On May 2^nd, Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands embarked on its 51^st year of operations as President Sharon Tennstedt called our Annual Meeting to order. Dr. Tennstedt, who represents the town of Brewster on Elder Services’ Board of Directors and who is a fellow with the Gerontological Society of America, greeted the gathering of 86 employees, board members and guests at the Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis. She noted with pleasure the large number of Council on Aging leaders in the room, explaining that COAs are Elder Services’ most important community partners because their staff are attuned to the specific needs of older adults in their particular town.

This year, returning directors will be joined by five new town representatives and two new at-large members serving on Elder Services’ Board of Directors. The 19 member Board of Directors is now comprised of 12 Council on Aging town representatives and 7 at large members.

Two new members were appointed to the Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council, bringing the membership of that board up to 9. Elder Services’ Board and Advisory Council members serve three-year terms and are eligible for reappointment to a second term of office.

When it came time to take her turn at the podium, Chief Executive Officer Maryanne Ryan characterized the annual meeting as a time for “recognition and gratitude.” As is our custom, several staff were recognized for length of service including Eddie Murphy, who began his career with Elder Services as a Protective Services Case Manager 15 years ago and now manages the entire Protective Services department, and Penelope McCoy and Barbara Emerson, who were each recognized for 10 years. “Employee recognition is my favorite part of the annual meeting,” said Ryan, “Our staff is the backbone of our whole service delivery model and I am always looking for ways to let them know how valued they are.”