Congratulations to Mary Teeters, our Vice President for Client Services, for being named the 2011 recipient of the Rose Professional Spirit Award by the Austin Groups for the Elderly, or AGE.

The Rose Professional Spirit Award is awarded to honor a person whose professional commitment goes above and beyond their job description and who has touched the lives of older Austinites.

At Meals on Wheels and More, Mary oversees all of the agency’s social workers, who visit clients and assess their needs, as well as the ‘and More’ coordinators, who work with volunteers to provide additional service to clients.  Mary monitors client data and contract compliance and is responsible for reporting as required by various funding sources.

Mary is past chair of the Aging Services Council (ASC) and a current member of the ASC Steering Committee.  She is also on the Board of the Texas Association of Aging Programs.

Mary received her Masters Degree in Gerontology from Baylor University and has worked in the field for more than 12 years. Before joining Meals on Wheels and More in 1998, she worked for the Meals on Wheels organizations in both Waco and Tarrant County. When asked why she decided to go into the field, she replied, “I’ve watched a lot of people grow old and be ignored, as if there was nothing they could contribute any more. I wanted to change that ... to let them know that they are still worthy of dignity and respect and admiration ... to help them live as full a life as they are capable of living.”

Dan Pruett, the CEO and President of Meals on Wheels and More, had this to say about Mary’s contribution to our community, “Mary’s dedication to older adults in our community takes her beyond her work at Meals on Wheels and More to collaborative groups that serve this population ... her willingness to take on additional duties that help our older population combined with her understanding of and respect for specialized training and methodology, has been a major factor in bringing an enhanced level of dignity to many seniors in our community ... there is no question that Meals on Wheels and More would not be as effective in assisting homebound seniors in Central Texas were it not for the dedication, hard work, ability, and professionalism of Mary Teeters.”

Last year, the Rose Professional Spirit Award was given posthumously to Marty Rose, the former executive director of AGE, who was best known for her previous work operating Williamson County’s only licensed adult day center. At the time of the award designation, Joyce Lauck, current executive director of AGE, said of Rose, “Marty’s leadership defined great care for elders and caregivers. She dedicated herself to providing amazing care and love for the people she felt it was her privilege to serve.”