2009 Ceremony

The fifth annual Shelley Joseph-Kordell Award and Scholarship Ceremony will be held on Thursday, October 29, 2009 to honor those who work with seniors and to celebrate the life of Shelley Joseph-Kordell.  Shelley made professional advocacy and service for seniors her life’s passion, helping them retain their independence and make life transitions more seamless.

The first Award, created by Hennepin County and now in its fifth year, annually recognizes professionals or agencies who help seniors navigate financial, health care, and social service systems; identify and overcome barriers to community living; and coordinate community resources and support services.  Nominees must demonstrate a passion for working with seniors, a willingness to go the extra mile, and breadth of impact.  This Award includes a $1,000 monetary gift to the recipient, funded by Lurie Besikof Lapidus.

Award Recipient: Marge Thurin, former ElderCare Rights Alliance Family Caregiver Educator and Advocacy Coach and past Social Work Supervisors for Hennepin County Aging and Disability Programs.

The second Award, to be given for the first time in 2009, recognizes those "unsung heroes" who have committed to working directly with seniors and whose work has made a significant different in the lives of those around them.  This Award includes a $1,000 monetary gift to the recipient, funded by Emerald Crest.

Award Recipient: Diane Coleman, Resident Assistant at St. Therese SW

Award Sponsor

	Lurie, Besikof, Lapidus & Company, LLP - This year’s award was funded by Lurie, Besikof, Lapidus & Company, LLP, a long-time friend and supporter of Shelley Joseph-Kordell. “Our Firm recognized early on the personal and professional potential in Shelley Joseph-Kordell’s vision for advocacy and service to the senior community. We are very proud to be a part of her dream and the subsequent growth and success of her legacy, Estates in Transition/Rent A DaughterTM. Shelley left a positive impression on everyone she met and was the voice for countless seniors seeking a better and more peaceful life. This Award symbolizes everything she stood for, and we are honored to be a part of this event.”
	Gregg Getchell and Joe Guertin created the Emerald Crest concept in 1998. Their collective interest and mission was to create an innovative model of senior housing and care for individuals with memory challenges. This model is based on both research and actual working experience which demonstrates how care for seniors with memory challenges is best accomplished: in smaller, home-like residences where one's dignity, privacy, safety and quality of life can be preserved. By complementing this environment with a unique cognitive care program administered by Registered Occupational Therapists and support staff, Emerald Crest offers seniors and their families a refreshing new option as an alternative to nursing home placement or large "institutional" settings.  The locally owned and operated Emerald Crest homes are specifically designed and staffed to provide a superior cognitive care program for its memory challenged residents.

Partners

	The Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging is the designated area agency on aging for the seven county metropolitan area. The Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging is a catalyst in building communities where elders live with dignity, mutual respect and shared responsibilities across generations and cultures.
	English Rose Suites combines exceptional, dignified individual care with loving and thoughtful caregivers. All team members are expertly trained in the most up to date information on dementia care and programming. It's their mission to be the Employer of Choice, to create learning opportunities for the staff that support and encourage individual development while advancing the quality of care for all residents who live at English Rose Suites.

We are grateful for our generous sponsors and provide significant coverage for them in all materials related to both the Fall Aging Conference and the Ceremony itself - your sponsorship will reach over 2500 people in the senior worker community, including home care agencies, senior housing facilities, hospitals and health clinics, health insurance providers, financial services firms, community organizations, and other senior services.  We have an impressive array of community leaders and speakers, and a committed group of volunteers representing the major senior worker organizations.  If you are interested in specific sponsorship opportunities, please email us at info@sjktribute.org or download the form.