Nov. 7, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contacts: Sarah Mashburn, (202) 508-9492

AAHSA Selects Inaugural Class of Leadership Fellows

WASHINGTON, DC – The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) recently announced that 33 emerging leaders from across the aging-services field will make up the first class of AAHSA’s Leadership AAHSA Fellowship program.

This program is designed to augment the ranks of emerging leaders across the continuum of care and services for the aging and address the shortage of potential leaders nationwide. The year-long curriculum will be focused on advancing emerging leaders, encouraging innovation and focusing on person-centered approach for residents, clients and staff members. Leadership AAHSA is also focused on fostering diversity among aging-services leaders. More than half of this year’s participants are women, and one-third are people of color.

The participants will begin their year-long fellowship at AAHSA’s 2006 Annual Meeting & Exposition in San Francisco. As part of this program, the fellows will connect with other leaders, attend classroom and online classes and visit facilities that offer innovative care and services to older adults nationwide. This year’s participants include:

Tom Akins	Brewster Place Retirement Community	KS
Joy Bodnar	Foxdale Village	PA
Eric Boston	St. Barnabas Senior Living Services	TN
Rebecca Brandon	Village of Tempe	AZ
Alex Candalla	American Baptist Homes of the West	CA
Ken Carpenter	Sears Methodist Retirement System	TX
Renee Cisewski	Wynscape	IL
Nellie Cole	McKendree Village Inc.	TN
Angelique D'Silva-Williams	TELACU Residential Management	CA
Janet Green	Emmanuel Community	MN
Cherese Holland	Episcopal Homes Foundation	CA
Kimberly Hynek	Lakeview Village Inc.	KS
David Kafora	Arizona Baptist Retirement Centers	AZ
David Kohnstamm	Rose Schnitzer Manor	OR
Zandra Matthews	Lutheran Towers	GA
Kevin McFeely	The Kenney	WA
Meghan McGeoy	Broomall Presbyterian Village	PA
Michelle Mendoza	The Kensington Retirement Community	CA
Kathy Mon	Hebrew Health Care	CT
Matthew Neeley	Brethren Hillcrest Homes	CA
Ann O’ Malley	Kendal at Oberlin	OH
Gregory Poole-Dayan	Jewish Home and Hospital Lifecare System	NY
Pamela Rooney	The Christian Healthcare Center	NJ
Patricia Sawyer	The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast	FL
Cheryl Schendel-Hennager	Bethany Life Communities	IA
Jane Shukitis	Unity Health System	NY
Lois Sietsema	Midwest Geriatrics Inc.	NE
Susan Sinderson	Lifelink Corporation	IL
David Smart	Golden West Senior Residence	CO
Kelly Smith Papa	McLean Health Center	CT
Lynn Szender	Mary Woods at Marylhurst	OR
Jon-Paul Venoit	Ashlar Village	CT
Iara Woody	AAHSA	DC

"Leadership AAHSA is built on the power of collaboration and community to develop the innovative, person-centered programs our elders deserve," AAHSA president and CEO Larry Minnix said. "Together, these individuals will learn valuable leadership skills that will help their organizations offer seniors the services they need, when they need them, in a place they can call home."

To learn more about the Leadership AAHSA program, visit AAHSA’s Web site at www.aahsa.org.

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About AAHSA
The members of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (www.aahsa.org) help millions of individuals and their families every day through mission-driven, not-for-profit organizations dedicated to providing the services that people need, when they need them, in the place they call home. Our 5,800 member organizations, many of which have served their communities for generations, offer the continuum of aging services: adult day services, home health, community services, senior housing, assisted living residences, continuing care retirement communities and nursing homes. AAHSA’s commitment is to create the future of aging services through quality people can trust.