We are so excited to announce some new additions to our team at Changing the Narrative. Both come to us through the Experienced EngAGED Fellow program of Boomers Leading Change. The program matches people over 50 with organizations where they can make a positive impact in their community. They support organizations in different ways and work for a wide range of causes. (You can read more about the BLC Experienced Engaged Fellow program here. The year-long program is made possible by a grant from NextFifty Initiative.)

Meet our new team members!

Lisa MacKenzie

Lisa comes to CTN with deep experience in managing people and projects and is a lifelong volunteer. “In my career I’ve enjoyed many roles spanning the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. My formal education is in IT and project management but the common theme in my experiences is that I find ways to get things done and help people work as a team to be successful.”

She will be developing and managing a community engagement program for CTN. This means creating processes for onboarding and engaging volunteers, as well as directly working with volunteers and organizations interested in fighting ageism. Her own volunteer experience started with the Red Cross as a teenager and has included being a mediator and volunteering with Hire Heroes USA and Service Dogs of America. Her skills and experience as both a project manager and a volunteer should serve her well in helping CTN grow its engagement with volunteers.

“I was drawn to CTN for a few reasons. First, I’ve interviewed and hired a lot of people in my career, and I know that I would have benefited from education about the harmful impacts of ageism and the benefits of multi-generational workplaces when I was younger. I know from experience on both sides of the equation that what CTN offers is very much needed. Second, this opportunity gives me a great mix of learning through research and through person-to-person contact. Finally, I like working with volunteers and I like helping organizations grow, so this seemed like just the right fit.”

Michael Hare

Mike joins CTN with three decades of business leadership that has focused on developing individuals, teams and cultures to create more successful organizations. He is now building an “encore career” in the aging sector, which led him to the Fellows program and then to CTN.

Most recently, Mike co-founded and ran a company for 10 years. After he moved on, he said that this transition felt different than previous ones. “I am now 57 and it feels different to be making a change than it has before. I want to do a different kind of work. I’m ready for a complete job shift or even a downshift, but something more purposeful. This time I can do something more.”

Mike took it into his own hands to find his encore career. He was volunteering with the AARP tax program, when he heard about a seminar about age-friendly workplaces. A couple of the speakers that day were from CTN. He realized that this was the right fit for him and where he wanted to make a difference. He next found BLC and their Experienced Engaged Fellow program and it all came together.

Mike will be helping CTN make the business case for age-friendly businesses. “Many people, older people, still plan to be working. We live longer and have many more years to contribute. People also need financial support. So, we need employers who value and understand the experience we bring. As I look around, I keep thinking that everyone is out there on their own trying to figure this out and we need to work together.” Mike will be helping convince employers and employees in the community to do just that.

We are looking forward to how Lisa and Mike will help Changing the Narrative reach and engage more people!

Want to get involved? Contact us for ways to join the movement to end ageism! You can also read more about other older adults who are making a difference in our Real Aging blogs.

Sara Breindel, Changing the Narrative blogger