2012-2013 Board of Directors Who's Who |
| Jean Armitage is a member of the Council on Aging and the Ladies Aide Society. She is interested in preventive health care and developing a stronger and effective Council on Aging. Town represented on Board: Tolland. TOP |
| Mary Jane Connolly is a member of the Council on Aging, the Enfield Women's Club and NADA, which is a group that works to stop abuse against women. She enjoys planning parties and other types of events and making gift baskets. Finally, she worked in accounting, where she learned good financial skills. Town represented on Board: Southwick. TOP |
| Betty Faulkner is a member of the Historical Society and the Hadley Council on Aging. She is interested in helping out the elderly, as she continues to learn more about the programs and resources that are available to them out in the community. Finally, she teaches the strength training class, delivers the Home Delivered Meals to elders in her local community and volunteers at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Town represented on Board: Hadley. TOP |
| Harriet Fischer is a retired teacher of 20 years where she taught social studies and psychology, and is a retired Director of the Westfield Friends In Learning Program. Currently, Harriet is a member of Sarah Gillette, the Westfield Library and the Council on Aging. She is a volunteer at the Cancer House of Hope and Community Kitchen, and a driver for the Senior Transport Program. She has worked with Forasteire Funereal Homes in setting up a Coping With Grief Program for all seniors and high school students. She has also helped to organize a Hope Support Group to reach out to grieving people in her church. Her special skills include good organization and leadership and the ability to be part of a committee. Town represented on Board: Southwick. TOP |
| Diane Geissler is currently a member of and serves on the Board of Directors for the Council on Aging. She is also a member of the Friends, as well as belongs to the Wednesday Morning Ladies Group. Diane worked in insurance and tourism, was a real estate agent, used to be the Union President for the AFL-CIO, and has traveled the world. Finally, she loves people. Town represented on Board: Easthampton. TOP |
| Joan Golowich is member of the League of Women Voters, Amherst Women's Club and Council on Aging. She is an elder law attorney, whose special interests include helping elders with estate planning and Medicaid issues. Town represented on Board: Amherst. TOP |
| Joan Hart has 50 years of experience in social work, including child welfare, adoptions, mental health crisis, foster home finding and supervision and elder abuse. She has done outreach to elders for the past 20 years in Pelham. Town represented on Board: Pelham. TOP |
| Louise Jasionkowski is a member of the Council on Aging. She worked in the field of nursing and geriatrics, where she was able to gain a better awareness of the needs of seniors. Town represented on Board: Westhampton. TOP |
| Ann Kohn is a retired Registered Nurse, as well as a member of the Council on Aging, the Book Club, the Women's Investment Club and the Plainfield Historical Society. She is also a Trustee for the Shaw Memorial Library. As a Certified Diabetes Educator, she has developed a diabetes education program at Berkshire Medical Center, complete with a pamphlet to assist newly diagnosed diabetics, facilitated a diabetes support group and is the Editor for the a diabetic newsletter. Town represented on Board: Plainfield. TOP |
| Marion Kraus is a member of the Westfield Council on Aging, she is also part of their choral group, which is known as the Do, Ri, Me's. She volunteers with RSVP and at Bay State Medical Hospital in the Nursery Cuddlers Program, where she cradles newborn babies on a weekly basis. She is the former President of the Merchant's Association of Eastfield Mall, spent 10 years managing a retail store and worked for 11 years at American International College in the Registrar's Office and Continuing Education. She Finally, she enjoys people and her main goal is always to best serve the needs of the community. Town represented on Board: Westfield. TOP |
| Susan Kucharski is the Director of the Council on Aging and serves on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Hamilton Memorial Library. At the library, she is the volunteer leader of the ongoing Adult Reading Group and also is the coordinator for the Adult Summer Reading Program. She was a Certified Gerontological Nurse for over 30 years and worked in various community, chronic care, home care and rehabilitation settings. She is a former SHINE Counselor and in her current employment, helps to resolve Medicare, Medicaid and other medical insurance issues. She has also held various supervisory and management positions, which allowed her to gain valuable leadership skills. She speaks at conferences and previously worked for the Alzheimer's Association, where she became knowledgeable about Alzheimer's Disease and its related disorders. Finally, she was a family caregiver to both of her parents and has good computer and program development skills. Town represented on Board: Chester. TOP |
| Don Levitan is a professor emeritus. He is considered a true prac-academic, in that he has had a relevant, hands-on career with the family of governments, academe, industry and not-for-profits, both here and abroad, plus a gaggle of research studies, grants, articles and books, as well as editorships for several academic and professional publications, search engines, and e-zines. At present, he volunteers as the Grants Coordinator for Northampton's Senior Center and to round out his persona. Finally, Don is a dedicated tree-hugger. Town represented on Board: Northampton.TOP |
| Marilyn Madru is a member of the Council on Aging. She was a manager of a deli with Big Y and worked with personal life insurance. Town represented on Board: Huntington. TOP |
| Robert Montague worked for 18 years at Forbes Library, where he provided outreach services by delivering and selecting reading materials for seniors. Currently, he is a member of his local Council on Aging and is interested in working on the general needs of Northampton. Town represented on Board: Northampton. TOP |
| Lydia Omasta is a member of the Council on Aging, Hampshire County Regional Housing Authority and the Pascommuck Conservation Trust. She used to be a kindergarten teacher aide and served as a town selectperson. She enjoys leading groups, visiting and doing crafts. Town represented on Board: Member-At-Large. TOP |
| Lee Satterfield is an associate member of the Council on Aging. Prior to retirement, she worked for 22 years as a Care Advisor for Highland Valley and as a Companion volunteer for 30 years. She has a Masters of Education in Gerontological Studies and indicates that her listening skills are her primary focus. Town represented on Board: Williamsburg. TOP |
| Kathy Service is a member of the Northampton Arts Council, Council on Aging and a valley native. She is currently working to complete her PhD at Northumbria University, where her research focuses on risk perception of older people with intellectual disabilities and relevant social relationships. Kathy has been a Nurse Practitioner since 1979 and a Registered Nurse since 1973. Over the years, she has developed and sharpened many skills, which include listening, collaborating, negotiating and working with numerous individuals and groups of diverse ages, skill levels and roles. She has also presented internationally and written on issues of aging, intellectual disabilities and dementia. Town represented on Board: Northampton. TOP |
| Camille Smith is a member of the Worthington Council on Aging. She worked for 22 years as an elementary school manager cook. She loves children and feels that feeding them well is very important. She is also a member of the Board of Health and feels that her experience will serve her well when dealing with any problems that arise both on this Board, as well as Highland Valley's Board of Directors. Town represented on Board: Worthington. TOP |
| Barbara Sokolowski is currently the Treasurer of the Westfield Senior Travel Club, the Secretary for the St. Peter and St. Casimir Rosary Sodality and the Knights of Lithuania, and a volunteer for the Westfield Council on Aging and at Bingo at St. Peter and St. Casimir's Church. Finally, she is part of the book club at the Southwick Public Library. She is an organized teacher, who is patient, understanding and a good listener. She is also a caregiver, who is compassionate towards the elderly, drives them to doctors appointments or takes them out grocery shopping. Finally, she enjoys visiting with the elderly and to some, she brings her Pekinese dogs with her. Town represented on Board: Westfield. TOP |
| Barbara Sutherland is currently the President for the Amherst Senior Travel Club, a member of the Amherst Council on Aging and a representative for Amherst to Highland Valley's Nutrition Project Council. She volunteers at the Council on Aging and helps with blood pressure clinics every other week on Tuesday mornings. She volunteers to help seniors, who after an illness, need help in their homes and can not afford to pay. She has been an LPN for 27 years and a piano teacher for 30 years. Finally, she considers herself to be a friendly visitor. Town represented on Board: Amherst. TOP |
| William Tatro is the Vice President of the Friends of the Westfield Senior Center and is the Program Coordinator for the Hampden Village Mobile Home Park. He was a school Custodian for 35 years, where he was a very active Union member and officer. He held every office in the Union, negotiated many of the contracts and attended numerous labor and custodial seminars. Also, he is the currently the Treasurer of the Massachusetts Public School Custodian's Union and enjoys working with and being in contact with people. Town represented on Board: Westfield. TOP |
| Jack Wright worked for HCAC, Inc. back in the 1970s. Jack is a licensed mental health counselor. He also worked as a child and family therapist and with low income communities throughout Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin Counties and Windham County in Vermont. Finally, in the recent past, he worked to oppose the expansion of Wal-Mart and the new construction of a Home Depot and Lowes in Hadley. Town represented on Board: Hadley. TOP |
| Updated February 12, 2013 |
