpatient psychiatry, tending to trauma, crisis, and the quiet suffering that often goes unseen.

“Her clinical roles encompassed triage, clinical management, individual counseling…”

Those years showed her something unmistakable: people don’t just need treatment—they need hope. They need someone who sees their dignity, believes in their healing, and refuses to let their story end in brokenness. That conviction became the heartbeat of Hope Renewed Ministries.

Dorothy carried her work beyond hospital walls, leading NAMI support groups and teaching emotional healing in church communities. She witnessed how faith and practical care could meet in powerful ways, restoring strength where despair once lived.

“She has also taught coping skills, emotional healing, and spiritual restoration…”

Hope Renewed Ministries was born from this lifelong calling. Dorothy envisioned a place where men, women, children, and vulnerable communities could find education, counseling, vocational training, and spiritual formation—real tools for rebuilding their lives. Her work in Kenya and Rwanda deepened this mission, proving that healing can ripple outward, transforming families, churches, and entire communities.

Reflecting on how her life has changed, Tenika shared:

“It changed every area of my life—financially, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and within my family relationships. My relationship with God has grown deeper. I am transitioning into my own apartment, and God has truly shown up and shown out in my life. Won’t He do it?”

Today, Tenika is employed, preparing to move into her own apartment, and serving in a leadership role where she encourages and supports other women. Her journey has come full circle. The woman who once needed help is now helping others discover hope, healing, and purpose.

Today, Dorothy leads with the same compassion that guided her from the beginning. Her voice is warm, grounded, and full of truth. Her ministry stands as an invitation: healing is possible, hope is real, and every person—no matter their story—deserves a renewed life.

“Dorothy is known for her compassionate presence… offering audiences both understanding and hope.”

Teneka Lumpkins’ New Beginning • Juneteenth – June 20, 2026

Every woman has a story. Some stories begin with opportunity, while others begin with adversity. Tenika Lumpkin’s story is one of extraordinary resilience, unwavering faith, and the transformative power of God’s love.

Today, we celebrate Tenika as she graduates from the LifeSprings Ministries Program on June 20, 2026. As a mother of four and grandmother of one, Tenika has overcome challenges that might have caused many to lose hope. Instead, she chose to persevere, trusting God through every season of her life.

LifeSprings Ministries, a Christ-centered recovery and long-term transitional living program, provides women and children facing housing instability due to addiction, abuse, trauma, or financial hardship with a safe environment, life-skills training, supportive community, and opportunities for spiritual growth. For Tenkia, it became a place where healing, restoration, and renewed purpose could take root.

Throughout her life, Tenika endured childhood trauma, navigated the challenges of raising a child with disabilities, survived a violent assault, experienced homelessness, and struggled with feelings of unworthiness. Yet even in her darkest moments, God was preparing her for something greater.

One of the most remarkable chapters of Tenika’s journey came at the age of 40 when she learned to read. After years of carrying the hidden burden of illiteracy, she experienced a breakthrough that forever changed the course of her life. Today, she enjoys reading, journaling, and spending time strengthening her relationship with Jesus Christ.

When asked what resources helped her most on her journey, Tenika credits counseling for trauma and growing closer to God. Through faith, prayer, and the support she received, she found healing and the strength to move forward.

Reflecting on how her life has changed, Tenika shared:

“It changed every area of my life—financially, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and within my family relationships. My relationship with God has grown deeper. I am transitioning into my own apartment, and God has truly shown up and shown out in my life. Won’t He do it?”

Today, Tenika is employed, preparing to move into her own apartment, and serving in a leadership role where she encourages and supports other women. Her journey has come full circle. The woman who once needed help is now helping others discover hope, healing, and purpose.

When asked about the impact the program has had on her future, Tenika’s outlook is filled with faith and expectation.

“My future looks bright. I am graduating, moving into my own apartment, and continuing to grow into the woman God created me to be.”

Her gratitude for the support she received is evident when speaking about her experience:

“LifeSprings helped change my life. I got to see the hands and feet of Jesus through the women who surrounded me with love and support. They wanted to see me succeed and grow. It is an amazing place to grow your relationship with Christ, and I wish there were more places like it.”

When asked what she would say to a woman who feels stuck, broken, or afraid to begin again, Jurah’s response is both heartfelt and powerful:
“Jesus loves you. I see you because I used to be you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. He can restore your soul, heal your heart, and give you a new beginning.”

As she celebrates this important milestone, Tenika stands as a powerful reminder that our circumstances do not determine our destiny. Through faith, perseverance, and God’s redeeming grace, every setback can become a setup for something greater.

Today, Tenika is not only celebrating graduation. She is celebrating healing, growth, restoration, employment, leadership, and a new beginning. Her story reminds us that God is faithful, transformation is possible, and hope is never out of reach.

Women’s Network Worldwide proudly celebrates Tenika Lumpkin Young as Someone You Should Know—a woman of courage, faith, resilience, and purpose whose testimony continues to inspire others to trust God, persevere through adversity, and embrace the future He has prepared for them.