(L to R: Ruth Klemmer, Rachel Reddick, Edward Harrell, Sallie Williamson)
J. Edward Harrill retired from Appalachian State University in
1992. He came to Boone in 1961 to reactivate and develop a master level
degree program in counseling. By the time Ed retired this program had
12 faculty members. At ASU Ed received an Outstanding Teacher of the Year
Award and was granted the Ella Stevens Barrett award by the NC State Counseling
Association. Ed is active in NC Citizens for International Understanding
, his church and community and now serves Watauga County as their representative
to the Senior Tar Heel Legislature.
Ruth R. Klemmer is a retired occupational therapist. She became
most interested in quality issues in long term care and the needs of responsible
caregivers when her father and mother resided in a facility in Wake County.
Ruth and her husband were the founders of the Stewart Health Center Friends,
a support group of the relatives and friends of nursing home residents
of the Springmoor Retirement Community in Raleigh. She became an active
and valuable member of the Long Term Care Coalition sponsored by Friends
of Residents in Long Term Care. Ruth has also been active and loyal supporter
of the League of Women Voters and has served as an election judge in Wake
County.
Rachel Reddick retired from a professional career that included
the Internal Revenue Service, a Montessori childcare center, a managed
healthcare network and the State of California. She returned to North
Carolina where she still operates a small business from her home. She
is presently a Community Coordinator for AARP in Pasquotank County and
very involved in developing and promoting AARP functions and opportunities
for volunteering in that community. She is very concerned about long term
care issues and the need for pharmacy assistance in the elderly. While
numerous projects and programs are available, it is still difficult to
locate services when they are most needed. Rachel is also a volunteer
on the Election Board for Elizabeth City and is very active in all areas
of church work.
Sallie Williamson recently retired from the Pitt County Department
of Social Services where she served as supervisor of Pitt County's adult
services programs. She was the first social worker in Pitt County's Community
Alternatives Program (CAP-DA) and was promoted from that position to eventually
oversee guardianship and adult protective services as well as CAP-DA.
Sallie is currently the president of the Pitt Aging Coalition and works
diligently to develop systems to better coordinate services and improve
agency interaction to improve outcomes for aging clients. Sallie is working
part-time for the Mid-East Area Aging on Aging as a caregiver advocate.
