As we continue to highlight some of our amazing staff members here at Age Well, we would like to introduce you to Kimberly, Maureen, and Erica! We have many team members that you may not see every day, but who are vitally important to our mission to support older Vermonters. Hear directly from these three Age Well staff members and learn more about their roles.
Kimberly Colville
Started at Age Well: March 2021
Job Title: Care & Service Coordinator
Department: Care & Service Coordination
What do you love about your job at Age Well?
I enjoy the people that I work with, both my co-workers and clients. I love being able to improve the lives of the clients I interact with every day.
What do you find challenging?
Learning the ins and outs of all the programs that we work with on a daily basis has been the most challenging part.
How would you describe your approach to helping clients?
I really try to focus on a person’s needs and how they would like to see their care carried out. I really try to connect the individual’s goals into how their service plan is carried out.
What would you like more people to know about the work you do?
I love meeting people and hearing the stories about their lives, I am a strong advocate of individual’s rights to live the way they want to and desire helping to ensure the programs they use meet their needs.
Where did you go to college?
Loras college- Dubuque IA, BA
UVM- Burlington VT, Graduate work
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Rochester, Minnesota
What are you doing when you’re not at work?
Spending time with friends, and with my son.
Maureen Schake
Started at Age Well: July 2019
Job Title: Senior Companion Project Manager
Department: Volunteer Services
What do you love about your job at Age Well?
I believe in the mission and important work that Age Well performs, from delivering meals, to providing companionship, so that older Vermonters can continue to live in their own homes and age with confidence. I also really enjoy working with my colleagues at Age Well, a very compassionate and great group of people. I enjoy coming up with new processes to streamline the work we do with other agencies on aging in order to successfully manage our AmeriCorps Seniors – Senior Companion Program Grant.
What do you find challenging?
Since I am managing a federal grant, keeping up with all the documentation and streamlining processes is a constant challenge. But I enjoy coming up with more efficient ways to do things, and making processes easier for the other agencies I work, my colleagues, and our clients.
How would you describe your approach to helping clients?
I strive to always keep in mind the importance of being aware of the clients’ needs and how we can best serve them in an efficient manner as possible. Many of our clients are not tech savvy, so it’s important to meet them where they are at in terms of how best to communicate with them. Much of the work I do is behind the scenes, as I am managing a grant, but the work I do with other areas on aging has a significant impact on improving the lives of many older Vermonters.
What would you like more people to know about the work you do?
Managing a grant is a huge amount of work, but it is rewarding to be able to see how our tax dollars can be used for the good of our citizens. I work with four other agencies on aging, and my goal is to make processes as streamlined as possible for the agencies we work with, and our clients.
Where did you go to college?
Harvard Extension, Associates in Art
Vermont College, BA
UVM, M.Ed.
Where did you grow up?
Malden, Mass. My parents emigrated from Ireland, and settled in Malden.
What are you doing when you’re not at work?
I spend a lot of time riding my bike on the bike path, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, and going on adventures with my husband, Jeff, and our dog, Turbo.
Erica Marks
Started at Age Well: September 2015
Job Title: Director of Volunteer Services
Department: Volunteer
What do you love about your job at Age Well?
I love how dedicated all of the staff are to improving the lives of older Vermonters. I am inspired daily by the volunteers and their passion.
What do you find challenging?
The nature of our work is such that it is never done. There is always more to do than hours in the day. Striking the right work-life balance is an ongoing art.
How would you describe your approach to helping clients?
I have trained my staff to listen for understanding. Compassion is the most essential ingredient in all client interactions.
What would you like more people to know about the work you do?
The volunteers come first and foremost in every decision that we make. Supporting them when they are in the field is critical to our mission. Age Well could not do what we do without the volunteers. They are worth their weight in gold to us.
Where did you go to college?
College: Trinity College in Burlington BA Psychology
Graduate School: Antioch in Keene NH MA in Counseling Psychology with a specialty in Family Counseling
Where did you grow up?
Fords, NJ until I was 10 when my family moved to Charlotte, VT.
What are you doing when you’re not at work?
Spending time with my 14-year-old granddaughter, RV’ing with my wife, reading, walking in the woods with our golden retriever, playing euchre with friends.