Before joining AgeWays, Michael served in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, holding executive-level positions at United Health Care, Henry Ford Health System, and Brookdale Senior Living. He has experience with Complex Care Management, Medicare/Medicaid Dual eligible population, Medicare Advantage models, PACE, capitated reimbursement programs, senior housing, integrated care, assisted living and memory care, and sub-acute rehabilitation.
During the height of the Covid pandemic, Michael provided the leadership that enabled the agency to distribute thousands of pounds of emergency food and provided protective gear to seniors and the workers who care for them.
It makes him particularly proud.
“We rapidly transitioned at the start of the pandemic to ensure our core programs were not interrupted and provided additional help to those with an immediate need.”
Michael served on the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools Board of Education for 12 years as president, vice president, and secretary.
Michael has a doctorate in health administration from Virginia University. He earned his MBA at Lawrence Technological University.
He has two grown sons and a daughter-in-law.
Laura joined AgeWays in July 2021, originally as a Controller, but she quickly moved into the Chief Financial Officer position. With a BBA in Accounting from the University of Toledo and 30+ years of experience in the field, the CFO position was a natural fit. Laura has a wealth of knowledge in nonprofit finance, especially in human services, and strikes the right balance between meeting the needs of the community and maintaining the financial health of AgeWays.
Laura feels passionate about working for a nonprofit because, “you’re contributing to a meaningful purpose. Once you work in a nonprofit you want to stay.”
Laura grew up in Toledo and now lives in Canton with her husband, children and two dogs. She enjoys spending time with her family, especially her new granddaughter. She also enjoys travelling and tries to make an annual trip to Florida to best support work-life balance.
The staff at AgeWays are one of the best perks of Laura’s job.
“We have a great group of people who work for us,” she says,
Laura leads a team that supports the finance department to ensure that AgeWays has what it needs to meet its mission. She finds her work gratifying and looks forward to continue supporting the needs of older adults.
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Stephanie joined AgeWays in July 2021 as a research and advocacy specialist. She was promoted to manager and recently became assistant director of the department, which promotes legislative initiatives on the local, state, and federal levels and oversees grants.
Stephanie, a Detroit resident, studied at MSU, earning her MSW in organization and community leadership. She previously worked as a data project assistant at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research.
Working in planning and advocacy puts her right where she wants to be.
“I’ve always worked in research, but I wanted to get back to what I studied in school: how policies and programs can impact groups,” she says. “I love what I do – talking to legislators and conveying what our needs are, what older adults’ needs are. I like being out in the community and seeing the impact of programs on individuals.”
Stephanie and her husband adopted a puppy during Covid. She likes to take him for walks, hike, read, and go to concerts and Detroit Lions games.
Jenny joined the agency in 2001 as director of communications. In 2014, she became chief communications & strategy officer, overseeing several areas of the agency, now encompassing marketing and communications, Information and Assistance, the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, the Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP), planning and advocacy, the agency’s provider network, along with community health and aging services (social, caregiver and nutrition services, transportation options and health and wellness workshops). Jenny is also in charge of agency strategic planning.
Jenny began her career in the fitness industry, managing health and fitness clubs in the Toronto area. Her first foray into the nonprofit world was with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario in corporate sponsorship. In 2000, she moved to the U.S. when she married her husband, Dan, an engineer. They have a daughter who is currently doing her Kinesiology degree at Wayne State University.
Working with AgeWays is gratifying, she says.
“I enjoy the opportunity to work in a nonprofit environment that is mission-driven,” Jenny says. “It’s really the people you work with every day and the seniors whose lives you touch that make it worthwhile.”
Jenny grew up in northern Ontario. She was close with her grandmother, who inspired her to work for the good of older adults.
Jenny has traveled the world, including spending time in Australia, where she worked at a cattle station, a plastics factory, and a fitness club. Jenny holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from York University and a MBA from Schulich School of Business at York University.
Aimee joined our agency in 2018 as chief clinical officer in charge of person-centered and coordinated-care programs for older adults and adults with disabilities who live in their homes. They include the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver, MI Health Link and Community Living programs.
Working with AgeWays allows her to use her experience, talents, and passion for meeting the needs of individuals in the comfort of their home.
“We strive to provide the right answers, resources, and necessary support and services that help people in the communities we serve. Our agency’s mission and values align with who I am,” Aimee says.
Aimee grew up in St. Joseph, where she began her nursing career. She has two daughters, the oldest of whom has a diagnosis of autism. Aimee serves as co-chair of the Walled Lake Consolidated School District’s parent advisory council for children with special needs. She is also a surrogate parent for children with special needs in Oakland County who do not yet have a court-appointed legal guardian.
Aimee was named one of Oakland County’s “Elite 40 Under 40” in 2020.
Angie joined the agency in 2018, quickly moving up from HR manager to HR director and then chief human resources officer. She is responsible for the human resources function for the agency’s 150+ employees.
Angie previously served as benefits manager overseeing the North America program for Modern Dental, an international dental laboratory. Before taking off a few years to help her husband Scott get his hospitality consulting business off the ground and to raise her three daughters, Angie worked in benefits management for Covansys for eight years.
AgeWays is Angie’s first nonprofit employer – and she is pleased at the level of dedication at the agency.
“I love the mission and the employees here. They’re very passionate about helping older adults. It’s hard to find a work environment where everyone is driven and focused on the organization’s mission,” she says.
A Rochester native who lives in Livonia, Angie enjoys scrapbooking and weekend getaways with her girlfriends. She received a BA in human resource development from Oakland University and has done graduate work.
Susan Miller joined the agency in 2017, first as a supports coordinator for participants in the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver Program, a cornerstone of our mission to help seniors and adults with disabilities remain independent in their homes, with the right services in place. She quickly moved into supervisory positions, finally becoming the clinical director of the program in 2021.
Susan received a bachelor’s degree in women’s and gender studies from Eastern Michigan University and a master’s degree in Social Work with a focus on community development and leadership from Wayne State University.
Before she joined AgeWays, Susan worked as a care coordinator at an integrated health organization, as an advocate at a domestic violence shelter, and as an operations coordinator at a homeless shelter.
Susan’s favorite part of her job is problem solving.
“You rarely encounter the same problem twice,” she says. “I enjoy the challenge of coming up with new and creative solutions.”
Susan has a special affinity for the needs of older adults, partly because of her unique upbringing.
“I draw a lot of passion for working with older adults by being raised by grandparents,” she says. “I have been given the gift of knowing my great-great grandparents in my lifetime. Having all those experiences has given me a keen insight into working with older adults.”
Susan has three active children who keep her busy outside of work.
Susan also loves spending time in nature hiking and kayaking to clear her head.
Maggie has worked in the area of long-term care for older adults and people with disabilities for over 30 years, with a focus on subacute nursing rehabilitation.
Maggie joined AgeWays in 2016 as a clinical manager for the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver Program, which provides services in the home for people who would otherwise qualify for nursing home care. She went on to serve as director of Clinical Operations and In Home Programs and director of our Aging and Adult Services Agency programs.
Maggie received her undergraduate degree in gerontology and business administration from Madonna University and a master’s in social work from Wayne State University. She was an adjunct instructor of gerontology at Madonna for five years. She earned certification from Lawrence Tech University as Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
“AgeWays’s mission and vision alig
n with my personal and professional ethics and values, we are serving people in the community who need support and services the most,” she says. “I come from a culture where our elderly are revered. It’s intergenerational, with the young and the elderly living and socializing together.”
Maggie and her family spend their summer vacations on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, where they have a home in the village where her father was raised.
Maggie loves Tigers baseball. She and her husband Mike have two children.
Kristin joined AgeWays in 2006 after graduating from Madonna University with a degree in Gerontology. As a student, she had interned at the agency (formerly called the Area Agency on Aging 1-B), surveying program participants as a quality control measure. Her first position at the agency was as a resource specialist helping callers by providing information and helping them to access to programs and services throughout the agency’s six-county service area.
Kristin has held various positions throughout the agency. Today, she oversees all ACLS (Bureau of Aging, Community Living, and Supports) contracted services, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, the myride2 mobility management service, and wellness and caregiver programs.
The Clawson mother of two daughters has the same passion for helping older adults as she did as a student of gerontology.
Working at AgeWays, Kristin says, fulfills her professionally and personally.
“We get to help seniors and caregivers in need, we get to work with fabulous providers – they provide services directly and they are phenomenal – and the staff at the agency are all dedicated, hardworking, and have a passion for serving these individuals,” she says. “There’s never two days that are the same – I like that.”