Healthy Aging Symposium

Session 1 Recording

Session 2 Recording

Panel Discussion

Kim Gooch

Living next door to her paternal grandmother as she grew up greatly influenced her love and respect for elders AND it gave her insight into the process of aging, caregiving and end of life. While there is no experience like living it, Kim has spent years working in various areas of senior care including home health care, a hospital, memory care, personal care and independent senior living communities. Her education includes degrees in English and journalism. Her writing and communication skills combined with her natural creative approaches to issues and ideas have led her to work on some innovative projects related to aging. She has a strong commitment to family and faith and is anxious to combine her skills, talents and passions to serve elders. 

Mary Crowley-Schmidt

Mary attended Penn State University and has been employed by the Bluegrass Area Agency on Aging & Independent Living (BGAAAIL), for over 30 years, first as a case manager and currently as the Assistant Director of the BGAAAIL. Mary has served on numerous boards for organizations related to aging services throughout the Bluegrass Region and Kentucky. Mary is the current chair of the Mayors Commission on Senior Services for Lexington. She has been active in advocacy efforts on behalf of seniors on the state and federal levels. She is married to Kurt Schmidt, a team member at Toyota Manufacturing and has two daughters, Danielle and Devan.  

Gale Reece

After 20 years in a family information storage and service business which was solely developed by Gale Reece, she literally came out from underground to explore how she could help elders age with dignity and grace. Witnessing the issues as a caregiver for several relatives, transportation was the first challenge. Gale founded ITNBluegrass (an affiliate of a national nonprofit) in 2007. After getting legislation passed in Frankfort to allow the organization to give rides, ITNBluegrass gave its first ride in July of 2008. In 13 years it has given over 110,000 rides in Fayette and northern Jessamine counties. In coordination with ITNBluegrass, in April 2013, Gale launched the annual i know expo, filling an unmet need she saw through working with senior transportation in the community. i know expo provides convenient, centralized information about the resources and services available to seniors, people with disabilities, and caregivers “on one day in one place”. The expo averages about 800 people on a Saturday morning at the Lexington Senior Center gathering information for their loved ones and themselves. Today, Gale is also involved in Reimagining Home - a small group of involved citizens exploring future living options as we age. In addition, Gale is the Board Chair of the Friends of the Lexington Senior Center and on the Senior Services Commission. Most importantly, she is the grandmother to 4 grands locally who are a major priority in her life.

Jamie Gitzinger

Jamie Gitzinger holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Kentucky University with a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Kentucky.  Mr. Gitzinger has worked extensively in Senior Living Care serving as licensed Nursing Home Administrator, Senior Living Executive Director, and Multi-State Area Director, as well serving as Executive Advisor for the Kentucky State Government Office of the Inspector General.  Mr. Gitzinger currently serves as the Vice President of Operations for a multi-specialty physician practice. His many years of senior care experience have developed his passion for changing perspectives on how senior care should be delivered, looking at the bigger picture for optimal healthcare services for an aging population. Mr. Gitzinger is a native of Ohio and has been married for 23 years to his wife, Susan, and has two boys, Tate and Caleb. He has been a member of TCPC for over 10 years.

Kristy Stambaugh

Kristy Stambaugh graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelors degree in Recreation Administration with a Therapeutic Emphasis.  She earned her Masters degree from the University of Kentucky in Rehabilitation Counseling.  She holds national certifications in both Therapeutic Recreation and Rehabilitation Counseling.

Kristy has experience working with senior adults and people of all ages with disabilities for the past 31 years. Currently she works for the Lexington Department of Social Services as the Director of Aging and Disability Services, where she oversees the operation of the Lexington Senior Center, the satellite centers, and the community at large. Lexington joined the Network of Age Friendly Communities in 2014 and became a Dementia Friendly Community in 2020.

Graham Rowles

Dr. Graham D. Rowles is Professor Emeritus at the University of Kentucky. He received his Ph.D. in Geography from Clark University in 1976 and has held faculty appointments at West Virginia University and the University of Kentucky where he was founding director of the Graduate Center for Gerontology.  His research focuses on the lived experience of aging and the meaning of place in different contexts. He has conducted in-depth ethnographic research with elderly populations in urban (inner city), rural (Appalachian), and nursing facility environments. His applied research has included leadership of the Kentucky Elder Readiness Initiative (KERI), a statewide project to explore the implications for communities of the aging of the Baby Boom cohort. His publications include Prisoners of Space? Exploring the Environmental Experience of Older Adults, seven co-edited volumes, and more than 100 book chapters and articles. A past President of the Southern Gerontological Society and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, he is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Applied Gerontology and the Journal of Aging and Environment.