As the founder of AGEIST Magazine and Super Ager podcast, David Stewart is a passionate champion of the modern 50+ lifestyle. While interviewing David is a departure from interviewing women 70-110+, we feel that what he has to say contributes to our mission of aging reimagined.Women are the ones who are changing things. Men never experienced ageism, while women experienced sexism throughout their careers and understood ageism as a form of discrimination.Super Ager podcast focuses on how we age and live optimally for who we are. We’re all different. The podcast brings on people who have resources for those in this age group. Ageist Magazine is a natural progression from David’s previous work in magazines, with advertising. This mag is for people over 50 and to offer options for peoples’ current lifestyles. We have a poverty of imagination. The magazine helps overcome this.His work is gender neutral. He talks about functional age, not biological. He wants to know, “What can you do?” How can you be as strong as possible? As useful as possible? How are you engaging? Be in touch with yourself. Be centered with who you are.

When Sandy Gordon retired at 70, from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rosemont, Illinois as Director of Public Relations, a colleague gave her a toast. It said in part: “Sandy has the kind of talent that startles people.  Really.  Her co-workers and colleagues often sit around wondering how she comes up with her ideas.  Ideas that seem to just sort of float out of her brain.  It’s as though Sandy can produce life from a primordial soup that for everyone else is just a bowl full of amino acids.  Sandy has that magic.”Sandy began her career as a special education teacher and immediately became an advocate for people with disabilities. Learning that then President Hubert Humphrey’s grandchild had Down Syndrome, she found a way to approach him and urged him to do something for ‘handicapped’ people. He hired her on the spot to work as Executive Director of Friends of the Handicapped for the Humphrey/Muskie campaign."Getting recognition is less important than getting the job done" - Sandy GordonAll of Sandy’s jobs have come about in similar fashion starting with the National Easter Seal Society. With no background in communication, public relations or HR, she uses her talents and skills to find her way. Her colleague goes on to say “It would be enough to comment on Sandy’s talent and imagination, but that is actually the smaller part of her whole person.  The bigger part is her heart and her humor.  Sandy has the type of personality that makes everyone around her better.  Happier.  Funnier.  Brighter.  Smarter.  She just makes the day better.  Her energy and spirit is irrepressible.”   CONNECT WITH SANDY:Email: Sandy 601@gmail.com

Coleen T. Murphy, Ph.D is Director, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics,  James A. Elkins, Jr. Professor in the Life Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology, and LSI Genomics, Princeton University. She is also Director, Paul F. Glenn Center for Aging Research at Princeton and Director of Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain. As a researcher, Coleen studies aging and the quantitation of “quality of life with age,” including the decline of cognitive and reproductive capacities with age. She is author of How We Age: The Science of Longevity. It is surprisingly readable and understandable. Coleen has had her own lab since 2005. She finds society’s obsession with nutrition and dieting limiting for her research and has, instead, questioned what else can we do to preserve our health and cognitive aging. She has won numerous awards for her research including being named a Pew Scholar. Coleen was awarded the New Innovator, Transformative R01, and two Pioneer awards from the NIH Director’s office. Effective research stems from knowing the right questions to ask. Coleen MurphyConnect with Coleen:Email: ctmurphy@princeton.eduPrinceton: http://www.molbio1.princeton.edu/labs/murphy/ ORCID: 0000-0002-8257-984XBook: How We Age: The Science of Longevity(AddLink)

Dr. Tracey Gendron is an internationally recognized gerontologist with almost 30 years of experience as a grant-funded researcher. She speaks to audiences globally about the real world impact of age bias. She is determined to change people’s negative views about aging. “Ageism, she says, is complicated - more nuanced than most people think it is. Anytime we discriminate against a person based on age, it is ageism. And, since we are all aging all the time, it can be a younger or older person who is being discriminated against.”Tracey serves as Chair for the Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Gerontology, and as Director for the Virginia Center on Aging.As a child, her grandparents were an important part of her life and she believes that influenced her decision to enter gerontology. “Aging is beautiful, aging is living”, she says.  We shouldn’t talk about it as older people, aging is what everyone is doing.External and internal ageism are equally discriminatory.  Internally, if we have dread about getting older, it affects us physically, mentally, and socially. Internalized ageism is a risk factor for suicidal ideation among older people And younger people who have dread of aging, and carry that with them, are more likely to have a cardiovascular event.Dr. Gendron has a master’s degree in gerontology and psychology and a Ph.D in developmental psychology." Aging is Living. Think about how we can continue growing through all stages of our life." - Dr. Tracey GendronCONNECT WITH TRACYEmail: tlgendro@vcu.eduWebsite: TraceyGendron.comBook: Ageism Unmasked: Exploring Bias and How to End It1)- "will most likely have a cardiovascular event" - please change to are more likely to have a cardiovascular event.2) "there is a higher rate of suicide in older people who fear aging" - please change to "internalized ageism is a risk factor for suicidal ideation among older people"

Carol Stitzer, 80, lives life in the moment. All you have to do is listen to her and you immediately understand that she is positive, talented, energetic and happy. From early childhood education to development professional, fundraiser, artist and volunteer, Carol never lacks for the next big thing. She fine-tuned her skills at the Center for American Archeology and learned early on that planning travel for the Board of Directors offered her unique opportunities to tag along. This applied to her work at the Chicago History Museum,The Admiral at the Lake, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Along the way, she developed her own unique opportunity: her vision for producing art. Never satisfied to be ordinary, Carol thinks outside the box and is an asset to all who come in contact with her. Still teaching family workshops at Lill Street Art Center, she makes time to volunteer as a participant in other’s art and personal projects, fundraise for The Boulevard (a respite care facility for Chicago’s ill and injured homeless) and spend quality time with her husband of 43 years.I live very much in the moment, always asking Why Not? - Carol StitzerEMAIL:  carolstitzer@me.comWEBSITE: https://carolstitzer.wixsite.com/mysite

A life of social service requires a deep commitment to reaching out, helping out and finding those paths that have meaning to you. Throughout Nancy Hanson’s entire life, she has been doing just that. Following in the footsteps of her mother, Nancy knows no other way of being.Early on, she joined the League of Women Voters and in each of the cities in which she lived, when she and her husband moved multiple times, Nancy found causes she could learn about, study  and advocate for through the League. Growing up in the 60s, Nancy believes her story is no different from others in her generation. They were the transitional generation that blazed the trail for women to come.“Social work embodies advocacy - helping the underserved is how I live my life.” - Nancy HansonNancy remains active . She volunteers for the Boulevard, a shelter for unhoused people who have been hospitalized and have nowhere to go when they leave the hospital; has created a community garden so the Boulevard can cut costs and serve residents healthy meals;  used her social work experience to change public policy and fights for civil rights and climate change.She recognizes how lucky she is to have health insurance that covers serious illness. "I could be right there with all these people I advocate for.  Stereotypes wash away and disappear." CONNECT WITH NANCY:Email: nashanson@gmail.comThe Boulevard of ChicagoChicago League of Women Voters: https://www.lwvchicago.org/

Catherine (Kate) Saccany was born to run. She took up jogging and ran barefoot for her first 30 months because there were no running shoes for women. A career banker, Kate joined LaSalle Bank. Coincidentally, LaSalle sponsored the Chicago marathon. She bought her first pair of running shoes, qualified for the marathon and has not stopped since. Yes, long covid has cramped her style. And, she is now 72. Kate believes it's never too late to become a runner. With the proper coaching and the right pair of shoes, anyone can learn. There is now a group for marathon runners over 100.QUOTE: Just getting here is a privilege not to take lightly or abuse.Kate’s interests are wide and varied. From ham radio to learning Spanish, her drive and perseverance are inspiring to all who know her.CONNECT WITH KATE:Email: cdsaccany@aol.com

Joy, love, compassion - the foundation of Eme’s life and her stories. Eme McAnam was a singer-songwriter who charted in the top 100 in Country Music. Her career has taken many turns: Singer/songwriter, novelist, art photographer.Her newest novel, Freefalling: A Novel of Senior Romance, is based on a topic she knows well from her 91/2 years serving at an assisted living facility. Lewy Body Dementia is the central theme. Seniors, she says, are “us”. She wants her legacy to be seen as understanding that no matter what comes down our path, it is our job to find joy.Change and loss is part of life. She saw people who were very sad. Eme reflects, “By the time you’re in your nineties you’ve lost a lot of people close to you. How do we keep a sense of self amid our losses? If something is not working it’s our responsibility to change it. Let’s live this life. We are not done. If we struggle with how to love ourselves, it’s not too late. Even in the most troubled story lines in the book, by the time you get to the end of the story, compassion can be found.”She is a big fan of all the sensual ways of staying alive. Eme is working on two more books  I’m tired of hearing that people get invisible. They are visible if you keep your eyes open. - Eme McAnamConnect with Eme:Email: eme@emespirit.com Website: emespirit.com Book: Freefalling: A Novel of Senior Romance

Educational equity, intercultural communication, and teacher education are the threads of Dr. Gretchen Wilbur’s 30+-year career as an educational leader. Upon retiring from DePaul University in 2019, Gretchen traded an urban lifestyle in Chicago for the rural mountains in Jamaica where she lives with the Maroon people. As the only resident who is White, female, and highly educated, Gretchen is adapting to living in a culture that tests many of her western world views, including identity, community, relationships, land, money, and time. Her love of the Maroon people inspired Gretchen to apply her organizational and artistic skills in creating the Respecting Culture & Earth Foundation which uses a self-determining approach to advance cultural arts and environmental sustainability for economic independence. Gretchen is working on a book about her deepening understanding of and respect for the Maroon culture. She and her life partner, Oral, share a vibrant home in which they host a commercial bar and guest rooms. Members of the Women Over 70 community have an open invitation.Quote: I live permanently in Accompong Town in the mountains of Jamaica because I fell in love with the Maroon people, lifestyle, and land.- Gretchen WilburConnect with Gretchen WilburEmail: wilburg09@gmail.comPhone: What’s App, +1-876-359-7093Respecting Culture & Earth Foundation What We Do — OneFamily, OneLove, OneEarth (respectingcultureandearth.org)O & G Guesthouse Microsoft Bing Travel - O G Guesthouse

[spp-player]Carol Marin, age 75, is an award-winning television and print journalist renowned for her nearly 50 years of investigative stories on politics, public corruption, and organized crime. In 2016, Carol co-founded and directs DePaul University’s Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence where she teaches a two-quarter long course in Advanced Reporting for graduate students “ready to jump into the profession.” Ethical problem-solving is a cornerstone of the Center, guided by key principles such as “no great story is worth doing damage to a human being.” The social impact of Carol’s work asan investigative journalist is legendary. Her multitude of awards and recognitions include three Peabody’s, two national Emmys, the Gracie Award, and the George Polk Award in Journalism. Carol has two books in the planning stages and enjoys a rich personal life with family and friends, cooking, travel, and horses.Connect with CarolEmail: cmarin@depaul.eduCenter for Journalism Integrity & Excellence | Centers & Initiatives | About | College of Communication| DePaul University, Chicago

Sex educator, Joan Price, is the voice for ‘ageless sexuality.’ In her books, webinars, presentations, newsletter, and blog, Joan talks frankly about spicy and satisfying sex for seniors, whether partnered or solo. She is the first to address sex and grief in her recent book, Sex After Grief: Navigating Your Sexuality After Losing Your Beloved. Joan advises that sexuality is always a journey, regardless of age and circumstance. She encourages older adults to see themselves as sexual beings and to care for their sexual health. "Sexual pleasures have no expiration date." - Joan PriceConnect with JoanEmail: joan@joanprice.comWebsite: https://www.joanprice.comBooks by Joan Better Than I Ever Expected: Straight Talk About Sex After Sixty Naked At Our Age: Talking Out Loud About Senior Sex Sex After Grief: Navigating Your Sexuality After Losing Your BelovedThe Ultimate Guide to Sex After 50: How to Maintain—or Regain—a Spicy, Satisfying Sex LifeBlog: Blog: https://joanprice.com/blog. Of special interest, “Solo Sex for Seniors: (January 2024): https://joanprice.com/2024/01/solo-sex-for-seniors.html

We love all our interviews. However, meeting Betty Werrenrath in person, and interviewing her in her apartment at the Presbyterian Homes in Evanston, IL was a unique experience that we would not have traded. Betty is inspiring, positive, upbeat and interesting. She was born January 28, 1914 in Harrisburg, PA. The daughter of a progressive preacher’s kid, she says, “I had to act decently because he was so well-known”."“Be more interested in others than you are in yourself. Listen.” - Betty WerrenrathAn athlete, she played field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, tennis and golf in high school and college. With a full athletic scholarship that included a job in the alumni office, she graduated from Wells College with a degree in art history in 1935.  Betty and Reinald married in 1937 and remained married for 82 years. They have three children. They moved to Presbyterian Homes in Evanston in 1998. Reinald had a stroke at age 103 and passed away in 2019.Betty's multiple passions and drive for advocacy have stayed undiminished throughout her life. When she sees changes that need to be made she takes action. In addition to church and community volunteer efforts, after Reinald retired they collaborated on over 100-16mm educational films distributed nationwide, staying for weeks in eight different countries to research and film. In the Presbyterian Homes, Betty enthusiastically pursues new friendships and activities.

Patti Temple Rocks has had a long, successful, and immensely rewarding career in marketing and communications and still she is not done. Her work and her articles and books have been written about in major publications such as Fast Company, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal. Inc.Patti started her career at Dow Chemical in 1981. It was not until many years later that she became obsessed with making sure that age inclusivity is on every company’s D,E&I agenda and that everyone gets to end their career when and how they want to – not when ageist stereotypes say they should. Author of I’m Not Done: It’s Time to Talk About Ageism in the Workplace, she wrote a second edition of the book called, I’m STILL Not Done because she is not, and ageism unfortunately, is still widespread.Every workforce should mirror the population at large.- Patti Temple RocksConnect with Patti:Website: https://www.pattitemplerocks.com/Book: https://www.pattitemplerocks.com/im-still-not-doneLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattitemplerocks/Email: Patti@PattiTempleRocks.com

Dr. Susan Mazer is a full-time performing jazz harpist and former President, Co-founder, and CEO of Healing HealthCare Systems, producers of The C.A.R.E. Channel, the only evidence-based, 24-hour relaxation channel for patient television. Now in its 30th year, C.A.R.E. is being broadcasted in over 1,100 hospitals nationally and internationally including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Australia, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, and many other locations. The discipline of health care led her to study how we can help patients heal faster. The answer is music.  And this led her to create The C.A.R.E channel and, recently, C.A.R.E VRx™ which extends the reach of C.A.R.E., providing a healing virtual environment for pain relief, reduction of anxiety, and increased comfort, through access to stunning natural spaces and places in the virtual world.Dr. Mazer is a national and international speaker and in 2019 was the keynote speaker at the 2019 Virtual Reality in Healthcare Conference in Dublin, Ireland. Her publications and presentations focus on the patient environment. She is also a blogger for The Huffington Post and has her own blog.  She is a Fellow of the Center for Social Innovation at The Fielding Graduate University.Connect with Susan:Website:Book Chapter: “Applied Virtual Reality in Healthcare: Case Studies and Perspectives"Book: Patient Privacy: When it MattersBlogger: Huffington Post; blog at www.susanmazer.com

When nearing 50 years of age and recently widowed, Judy sold everything,bought an around-the-world airline ticket, and set off alone on a year-longjourney without a planned itinerary. “The outer journey serves as acontainer” for Judy’s inner “struggle to find her way as a sober, single,independent woman.” A master teacher and published author of fiction,poetry, and nonfiction, Judy’s journey led to her first published memoir,When Your Heart Says Go: My Year of Traveling Beyond Loss and Loneliness(October 2023)."My year-long around-the-world travel adventure became an innerjourney to knowing myself."Connect with Judyemail: jareeves@mac.comWebsite: https://judyreeveswriter.comSelection of Judy’s books:When Your Heart Says Go (2023)Wild Women, Wild Voices: Writing from Your Authentic Wildness (2015)A Writer’s Book of Days: A Spirited Companion and Lively Muse for theWriting Life (2010)

Through Top Sixty Over Sixty, Helen writes articles and speaks at conferences to encourage a reframed narrative of aging, one that reflects the age realities of the 21st century. She emphasizes the need for a longevity focus, encourages an entrepreneurial mindset, and cautions against internalized ageism which undermines the potential of older adults. Top Sixty Over Sixty also provides programs and courses for older adults as well as businesses and companies to help everyone benefit from our aging demographic.Connect with Helen:Email: helen@topsixtyoversixty.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-hirsh-spence-a029a010/Website: https://www.topsixtyoversixty.com

Janis Clark Johnston is a family psychologist, speaker, and author of several books, most recently Transforming Retirement: Rewire and Grow Your Legacy. When she experienced 9/11, Janis says, she became more sensitive to other’s pain and loss. Planning rituals to honor the person you lost helps you to grow during the grieving process. Keeping a gratitude journal, for example, is a process that is creative by nature and becomes a daily ritual. Janis believes that recognizing the difference between a ‘Growth Mindset’ and a ‘Fixed Mindset’ helps us to understand our own personalities. Life is better if we are more flexible. And when we can develop grit, purpose and passion, with energy as the driver, we are able to live in the present moment, which is the only time we have to make something happen. Our personalities are plastic, not plaster.  Living is a gift - this being alive in the present moment. When that’s your daily approach, everything flows from there. Attitude is really important in life.Janis applies her beliefs to her own aging. Exercise, meditation, gardening and learning something new every day form the basis of her self-care routine. Society needs to re-identify aging. It applies to everyone at every age. Janis finds life challenging and invigorating. She loves learning. It’s a wonderful way to age. There are always new things to learn. She has recently written a picture book that deals with bullying.Connect with Janis Clark Johnston, Ed.D.Author: Transforming Retirement: Rewire and Grow Your LegacyMidlife Maze: A Map to Recovery and Rediscovery after LossIt Takes a Child to Raise a Parent: Stories of Evolving Child & Parent DevelopmentWebsite: https://janisjohnston.comBlog: https://janis-johnston.com

Emily Clionsky, MD, and Mitchell Clionsky, PhD, are a physician and neuropsychologist couple who have cared for their own parents with dementia, created a test used by doctors to measure cognitive function, and treated more than 25,000 patients with cognitive impairment. They partner at a private practice, Clionsky Neuro Systems, Inc., based in Springfield, Massachusetts.  They are frequent public speakers, podcast guests, and workshop presenters for general and professional audiences.In their recent book, Dementia Prevention: Using Your Head to Save Your Brain, published earlier this year by John Hopkins Press,  they combine the most current scientific findings about Alzheimer's disease and other dementias with their experience to present a practical guide that empowers you to improve your brain's future. The authors guide you through a science-based tour of dementia, including how your brain works and how its function is affected by everything from blood circulation and blood pressure to sugar levels, medications, vision, and hearing. Dr. Emily explains: “So many people who came to my practice, above the age of 55, were having major problems in how they were thinking. I decided to do a 2nd residency concentrating on dementia. They have a full clinic. Mitch does neurological testing. I do comprehensive medical evaluations, which give me a full picture of how that person is thinking. Treatment is incredibly complex. The sooner you start, the more you have to work with.” “Eight out of 10 of us are worried about getting dementia. And that's because most of us don't know that half of the dementia cases can be prevented." Connect with Drs. Emily & Mitchell Clionsky:Book: Dementia Prevention: Using Your Head to Save Your BrainContact: rebekah.clough@braindoc.com

Diane Slezak is CEO of Age Options, a nonprofit advocacy organizationshe has been involved with since 1976. Age Options caters to older adultsand those who care for them with resources and service options so olderadults can live their lives to the fullest. The explosive demographic of baby-boomers has sparked pressing issues, including home-delivered meals,awareness of scams, suitable housing, and assistance for caregivers. Inaddition to her executive duties, Diane advocates for State and Federallegislation to provide timely funding for benefits and services for olderadults. December 20, 2023 marks Diane’s 47 th year with Age Options.Connect with DianeEmail: diane.slezek@ageoptions.orgWebsite: https://www.ageoptions.org

Since becoming CEO of The Village Chicago in 2019, Darcy hasoverseen the growth and vitality of The Village—including over500 comprehensive programs that focus on social, emotional, andphysical well-being. She promotes improved quality of life forolder adults and intergenerational collaboration at work, at home,and in the community. Darcy and colleagues delve into the rootcauses of ageism and age bias, including internal and externalageism. She advocates that age must be included in diversity,equity, and inclusion policies and practices. Darcy is committed tojoining hands and voices to empower individuals and enrichcommunities.Connect with Darcy:Email: Darcy@thevillagechicago.orgWebsite: https://thevillagechicago.org