Learning Labs on Social Engagement and Reducing Isolation in Older Adults

Laura B. Plunkett is a Senior Program Specialist with the Center for Healthy Aging at the National Council on Aging. In this role, she works with chronic disease self-management education and fall prevention grantees across the country to provide information, support, and resources to strengthen, expand, and sustain the delivery of evidence-based programs. Prior to joining NCOA, Laura spent four years at an Area Agency on Aging in North Carolina, where she coordinated the implementation of evidence-based health promotion programs in 12 counties. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Bachelor of Social Work from North Carolina State University and a Master’s degree in Public Health from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her professional interests include the integration of community-based services and health care, the sustainability of evidence-based programs, and continuum of care efforts.

Rebecca Levine joined USAging in July 2014 as Membership and Outreach Associate and currently serves as Senior Manager, Membership, and Senior Program Manager, engAGED: The National Resource Center for Engaging Older Adults. In her role as Senior Manager, Membership, Rebecca manages membership relations and USAging's Aging Innovations and Achievement Awards program and supports membership training and external affairs activities. As Senior Program Manager, engAGED, Rebecca assists with the identification and dissemination of resources and best practices to help the Aging Network increase the social engagement of older adults. Rebecca holds a Master of Social Work from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh.

Fatima Perkins is a respected, purposeful leader with over 20 years of experience in outreach, service planning, capacity building, strategic planning, resource development, research, evaluation, proposal writing/reviewing and grants management. As the Director of Community Outreach & Advocacy for the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging, Fatima develops the Agency’s internal and external approaches to brand strategy. This includes developing outreach efforts, public relations and marketing as well as establishing sustainable collaborations and partnerships resulting in new programs/services to address community needs and interests. 

As a Librarian, Fatima developed more than 5,000 programs including health and wellness initiatives, and received the 2014 Community Leadership Award from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition Fitness.

Fatima has a Master’s in Nonprofit Organization Management from Case Western Reserve University/Weatherhead School of Business and a Master's- Library Information and Science from Syracuse University.

Christine Marcos is a Senior Program Officer with Moses Taylor Foundation.  In her work with the Foundation, Christine oversees the design and implementation of the Foundation's strategic initiative to Reduce Older Adult Isolation.  With more than a decade of experience in health-related social service and philanthropic roles, Christine is passionate about improving health of all residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania.  Christine is a member of Grantmakers in Aging and trained in Reframing Aging principles.

Mike Castellano is the Older Adult Isolation Manager with The United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne & Pike Counties. In his role, he works to improve the health and well-being of older adults experiencing social isolation while leading a collaborative up of dozens of social service, health care, government, and other organizations. Prior to his work with The United Way, Mike co-founded a nonprofit to bolster youth workforce development in New Jersey. With nearly ten years of community engagement experience, Mike is eager and driven to strengthen the local community in Northeastern Pennsylvania where he was born and raised.

Dr. Lenard W. Kaye is Professor of Social Work and Director of the Center on Aging at the University of Maine.

A prolific writer in the field of health care and aging, he has published approximately 200 journal articles and book chapters and 17 books on specialized topics in aging including social isolation, home health care, productive aging, rural practice, family caregiving, controversial issues in aging, support groups for older women, and congregate housing. His pioneering research and writing on older men’s caregiving experiences and help-seeking behaviors, is widely recognized and frequently cited. His recent books include Social Isolation of Older Adults: Strategies to Bolster Health and Well-Being, Springer Publishing Company (2019) and the Handbook of Rural Aging, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group (2021).
 
He is a current Co-Principal Investigator of The Mayer-Rothschild Foundation Designation of Excellence in Person-Centered Long-Term Care and the Lead Evaluator of AgingME, Maine’s Geriatrics Workforce Development Project. He is a Past President of both the Maine and New York State Gerontological Societies and sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work and Journal of Aging Life Care, and is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America.