Programs of Excellence Series 2022 - Nutrition

Dianne Stone has more than 20 years of experience with senior centers and aging issues, primarily as the Director of the Newington Senior and Disabled Center in Newington, Connecticut. Stone has also worked, volunteered, and held leadership positions with a variety of organizations in Connecticut, including Connecticut AgeWell Collaborative, the ADA Coalition of Connecticut, Connecticut Medicaid Oversight Council, and the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity. She joined NCOA in January 2022, as a member of the Center for Healthy Aging, where she is primarily focused on supporting senior centers throughout the country through the ACL-funded Modernizing Senior Centers Resource Center and NISC. 

Mary Jo Riley started her career working in the health and fitness fields heading the wellness division at a local hospital.  In the mid 1990’s a change at the hospital changed her direction to working the Groton Senior Center starting in 1995.  Mary Jo has applied her knowledge of health and fitness in Groton, worked on expanding the size of the center to include additional classrooms, technology center, fitness center and exercise rooms.  Her most recent efforts were assessing why older adults do not utilize their local senior center and foraging ahead with a name change to address one of the primary perceptions about senior centers and to take away that barrier.  Mary Jo has been a resident of Southeastern Connecticut most of her life and someday will look forward to retirement.

Mike Wilson is the Director of S.C.O.P.E. (Senior Citizens Opportunity for Personal Endeavor) whose mission is “To inspire, strengthen, and enrich mature adult lives.” 

SCOPE operates several community centers in Northeast Ohio serving over 4,000 seniors with daily recreational activities, educational events, socialization, and fitness programs for seniors.

SCOPE also has a Supportive Services division to assist the individual with information and referral, Medicare/Medicaid assistance, prescription assistance, adult protective services, technology support, and free grocery deliveries to homebound seniors. One of SCOPE’s major supportive volunteer efforts is the AARP Foundation free income tax assistance project serving over 2,500 clients. 

 “S.C.O.P.E. is my most favorite job I have ever had,” Wilson stated. “Working for and with our senior citizens is so rewarding and for the most part it’s just plain fun.” He developed a new promotional program titled, “We Are Off Our Rockers” including a dance team which performs at community parades in the region. On troubling issues affecting seniors he began the SOS (Support Our Seniors) project where staff visits homes and conducts telephone checks to the elderly.

Mike has been a leader in the non-profit sector for over 35 years and is certified as an Association Executive. Locally, he served as CEO of the Home Builders Association (HBA), and Director of the Trumbull Soil & Water Conservation District. He formed an Emergency response team at the HBA which was activated for several tornado and flooding disasters as well as for September 11^th.

As a hobby, Wilson is also a historical actor who has portrayed our nation’s 25^th President William McKinley all over the nation for over 30 years. He really enjoys bringing ‘history to life’ especially at schools to students. He also performs a ‘No Respect’ comedy routine as the late great comedian Rodney Dangerfield.

Mike has coached youth sports for over 30 years, including his current position as an Assistant High School Football Coach and Director of Football Operations for Champion Local Schools. He serves as the Commissioner of the Northeast Ohio Youth Football League and is a certified member of USA Football. Mike was named by the Ohio Parks & Recreation Association as the 2012 ‘Youth Sports Coach of the Year’.

Wilson also worked as a radio broadcaster for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers minor league baseball team.

Mike was named Ohio’s Outstanding Young Citizen in 1991 by the Ohio Junior Chamber of Commerce. He also was named the Outstanding Citizen of Niles in 1994. Mr. Wilson was inducted into his Dayton Area High School’s ‘Northmont Roll of Recognition’ as the Alumnus of the Year in 2002.

Joanne Moore has 25 years’ experience working with older adults in a variety of community and non-profit settings. She is the Director of the Duxbury Senior Center and has successfully led her team through three National Accreditations. She is a past president of the Massachusetts Council on Aging (MCOA) and a current Board Member and Certification Chair. Joanne serves as a member Massachusetts Falls Commission and the NISC Learning Collaborative. She is a master trainer for both "A Matter of Balance" and the "UCLA Memory" programs and was instrumental in introducing these program resources to Massachusetts senior centers. Joanne holds a BS in Graphic Design and Business and a MS in Adult Learning and Development.