OGA 2021 Virtual Career Fair: Meet & Greet Aging Professionals

Shannon Baggerman, LCSW

Gerontology training/education: Master of Social Work with concentrations in Interpersonal Practice and Aging in Families and Society

Current or most recent position: Program Coordinator, Washington County Disability, Aging and Veteran Services

Description of current or most recent work: I currently oversee the Family Caregiver Support Program; developing programing for caregivers, facilitating evidence-based programs, building community partnerships, and working with contractors.

Special interest or expertise: I have worked in a variety of settings and positions in the field of aging. I started in community mental health working at a skilled nursing facility. I have provided case management and worked as part of a state wide initiative to address systemic gaps. In my latest position I get to work with individuals and develop programming to support family caregivers.

What do you like most about working in the aging field? If people are working in this field, it is typically a path they have chosen. I am often surrounded by others that are also very passionate about the people we serve.

Zoom Host: Sara Kofman

Polly Bangs

Gerontology training/education: In 2013, I enrolled in the Gerontology Certificate program at Portland State University which I attended for a year. While I didn't complete the program, as my senior service business was picking up, the education I received made me more prepared for the work I did with older adults and helped me to better understand the target demographic I was working with.

Current or most recent position: Owner/Operator, Urban Excursions

Description of current or most recent work: In 2013, I started Urban Excursions (UE) which provided weekly social outings for older adults. UE provided approximately ten outings per week for older adults, some of the outings were specifically for people with dementia, while others were higher-functioning outings for people who wanted to socialize and participate in fun activities in the community. UE provided door-to-door pick up and drop off which was a key component to success for people facing transportation barriers.

Special interest or expertise: I am most passionate about the detriments of social isolation and the impact it has on the aging process. I am a passionate advocate for older adults continuing to participate in the community and with their peers. Successful and happy aging must include a prescription for fun.

What do you like most about working in the aging field? The people, hands down. Being able to meet new people, hear their stories and connect with them and their caregivers is fulfilling work!

Zoom Host: Claire Ghazal

Barbara Cronin

Gerontology training/education: I have completed a few years of college courses in Gerontology, with special courses in Activities/Programming, End of Life Care, and Alzheimer's & Dementia Care.

Current or most recent position: I am currently employed by the City of Monmouth as the Director of the Monmouth Senior Community Center.

Description of current or most recent work: I have been the head of the Senior Center Department since December 2014. I schedule and advertise programs, classes, and regular social events at the Center while making it a welcoming environment for everyone who enters. I also assist older community members find the correct resources for signing up for age-appropriate benefits and programs through other outside agencies. Connecting people with resources, advocates, and a variety of assistance so that they can be thriving members of our community is a very rewarding part of my job.

Special interest or expertise: I am currently working for a community based Senior Center, however my background is in Long-Term Care. I worked in senior healthcare for many years as an Activities Director in the Assisted Living level, then for many years as the Program Coordinator in a Memory Care community. During my work in that field I received extensive ongoing training in Alzheimer's & Dementia Care, ran family support groups, and gained a broad understanding of the residents that were living with dementia and how to best care and program for these individuals. I continue to be very passionate about that work and provide many dementia care support options through a partnership with the Alzheimer's Association at our Senior Center.

What do you like most about working in the aging field? I love busting the stereotypical myths surrounding the aging experience. Joining a Senior Center doesn't mean you have to give up and play bingo for the rest of your life. Living with dementia doesn't mean you can't experience joy, purpose, and meaning in each day. You never have to stop learning, growing, and thriving in your family and community. In fact, the more we welcome people of all ages to join together to volunteer, learn, socialize, and support each other, the stronger we are as a society.

Zoom Host: Melissa Cannon

Alan DeLaTorre, PhD

Gerontology training/education: In addition to my Graduate Certificate in Gerontology, one of my doctoral field areas in the Urban Studies program was gerontology. For approximately 10 years I was a researcher and instructor within PSU’s Institute on Aging where I attended local, national, and international gerontology conferences.

Current or most recent position: Age-Friendly City Program Manager, City of Portland, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

Description of current or most recent work: As the age-friendly program manager for the City of Portland, I serve on the Comprehensive and Strategic Planning team where I am able to infuse age-friendly approaches into planning projects and policies. During the pandemic emergency I shifted focus to address the needs of vulnerable communities, including older adults and people with disabilities. Moving forward my project work will focus on planning for age-friendly centers (i.e., compact and pedestrian-oriented urban places).

Special interest or expertise: Urban gerontology, environmental gerontology & community engagement.

What do you like most about working in the aging field? Improving places for people

Zoom Host: Margaret Neal

Mike Faber, MA

Gerontology training/education: Bachelor of Science in Gerontology; Undergraduate Certificate in Mental Health and Aging; Master of Arts in Sociology specializing in Aging and the Life Course

Current or most recent position: Gerontology Instructor, Portland Community College

Description of current or most recent work: In my current role as full-time faculty at PCC, I teach GRN 234 Introduction to Dementia Care, SOC 231 Sociology of Health and Aging, SOC 232 Death and Dying: Culture and Issues, and HUS 102 Mental Health First Aid (Adult). In this role I am responsible for online instruction; ongoing curriculum development/revision; course and student evaluation; student advising; part-time faculty assessment; serve as faculty advisor to the student club (Ageless Network), as well as involvement on a number of internal and external committees.

Special interest or expertise: Caregiving; Dementia Care; Death, Dying, and Bereavement

What do you like most about working in the aging field? Instilling passion in others for the field of Gerontology

Zoom Host: Jenny Sasser

Rebecca Miller, MPA

Gerontology training/education: Graduate Certificate of Gerontology. Former volunteer Long-Term Care Ombudsman, trained as End of Life Doula (but haven’t used the training yet!)

Current or most recent position: Disability, Aging and Veteran Services Supervisor, Washington County Health & Human Services

Description of current or most recent work: Supervisor for Disability, Aging and Veteran Services (DAVS) and as such am also the Area Agency on Aging Director for Washington County. I manage the organization, which has 28 paid staff, a number of volunteers and interns, and a budget of approximately $6 million dollars. I am also a part of the Health & Human Services Leadership Team and serve as a liaison to the Departments Equity Workgroup. Our organization administers Older Americans Act programs, Oregon Project Independence, and Veterans Services. We connect older adults (60+), people with physical disabilities, and veterans to programs and services that enable them to thrive in the community. We offer (directly and through contracts with community based organizations) family caregiver support and training, options counseling, congregate and home delivered meals, information and referral services, evidence-based health promotion, home modification/repair, in-home services, elder abuse prevention training and awareness, legal services, transportation, care transitions, older adult behavioral health programming, benefits enrollment support, representative payee services, suicide prevention training, aging services workforce training and development, and more!

Special interest or expertise: My experience is in accessible housing, transportation, policy, advocacy, contracting, community engagement and strategic planning.

What do you like most about working in the aging field? Its systems-level work that impacts individual quality of life.

Zoom Host: Cory Bolkan

Polina Munblit-Gregg, MBA

Gerontology training/education: Bachelors in Aging Services and Business Administration, Masters in Healthcare Administration

Current or most recent position: Assistant Administrator at Rose Schnitzer Manor (Cedar Sinai Park)

Description of current or most recent work: I help seniors and their families transition to assisted living. This is usually a stressful time in their lives full of change and loss of independence and I provide a lot of education and assistance in coordinating many moving parts to make the transition successful.

Special interest or expertise: Assisted living and long-term care

What do you like most about working in the aging field? I love working in long-term care and helping to ensure that seniors are able to maintain their quality of life while receiving high quality care.

Zoom Host: Patty Glines

Zachary Shawver, BS

Gerontology training/education: Most of my formal education came from courses related to aging and psychology including theories of social psychology, and abnormal psychology within my undergraduate programs (BS in Psychology; BS in Interpersonal Communication; Undergraduate Certificate in Conflict and Dispute Resolution.)

Current or most recent position: Disability and Aging Services Coordinator, Washington County Disability, Aging and Veteran Services

Description of current or most recent work: Currently I am a case manager for a program within Disability, Aging, and Veteran Services known as the Oregon Project Independence program. There are several roles and responsibilities related to my position, but primarily I manage a case load of 50-60 individuals age 60+ and age 19-59 with a physical disability. The primary aspect of my position are to oversee in home caregiving services provided by either an independent homecare worker, or caregiving services through one of our contracted agencies.

Special interest or expertise: Areas within the aging field that I am most interested in are around how to expand and provide equitable services to older adults. I have experience in assisting with providing trainings to staff, homecare workers, and adult foster home providers in being able to better serve the older adult LGBTQ+ community. I love that my position allows me to have a broad range of opportunities to be innovative and creative with how we serve the older adult/aging population.

What do you like most about working in the aging field? What I’ve come to like the most about working in the aging field is the sense of gratitude exhibited from those I’m able to serve.

Zoom Host: Kathleen Sullivan