Welcome

Join us for the SWPPA 2025 Educational Conference
“Aging Well:  Policy, Practice, and Progress”

Wednesday, November 12, 2025
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
RLA Learning and Conference Center
850 Cranberry Woods Drive
Cranberry Township 16066

As we reflect on another impactful year for SWPPA, our Past President shares key highlights
and achievements from 2024.  This 2024 year-end report provides a comprehensive summary
of our accomplishments,challenges and the key moments that defined 2024.

Convened in 1988, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Partnership for Aging (SWPPA) is a volunteer-led organization with more than 300 members representing more than one million older adults across 10 counties of Southwestern Pennsylvania: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Our members include organizations and businesses, as well as individual members such as civic leaders, business owners, medical professionals, scholars, professionals in aging services, students and residents of all ages.

We act as a catalyst to promote policy, program and systems change that improves quality of life for all people, particularly for our oldest generations. We provide a neutral forum for collaboration, education, networking and advocacy.

We offer both individual and organizational/business memberships. We engage our members through education, training, advocacy, networking and collaborative efforts. Members are invited to serve on one or more of our committees. Visit our Membership page to learn more about membership and sign up to join us!

Thank you to everyone who joined us to honor our 2025 awardees! Your presence and support made the event truly special. We are incredibly grateful to all the attendees, participants, and contributors who helped make this Awards Luncheon a success. Congratulations to our remarkable awardees for their outstanding achievements. Together, we continue to build a vibrant and supportive community. Thank you for being a part of our journey!

Lifetime Achievement

Dr. Rafael Engel is an Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work and   the Research Director for Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh.  He coordinated the MSW Gerontology Certificate from 1998 to 2024 and established (with Pat Kolar and Sandra Wexler) and coordinated the Hartford Practicum Partnership in Aging Education fellowship from 2005 to 2024.  He earned his PhD in social welfare from the University of Wisconsin in 1988 as well as an MSW from the University of Michigan, 1979, and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, 1978. Dr. Engel authored journal articles on a variety of topics including poverty in later life, mental health and substance use in later life, and income inequality.  His current research focuses on Jewish identity.  He is a Distinguished Faculty Fellow at the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is a past member of the SWPPA Board and has served on other boards and advisory boards including Riverview Senior Housing, Agewell Advisory Board, and Generations Together.

Front-Line Caregiver Award

Brad Davis has been a CNA at the Presbyterian SeniorCare Network Southmont community for almost 29 years.  He became a CNA to provide quality care to those who can no longer care for themselves, and he enjoys spending time with the residents.

According to the nomination that was submitted for Brad, he always goes above and beyond the requirements of his position, exhibiting an unwavering dedication to enhancing the lives of the residents in his care. What sets Brad apart is his innate ability to connect with residents on a deeply personal level, offering not just physical care, but emotional support that leaves a lasting impact. The submission continued, indicating that Brad makes such an impact that he frequently gets personally mentioned in obituaries when residents he has cared for pass away.  Brad started a family style Thanksgiving dinner for the dementia neighborhood where he works using  family recipes that the residents used to cook at home for most of the food. Brad also frequently brings residents together for activities ranging from cooking and baking to card games in between his typical CNA duties. Brad has made a difference in the lives of residents and their families.

Age-Friendly Leadership Award

Jawanna Warren, is a Senior Site Director of the Clairton Family Center, and a passionate advocate for all generations, leading efforts that connect, empower, and support Clairton families—from young children to older adults.

She played a key role in the Age-Friendly Neighborhoods program, hosting intergenerational events like the Halloween Bingo and Karaoke Party, and spearheading Clairton’s Downtown Beautification Project, where teens and older adults teamed up to create vibrant community planters.

Her leadership has extended to voter engagement, health programs, and continuous advocacy through the Clairton School Board and Age-Friendly Community Panel. A dedicated partner and changemaker, Jawanna Warren embodies what it means to lead with inclusiveness, creativity, and heart.

John E. McGrady, Jr., Philanthropic Partner Award

Since Jefferson Regional Foundation’s reorganization in 2013, following the affiliation between Jefferson Hospital and Allegheny Health Network, the Foundation has been a vital force in the South Hills and lower Mon Valley of Allegheny County. Serving 26 municipalities, they have become more than a grant maker—they are a committed neighbor and a voice amplifier for communities too often left unheard.

Through three major grant cycles a year—as well as targeted mini-grants, the Foundation strategically invests in areas that drive lasting impact: from physical and behavioral health to housing, education, job training, youth development, civic engagement, and beyond. All of this is guided by a strong focus on the social determinants of health, ensuring that every grant and every initiative works toward building healthier, more vibrant communities.

SWPPA has been fortunate to work alongside the Jefferson Regional Foundation as a deeply supportive philanthropic partner—thoughtful, generous, and collaborative every step of the way. Their values align powerfully with those of the John McGrady Award: commitment, partnership, and a vision for a stronger, more inclusive region.

Lifetime Achievement

Jim Pieffer is President and CEO of Presbyterian SeniorCare Network, the largest senior living provider in Western Pennsylvania. Jim has dedicated his entire career to addressing the needs and desires of older adults across Western PA, in particular, low-income seniors. During his 39 years with Presbyterian SeniorCare as Senior VP, and now President and CEO, he has been a tireless advocate for quality affordable housing, personal care/Assisted Living, nursing care community, retirement community models, and Home and Community-Based Services.

In addition to having operational oversight for Presbyterian SeniorCare’s Aging Services Network, Jim served as its lead person responsible for development activities. He is known for his resourcefulness, creativity, and tenacity in tackling huge challenges to address unmet needs of older adults and special populations. He espouses collaboration as essential and has been key in developing a wide array of successful partnerships and affiliations across the broad health care and senior services continuum.

Jim advocates for the clients he serves with the development of policy and programs that will meet their needs, not just locally, but at the state and national levels as well. He has received the Leader of the Year Award from Leading Age and was the treasurer for the Leading Age Political Action Committee. As a longtime SWPPA member, Jim has participated in and lead several Task Force Committees including a Housing Committee for Greater Pittsburgh Age Friendly Communities with other local leaders identifying gaps in access to safe affordable housing especially for groups such as LGBTQ.

Front-Line Caregiver Award 

Stacey Beatty has been a caregiver at Superior Home Care, providing direct care, since she was hired in 2008, and her tenure alone is remarkable. Over the years, she has developed herself and moved from only doing direct care initially into other, more demanding roles on our team: Mentor, Team Leader/Field Supervisor, On Call Coordinator, Admissions Coordinator. She has excelled in each of these roles because of her exceptional work ethic, tenacity to do the right thing and love of helping others. Throughout all her promotions, Stacey has faithfully continued to maintain a field schedule providing care to clients- and she still does today. In fact, she has cared for one such client for over a decade now. In addition to all of this, as a leader for our other field staff – she works hard to honor the professional of caregiving – keeping her own skills sharp, so she can be the valuable resource she is to the caregivers she mentors. In a world where it seems no one stays anywhere much more than a few years; Stacey has been solid as a rock for over 16.

Age-Friendly Leadership Award 

Charles Howell and Monique Yost have served as Age-Friendly’s Workforce Work Group Co-Chairs since its inception in 2021.

Reverend Dr. T. Charles Howell IV is the Director of Workforce Development and Financial Coaching at Mon Valley Initiative, where he runs a program that helps job seekers attain career opportunities and achieve financial success. He also works as Director of Pastoral Counseling at Agape Wellness Centre.

Monique Yost currently serves as the Director of Priority Populations at Partner4Work, the pivotal workforce development board for the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, facilitating connections among funding, expertise, and opportunities to cultivate a vibrant workforce ecosystem. With a bachelor’s degree in urban studies and a Project Management Professional certification, Monique brings nearly 7 years of extensive experience in workforce development, specializing in initiatives for youth, young adults, adults, and priority populations. A proud Pittsburgh native, Monique is deeply committed to community organization endeavors that champion equitable support and advancement for the diverse populations within the Pittsburgh area.

Charles and Monique have been instrumental in developing resources for older job seekers, while also reaching employers and community-based organizations seeking to make their workplaces more age friendly. The group’s contributions include a tip sheet for older job seekers, plus a two-season webinar series focused on older workers’ challenges and successes in the workplace since COVID, moderated by Charles and Monique. Recently, the group completed the creation of an Age-Inclusive Workplaces self-assessment, to serve as a starting point for employers as they seek to make their workplaces more age-inclusive. Charles and Monique have been instrumental in Age-Friendly’s vision around incorporating aging and ageism into existing DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) strategies, as we know that age critically intersects with other identities—race, gender identity, sexual orientation—that impact workplace attainment and satisfaction.

John E. McGrady, Jr., Philanthropic Partner Award

Throughout his life, John McGrady’s driving force was a desire to promote the welfare and well-being of individuals in need. His passion for helping others allowed him to serve on numerous committees and boards of non-profit and charitable organizations, including, among others, as a Director of the Western Pennsylvania Caring Foundation; Chairman of the Allegheny County Long Term Care Advisory Committee; a member of the Advisory Board of the Health Policy Institute; a Director of the St. Francis Medical Center; a member of the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army; a member, and former Chairman, of the Board of Lifework’s Vocational Rehabilitation Center; a Director of Villa St. Joseph Extended Care Facility; and a fellow of the Institute of Politics of the University of Pittsburgh and a Founding Member of the Southwestern PA Partnership for Aging. John also continued to serve as a Director and Chairman of the Board of the Catholic Youth Association until his passing in August of 2022.

Lifetime Achievement

With over 24 years of experience in the long-term care, Margie Zelenak has become an expert in the Assisted Living and Personal Care industry.  As the former Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Assisted Living Association (PALA), she has brought to the state and national forefront the important role senior living plays in the Long-Term Continuum of Care.

Margie has been recognized by Argentum with their Champion of Seniors and by PALA with the Christine Horn Advocacy Award.  She was recognized in the PA City and State Healthcare 100 for the past 3 years.

Margie represents Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences on the Governor’s Long-Term Care Council as the council begins the process of developing the PA Master Plan for older adults.

Margie’s role on the SWPPA Public Policy committee has increased the focus on the services provided by senior living and has assisted in development of the legislative priorities including Medicaid for Assisted Living.  For her years of service in all these capacities, SWPPA proudly presents her with the 2023 Pruitt-Kelly Lifetime Achievement Award.