Oakland County celebrates 2025 Outstanding Older Adult Award recipients

Ten individuals with ties to Oakland County have been honored by the county Board of Commissioners this spring throughout a particular ceremony recognizing the 2025 Excellent Older Grownup Award winners.

The celebration – a part of the county’s Older People Month initiative – spotlights adults over 60 who’re defying stereotypes of growing old and persevering with to make significant contributions to their communities.

The awards are meant to “flip the script” on growing old, mentioned Commissioner Ann Erickson Gault.

“We need to change the way in which our society views growing old,” says Gault. “These residents problem outdated views on retirement and show that older adults can and can play a important position in our communities.”

Every commissioner had the chance to appoint a resident or couple from his district. The one standards was that they needed to stay or work in Oakland County and serve their group in an inspiring manner.

Giving again with a goal

This 12 months’s winners embrace Hazel Park residents Tina Caudill and Ken Muha, a dynamic couple whose volunteer spirit is deeply rooted in private values ​​and shared goal.

For many years, Caudill and Muha have volunteered to enhance the group and the lives of their neighbors. Muha serves on Hazel Park’s Zoning Board of Appeals and Environmental Sustainability Fee, whereas Caudill serves on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. As energetic members of the Lions Membership, they supply free imaginative and prescient exams for kids on the Hazel Park Fireplace Division’s annual open home and lift cash to assist the blind and visually impaired, finish childhood most cancers and supply catastrophe aid help. Moreover, Caudill assisted adoptive dad and mom by Lutheran Adoption and Bethany Christian Companies and labored to cross laws to open adoption information.

For Caudill, volunteering is only a pure a part of life.

“It was a shock to listen to that we had been nominated,” she says. “It was plenty of enjoyable. We prefer to work underneath the radar and simply do our factor.”

Muha credit his upbringing with shaping his dedication to group:

“My mom all the time raised me to offer again. Our household enterprise was a bunch effort and that sense of group stayed with me,” he mentioned.

After an accident left him in a coma for a month, adopted by a full 12 months of restoration, Muha’s perspective deepened even additional. “I wish to encourage extra younger individuals to volunteer. There are such a lot of alternatives to offer again today.”

Caudill added: “There’s all the time one thing you are able to do. It is a good way to fulfill individuals and make new associates.”

Recognition of a various group of changemakers

Different 2025 honorees symbolize a broad spectrum of passions and paths, from historic preservation to youth mentorship, well being care fairness and veteran advocacy.

The opposite recipients are:

Ruth Jordan, Pontiac – Jordan is a member of the Oakland County SAC after working in Oakland County Household Court docket and Youth Companies for 40 years. Over the previous eight years, she has raised $1.2 million for the Midnight Golf Program and the Lionel Jordan and Tommy Longest Memorial Scholarship to assist Pontiac highschool college students with their future faculty plans. She volunteers within the Pontiac Faculty District, reads to college students and is an energetic member of Unity of Farmington Hills.

Christopher Peal, Commerce Township – Peal is a member of the Oakland County SAC and brings his expertise as a retired public college principal and trainer to that physique. He’s significantly fascinated with stopping senior isolation and connecting individuals to their communities and organizations in significant methods. Peal is a volunteer with Meals on Wheels and the College of Michigan Occasion Administration Group and works as an usher for quite a few sporting occasions. He additionally serves on the Olivet Nazarene College Alumni Board of Administrators and serves because the reunion coordinator for ONU’s Class of 1986.

Pamela L. Carmichael, Bloomfield Hills – Carmichael is enthusiastic about preserving native historical past and constructing group satisfaction. Her efforts as a founding member and present director of the Bloomfield Historic Society embrace an ongoing partnership with the Bloomfield Township Public Library to develop the native historical past assortment and archive, main the search to protect the historic 1859 Wing Lake Schoolhouse and saving the Benjamin-Barton Home and the Craig Log Cabin from demolition.

Len Pokora, Highland Township – Pokora, a part-time worker at Maher Feed and Pet Provide, is a proud Vietnam veteran who bravely served his nation. After returning dwelling, he constructed a lifelong profession at Common Motors whereas elevating his youngsters and caring for his spouse, who was recognized with Parkinson’s and dementia earlier than her loss of life. He’s concerned in his grandson’s taking pictures competitions and serves as a coach and mentor for the staff, serving to his neighbors with snow elimination and even holding weightlifting information in his age group.

Loretta VanPelt, Southfield – VanPelt has owned her personal enterprise for greater than 25 years. She is an issue skilled who supplies range, fairness and inclusion coaching, working with Fortune 500 firms and most of the High 50 firms acknowledged by Variety, Inc. Her experience has helped different firms, communities and people improve their understanding of DEI initiatives in industries similar to hospitality, automotive/manufacturing, healthcare, authorities companies and extra.

Anthony WA! Pizza, Waterford – Pizza resides proof that getting older doesn’t suggest you decelerate. Identified for his boundless positivity and colourful fashion, he helps clients on the Oakland County Farmers Market load their vehicles and conjures up youthful generations along with his vitality and empathy. Pizza challenges each outdated concept of ​​what it means to get older by proving that this stage of life will not be about retreat, however about recommitting to goal.

Zakiya Hollifield, Oak Park – Hollifield is a trailblazer who stays busy in retirement by tireless volunteer work in and round Oak Park. She serves on the Native Officers Compensation Fee and the Board of Evaluation for Property Tax Appeals, is an energetic member of her church and has served as a volunteer usher on the Fox Theater, Fisher Theater and the Detroit Opera Home for twenty years.

Mark Kelly, Troy – Kelly is an advocate for fellow older adults and an energetic member of the Oakland County SAC. She has greater than 25 years of expertise in senior planning companies, together with actual property choices, superior authorized elder care and authorized planning. His specialty helps veterans, seniors and their households create a blueprint that helps older adults obtain their way of life and monetary objectives. As an accredited agent of the U.S. Division of Veterans Affairs, Kelly additionally supplies recommendation on veterans advantages, Social Safety, pensions, long-term nursing insurance coverage and funding portfolios.

A dwelling instance for all ages

Gault emphasised that these awards are extra than simply inspirational figures for different seniors. They set the bar excessive for the complete group, she mentioned.

“If somebody of their 70s can coach, mentor, increase funds, protect historical past or lead boards, then certainly somebody of their 20s or 30s could make an affect too,” she mentioned. “Retirement is a time to sit down again and chill out, however most individuals I do know view retirement as a time to construct a brand new profession. Though they could not receives a commission for what they do, they’re simply as energetic, busy and productive as they ever have been – and that is nice.”