Charter Members of Mesa County’s Seniors Leadership Program Appointed Today
A new group of local leaders began its work today to ensure that Mesa County is a great place not only to grow up, but also to grow older.
The Board of Mesa County Commissioners officially created the Seniors Leadership Commission at its Monday public hearing. The group will be chaired by former County Commissioner Tilman “Tillie” Bishop.
The Senior Citizen’s initiative, which is being spearheaded by Mesa County, is intended to help identify gaps in services for seniors. Members of the new commission will make policy recommendations on issues important to this significant segment of our population.
Although Mesa County is leading this effort, it is not our intention that county government will meet all the needs that have been identified. We will work with leaders in the public, private and non-profit sectors to find ways to fill these gaps in services for seniors, and to ensure that Mesa County continues to be an attractive community in which to grow older.
Commission members come from all walks of life, and have expertise in the following areas: health care, law, finance, education, the faith community, recreation, volunteerism, nursing homes and business. In selecting members for the new commission, Mesa County looked for members from all parts of Mesa County, including Grand Junction, Palisade and Fruita, and outlying areas such as DeBeque, Gateway and Plateau Valley.
The group will continue work that was begun when Mesa County hosted a Seniors Summit in April of 2007 to identify key issues and trends affecting seniors in Mesa County. The areas highlighted included: Public Safety, Health Care, Employment, Volunteerism, Recreation, Housing and Transportation.
