Honoring the People Who Built the City Beautiful

The best way my team and I are celebrating Orlando’s 150 years is by honoring the people who built it. For nearly three decades, I’ve dedicated my career to advocating for Orlando’s seniors—ensuring they age with dignity and independence. As President and CEO of Seniors First, I am passionate about helping seniors remain in their homes where their happiness and well-being are optimized through our programs of home-delivered meals, congregate lunch sites, mobility equipment and personal care and caregiver respite. Aging in place also benefits our community with reduced tax burdens.

My journey began in 1995, when I led the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Florida. That experience—and the merger with Seniors First—deepened my lifelong commitment to aging in place. Along the way, I have collaborated with government, healthcare, and nonprofit partners to create innovative, efficient, collaborative solutions for our rapidly growing elderly population.

The seniors we serve are the teachers, veterans, small business owners, hospitality workers, civil servants, and neighbors whose hard work and quiet dedication shaped Orlando into the vibrant city we know today. Their legacy is in every neighborhood, every park, every school, and every family they helped support.

As Seniors First approaches its 60th anniversary, our mission remains clear: to honor those who have shaped our community by building a stronger, more inclusive future where every senior in Orlando can age with confidence, connection, and care. As we celebrate Orlando’s 150-year history, we also celebrate the strength, resilience, and contributions of our seniors.