Ellen Atkins of Greensboro had a 30 year career as a public accountant, culminating as Chief Operating Officer in the Horne CPA Group in Jackson, MS. Based on the health care needs and experiences of people in her own family, Ellen began a second career in insurance and quickly embraced the specialty of long term care planning. Her work as a long term care planner and the caregiving experiences in her own family have made Ellen an advocate for the aging. She serves as the Board President of the Adult Center for Enrichment and has served on the board and chair of the Triad Retirement Living Association, the Guilford County Commission on Aging. She has lobbied to improve long term care insurance options for state employees and reinstatement of the long term care insurance state tax credit. The focus of her interest in the Leadership initiative is to continue to expand her understanding of the universe of long term care services and to focus on her specific interest in adoption of the Partnership Plan for Long Term Care.
After moving to the Triangle Area, Harriet Ann Bartnick of Cary worked from 1988 to 2001 at Burroughs Wellcome and then at GlaxoSmithKline/GlaxoWellcome, first as a video conference administrator and then as a senior health care events associate. In 2001 she formed her own business, “Final Matters Inc.” a company addressing issues associated with end of life planning, advanced directives and options for funeral arrangements. Harriett wrote and published the “Final Matters Organizer”™, a resource guide for end of life planning. In addition to managing her business, Harriett has been an active volunteer health specialist and advocacy volunteer with North Carolina AARP. She has also been president of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of the Triangle and board member of the national association Funeral Consumers Alliance. She intends to share her knowledge of end of life issues and funeral planning with public guardians so better decisions can be made regarding wards of the state in the disposition of bodies.
Horace Johnson of Apex is a retiree after 35 years working in the chemical industry, where he was a director of business and marketing. He then started up and sold two businesses and is currently running a family business with his daughter and grandchildren. Horace helped start an Episcopal church in Apex serving as charter member and first Senior Warden for the new mission. He is active in the Apex Lions Club, Boy Scout Troop 209 and Cub Scouts Pack and is currently President of the Apex Lions Club. In 2007 the town of Apex recognized him with their first “Small Town Hero" Award. His interest in senior adult issues stems from his volunteer work in an assisted living facility where he provides a daily exercise program. He has seen firsthand that those who are regulars at his sessions have better lives as a result. He is wants to be able to build on his experience in a single assisted living facility to replicate their success in other settings.
Emily Paynter of Durham passed away in January, 2010 following a diagnosis of terminal illness. She had described her work experience as both professional and volunteer activities where she helped connect people having resources with people needing resources. Most often these resources were not goods and services but were information and knowledge. Her role was usually that of bridging different perspectives. Emily had a doctorate in Education/Social Psychology from the University of Iowa. She was involved with AARP NC as a health specialist, volunteered with Project Compassion, and was completing the Gerontology Certificate through Appalachian State’s on-line program. Her focus for the Senior Leadership Initiative involved addressing the issues associated with older, underemployed professionals. This focus was prompted by her own circumstances over the past six years and by the many stories she heard over this same period. Emily wanted to engage business, labor, governmental officials, higher education leaders, human resource leaders, agency, advocacy, and service providers to develop models and approaches to addressing the needs of this sector of society.
Carol Shaw of Raleigh is a human resources professional with a passion for helping leaders use their strengths to get to the next level. She worked in the pharmaceutical industry as an Organization and People Development Manager and her leadership contributed to R&D being recognized for a number of winning and honorable mention projects at her company's Multicultural Marketing and Diversity Awards. After retiring from GlaxoSmithKline, Carol has been a volunteer with the NC Museum of Art and the Wake County Literacy Council. Her volunteer work with seniors involves AARP roles as a Key Legislative Contact, the Divided We Fail team, and the Seniors’ Walking Program. In addition to learning more about the politics of aging in North Carolina, Carol wants to develop an interactive program with supporting handbook and leader’s guide to teach seniors how to advocate for themselves at the legislative, community, and personal levels.
