{"id":77,"date":"2025-03-31T15:15:06","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T19:15:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.grandesignshosting.net\/senior\/?page_id=77"},"modified":"2025-11-10T11:32:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T16:32:25","slug":"events-16-over-60-gala","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dev.grandesignshosting.net\/senior\/events-16-over-60-gala\/","title":{"rendered":"16 Over 60"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Honoring Seniors in Kent County.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Each year, the 16 Over 60 Awards Gala celebrates neighbors age 60+ who continue to lead, volunteer, and inspire. Join us for an uplifting evening that showcases stories of purpose and community. Our 2025 honorees reflect the vigor and purpose that flourish with age and experience. Thanks to our generous sponsors for making this celebration\u2014and year\u2011round services for older adults\u2014possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Get Tickets<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Event Details<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Date<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

November 19, 2025<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Dressy business attire is requested.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

6:00pm Cocktail Reception
6:30pm Welcome and Dinner
7:00pm Awards Program<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Location<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

1000 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Meet the 2025 Honorees<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Brenda Brame<\/span><\/h3>\nFinancial Empowerer \u2022 Inclusive Community Builder \u2022 Volunteer Mobilizer<\/em>\n\n

For over 20 years, Brenda Brame has turned tax season into a lifeline for working families. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

As program manager for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, she recruits and trains 150\u2013200 IRS-certified volunteers each year and oversees 10\u201315 free tax sites across Kent and neighboring counties. Since 2003, her teams have helped more than 130,000 households secure over $130 million in refunds and credits\u2014dollars that go directly back into the local economy.<\/span> Brenda also <\/span>cohosts<\/span> an Economic Empowerment Conference with partners like Project GREEN and Young Money Finance, ensuring financial literacy becomes a family skill. She measures success in stories\u2014parents who left a VITA site \u201cbeaming\u201d after dignified, no-cost help, or a GRCC student she mentored from volunteer to coordinator to global accounting professional.<\/span> Brenda builds confidence, capacity, and community\u2014one <\/span>accurate<\/span> return, and one new volunteer, at a time.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nVisit Website<\/a> | Read More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Jack Buege<\/span><\/h3>\nResilient First Responder \u2022 Quiet Role Model \u2022 Lifelong Adventurer<\/em>\n\n

At 8<\/span>2<\/span>, Jack Buege still answers the call\u2014sometimes at 3 a.m., in the rain. Since joining Kent County Search & Rescue in 2012, he has responded to more than 70 missions, from tornado recovery to wilderness searches.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

His team earned a Life Saving Award after locating an older adult with advanced Alzheimer\u2019s, trapped waist deep in a stream on a cold night.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jack also bikes the Riverbank Run course to provide ham radio support, volunteers with Feeding America and a neighborhood Supper House, serves in a community garden, and works elections. He has climbed all 46 High Peaks in the Adirondack Mountains. He recently went skydiving to celebrate his victory over pancreatic cancer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Aquinas College and Northview Seniors, his interests keeps growing. Jack\u2019s message is simple: Life is an adventure. Enjoy it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nVisit Website<\/a> | Read More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Laura Castle<\/span><\/h3>\nCompassionate Food Justice Advocate \u2022 Community Bridge Builder \u2022 Empowering Servant Leader<\/em>\n\n

For 39 years, Laura Castle has led <\/span>North<\/span> End Community Ministry with one clear conviction: food is a basic right.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

She helped pioneer a client choice pantry designed with dignity and respect, grocery shelving, bilingual guides, shopping carts, and welcoming volunteers\u2014now serving 750+ neighbors each month, including diabetic friendly options and fresh produce.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Laura launched a Senior Pantry at Leonard Terrace Apartments that pairs staples with fellowship, and created the NE Supper House, a weekly community meal drawing 100+ guests to eat well and connect. She chairs the North End Wellness Coalition\u2019s Healthy Eating committee and is collaborating to launch a neighborhood farm market providing fruits and vegetables. With a small staff and an army of volunteers and church partners, Laura extends kindness far beyond budget lines. Her leadership is steady, practical, and deeply human\u2014meeting people where they are and lifting them together.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Mary Dailey Brown<\/span><\/h3>\nGlobal Humanitarian Leader \u2022 Local Educator and Mentor \u2022 Advocate for the Marginalized<\/em>\n\n

Mary Dailey Brown founded <\/span>SowHope<\/span> in 2006 with a simple, powerful idea: invest in local leaders to inspire women living in extreme poverty through wellness, education, and economic opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Since then, SowHope has served more than 150,000 women across 25 nations, supporting lifesaving care, literacy, and microenterprise that ripple through families and communities.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At home, Mary teaches graduate courses on nonprofit leadership at GVSU and mentors emerging changemakers in the Cook Leadership Academy. She also lifts local women\u2019s leadership through public events\u2014honoring community trailblazers on International Women\u2019s Day and rallying volunteers across West Michigan. Mary\u2019s throughline is unwavering: when women thrive, families prosper, and communities stabilize. She built a model others can replicate\u2014and an invitation everyone can accept.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Julie Dankovich<\/span><\/h3>\nTransformational Mentor \u2022 Restorer of Hope \u2022 Champion of Second Chances<\/em>\n\n

In 2014, after a successful corporate career, Julie Dankovich sold her home, invested her savings, and opened Designed Future\u2014a nonprofit providing sober living with wraparound <\/span>supports<\/span> for people <\/span>emerging<\/span> from addiction, trauma, and homelessness. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Today, across three Grand Rapids homes, residents receive not just a bed but community: therapy, recovery classes, financial coaching, meditation, and everyday mentorship. By the time they transition, most have steady jobs, transportation, repaired credit, and savings. Julie measures success in names and next steps\u2014like Ashley, a former resident who regained her therapist license, shares custody of her children, and now serves clients at Designed Future. A finalist for West Michigan Woman\u2019s Brilliance Awards and author of <\/span><\/span>A Course in Prosperity<\/span><\/span> (with proceeds supporting the mission), Julie has helped hundreds chart a new path. Her belief is simple and radical: when you build around people\u2019s <\/span>possibility<\/span>, they rise.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Leslee Hardebeck<\/span><\/h3>\nCompassionate Companion \u2022 Lifelong Volunteer Leader \u2022 Nurturer of Wonder and Resilience<\/em>\n\n

For 25 years, Leslee Hardebeck has been a welcoming face at Gilda\u2019s Club Grand Rapids\u2014a parlor host, volunteer leader, fundraiser, and children\u2019s program helper in Camp Sparkle and <\/span>Noogieland<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

She meets families in their hardest moments with calm, cookies, and care\u2014helping them feel less alone. Leslee also lends her energy across the community: volunteering at Frederik Meijer Gardens (Children\u2019s Garden, concerts, farm, and <\/span>special events<\/span>) and supporting Salvation Army Angel Tree so parents can choose gifts with dignity. She shares wonder with kids\u2014teaching the butterfly life cycle or that a squirrel\u2019s nest is called a <\/span><\/span>dray<\/span><\/span>\u2014and shares honesty about her own <\/span>mental<\/span> health<\/span> journey, using it to encourage others. Leslee\u2019s superpower is presence: the right kindness, right when someone needs it, offered week after week, year after year.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Mary K. Hoodhood<\/span><\/h3>\nDisability Rights Advocate \u2022 Food Access Champion \u2022 Community Connector<\/em>\n\n

In 2002, Mary K. Hoodhood heard a heartbreaking truth from a local principal: <\/span>a little girl was caught digging through the trash looking for food to take home to her family.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Her response became Kids\u2019 Food Basket. What began with 125 sack suppers has grown, through volunteers and community generosity, to about 11,000 healthy meals each weekday across 62 schools in four West Michigan counties. A quadriplegic since a car accident at 27, Mary K. built a life around \u201cwhat I CAN do\u201d\u2014from early service at God\u2019s Kitchen and Disability Advocates to founding KFB, speaking in classrooms, and personally calling donors to say thanks. She is a published author (<\/span>What I Can Do<\/span><\/i>) and a Presidential Citizens Medal recipient. Ask the fifth graders at Zinser Elementary or the 137 member KFB Club at Forest Hills Eastern: Mary K. does not just end hunger today; she inspires the volunteers and leaders who will end it tomorrow.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Reginald Howard<\/span><\/h3>\nVeteran Advocate \u2022 Community Healer \u2022 Bridge to Belonging<\/em>\n\n

Reginald Howard believes every veteran deserves a safe place to land. He helped build a community hub where veterans and their families can access recovery supports, mental<\/span> health resources, and camaraderie\u2014open weekdays and bustling on weekends with events. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

From marching in city parades to securing tickets and transportation to ballgames and concerts, he makes sure those who served get to feel the joy of belonging. His impact shows up in stories, like the family that arrived from Texas living out of their car; Reginald\u2019s team secured emergency shelter, furniture, food, clothing, and a path back to stability. Today both parents are <\/span>working,<\/span> and the kids are in school. His philosophy is simple: <\/span>you are<\/span> never too old to live your dream of service\u2014and to invite the next generation to step up. Whenever possible, Reginald reminds us: thank a veteran.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Debra Kay<\/span><\/h3>\nEconomic Development Leader \u2022 Adaptive Sports Advocate \u2022 Healthcare Champion<\/em>\n\n

If <\/span>you\u2019ve<\/span> cheered at a tournament in West Michigan, chances are Deb Kay helped make it possible. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

A founding board member and past chair of the West Michigan Sports Commission, Deb has supported more than 1,300 events, generating 581,000 hotel nights and $737 million in regional impact. She now cochairs the $13M+ \u201cWinning Streak\u201d campaign to expand the Meijer Sports Complex\u2014welcoming 200 <\/span>additional<\/span> teams each year and driving $1M in new annual visitor spending.<\/span> Her service extends well beyond <\/span>sports. At Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Deb serves on the Guild and Board of Trustees, where she champions adaptive sports and <\/span>rehabilitation for all individuals<\/span>. <\/span>Recently, a custom-made leg brace was created for a flamingo from the John Ball Zoo. <\/span>Deb\u2019s leadership may be quiet and steady, but her impact is bold: more inclusive fields, stronger health outcomes, and a community that thrives\u2014together.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Shawn Keener<\/span><\/h3>\nCommunity Builder \u2022 Empowerment Mentor \u2022 Champion of Dignity and Resilience<\/em>\n\n

For 25+ years, Shawn Keener has helped United Church Outreach Ministry (UCOM) grow from a small pantry into a vibrant resource center serving 2,000+ neighbors each month. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Under her program leadership, UCOM pairs dignified food access with nutrition classes, a community garden, chair-based fitness, a community kitchen, and a free income tax program that serves 400+ families each season. She is also a talent spotter, inviting court ordered volunteers, community members and students alike to discover their strengths\u2014and often to stay long after their required hours. Ask Marcelle: once a single mom facing legal and caregiving obstacles, she taught Guatemalan cooking classes at UCOM, featuring food from her Dominican Republic heritage, found her voice on local television, and eventually celebrated her U.S. citizenship\u2014with Shawn cheering from the front row. Shawn\u2019s approach is simple and powerful: build relationships first, and resilient communities follow.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Lisa Knight<\/span><\/h3>\nFierce Advocate \u2022 Quintessential Role Model \u2022 Bridge Builder for Justice<\/em>\n\n

Lisa Knight brings the same energy to the City Commission chamber that she brings to a rehearsal room: conviction, creativity, and care. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Now entering her second term as a Grand Rapids City Commissioner, she also leads the Girls Choral Academy, transforming it into a space where <\/span>girls, <\/span>especially <\/span>b<\/span>lack and <\/span>b<\/span>rown girls\u2014see themselves reflected in leadership and joy. Lisa directs plays centered on <\/span>b<\/span>lack joy, steps onto the stage herself, and builds programs that elevate confidence and voice. Her influence stretches across boards including YWCA, Circle Theatre, and Family Promise, and her mentorship is deep: one former academy participant is now a <\/span>college <\/span>educated<\/span> counselor and entrepreneur partnering with Lisa to serve students. Guided by faith and her father\u2019s advice to \u201ckeep living,\u201d Lisa pairs grit with grace and invites all of us to dream bigger for our city.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Joy Murphy<\/span><\/h3>\nSenior Advocate \u2022 Community Connector \u2022 Purposeful Leader<\/em>\n\n

Joy Murphy makes big systems feel personal. As an AARP Michigan Lead Volunteer for <\/span>nearly a<\/span> decade, she trains volunteers statewide (and nationally) on digital tools, mobilizes advocacy in Lansing, and forges local partnerships<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\u2014like connecting AARP teams with Meals on Wheels to strengthen routes and relationships.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Appointed by the Governor to the Michigan Commission on Services to the Aging, Joy helps guide Older Americans Act resources and brings public hearings into communities to listen first. She launched an Aging Workshop at her church that other congregations now replicate, and she supports the United Methodist General Conference with detail rich hospitality. Named Michigan Older Adult of the Year (2024), Joy invites all of us\u2014at any age\u2014to find purpose, learn something new, and give back with a full heart.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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R Jay Poel<\/span><\/h3>\nCommunity Connector \u2022 Dedicated Servant Leader \u2022 Lifelong Fellowship Builder<\/em>\n\n

Every <\/span>Wednesday, <\/span>50 weeks<\/span> a year<\/span>, <\/span>RJ Poel and his wife, Marian, welcome 60+ neighbors to a hot lunch and a conversation that matters. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Hosted at New Community Church (and open to all), the gathering features homemade soups and sandwiches, warm fellowship, and a civic speaker lineup RJ personally curates: mayors, superintendents, police chiefs, business and nonprofit leaders, and organizers behind community traditions like the Amway <\/span>Riverbank<\/span> Run. RJ handles the details\u2014shopping, cooking, volunteer teams, A\/V\u2014so guests can focus on connecting and learning. The luncheon traces its roots <\/span><\/span>69<\/span> <\/span>years to a downtown professional men\u2019s group; today <\/span>it is<\/span> a multigenerational, communitywide staple where friendships form and curiosity thrives. In a fastmoving world, RJ preserves a vital space for thoughtful conversation and neighborly care.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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LouAnn Shawver<\/span><\/h3>\nIntergenerational Servant Leader \u2022 Compassionate Guide \u2022 Global Citizen of Action<\/em>\n\n

For 30 years, families facing the difficult choices of aging and memory care have found a steady guide in <\/span>LouAnn<\/span> Shawver.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

She reframes a move to retirement community living as an act of love\u2014helping older adults thrive while giving caregivers room to breathe.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

LouAnn also invests deeply in the next generation. She co-founded the Ada-Cascade Rotary Interact Club at Forest Hills Northern High School, where she has mentored hundreds of young leaders in <\/span>Service Above Self<\/span><\/i> and leadership. The student-led group has raised more than $25,000 for local and global causes. Through the Rotary Club of Ada-Cascade, where she is currently serving as President, LouAnn introduced a high school scholarship program that has awarded more than $18,000 to students who exemplify\u202f<\/span>Service Above Self.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her heart for service extends globally as well. Eight years ago, she \u201cadopted\u201d a refugee family of 10 from Rwanda through Bethany Christian Services, walking with them through language barriers and complex systems to jobs, green cards, and ultimately homeownership.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After stepping away from her role at Clark Retirement Community, LouAnn embraces her next chapter not as retirement but as reimagining her life. Her through-line remains constant: <\/span>see the person, then serve the community.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Judy Welch<\/span><\/h3>\nOpportunity Catalyst \u2022 Strategic Connector \u2022 Authentic Trailblazer<\/em>\n\n

For years, Judy Welch has opened doors\u2014and held them wide. She introduced <\/span>Inforum<\/span> to West Michigan and grew it to 700+ members, accelerating leadership for women across industries. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

As the West Michigan executive for Michigan Women Forward, she expanded access to capital and coaching for women and minority owned businesses; pitch competitions and microloans became launchpads for growth.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Through JA Welch Consulting, she pairs fund development and strategic planning with the priceless gift of connection. Judy also serves on the Clark Foundation board and chairs Leading Ladies, rallying multigenerational philanthropic action. Her favorite success stories are the founders who went from first pitch to national distribution\u2014and the young professionals she mentored who now lead from the Csuite. Authentic, persistent, and generous with her network, Judy helps people claim their voice, their value, and their vision.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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Sandy Wynn-Stelt<\/span><\/h3>\nEnvironmental Justice Champion \u2022 Compassionate Advocate for the Overlooked \u2022 Global Voice for Human Rights<\/em>\n\n

After losing her husband and facing her own cancer diagnosis linked to PFAS contamination, Sandy Wynn<\/span>-S<\/span>tel<\/span>t<\/span> transformed grief into action. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

She serves on the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team Citizens Advisory Work Group, cochairs the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, and cofacilitates the National PFAS Contamination Coalition\u2014supporting local groups with mini<\/span> grants, resource fairs, media training, and legislative engagement. She has testified before Congress and, in 2024, addressed the United Nations on the simple truth that clean water is a human right. Closer to home, Sandy cofounded Wilson & Wynn Interventions, providing psychological and behavioral services for people with developmental disabilities and mental illness, and she serves on the Servants Center board, accompanying neighbors experiencing homelessness toward stability and care. Sandy brings science and compassion to every table\u2014and reminds us to meet complexity with humor, patience, and grace.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead More<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>