(Chelsea Update would like to thank Lisa French for the information in this story.)
LeadingAge Michigan honored John Thorhauer of United Methodist Retirement Communities (UMRC) with the Life Member Award at its 2019 Annual Awards Gala on Tuesday, May 21.
LeadingAge Michigan represents mission-based providers of housing, services, and care for older adults across Michigan.
Each LeadingAge Michigan award winner was nominated by their peers and selected by an esteemed group of committee members among many nominations across the state. Over 300 people gathered at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo to celebrate the elite group of 27 award winners and recognize their collective achievements.
The nominee for the Life Member Award must have worked for a LeadingAge Michigan member and have retired from such employment.
“The Life Member Award is presented to distinguished individuals, like John, who have made significant contributions to the field of aging services, creating a lasting and meaningful legacy,” says LeadingAge Michigan President and CEO David Herbel in a press release. “We are delighted to honor John’s expertise, vision, and service to older adults throughout his career in the aging sector with the Life Member Award.”
“John has three decades of experience in the senior housing and healthcare field, including 13 years as UMRC’s President and CEO,” says Steve Fetyko who was named as John’s successor in April 2019. “John’s visionary leadership, his entrepreneurial spirit, and his commitment to serving older adults have led to a period of unprecedented growth at UMRC. These have included groundbreaking models such as Thome Rivertown Neighborhood in Detroit, a benchmark for affordable senior living care nationwide; and partnering to launch three PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) centers across the state.”
Respected nationally as a passionate advocate and expert on aging services, Thorhauer received the national LeadingAge Public Trust Award in 2016, served on the LeadingAge Michigan Board, and was named by the Governor of Michigan to serve on the Michigan Veterans’ Facility Authority Board of Directors and the Michigan Veterans’ Health System Board of Managers.
Says Herbel, “All of us at LeadingAge Michigan extend our heartfelt congratulations to John and to UMRC for their continued excellence and mission-based care, as well as their quality work to better the lives of seniors in the state of Michigan.”
To learn more about the 2019 Awards Gala and other award honorees, visit the 2019 Awards Gala Program.
