50 Over 50: Conversations on Aging Well

Pollen and AARP Minnesota

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About This Event

Virtual Event

October 19, 2021

Connect with 50 Over 50 honorees and others from across Minnesota who have mastered the art of aging well through their volunteer efforts, and learn about opportunities to get more involved in your community.

Content Connection

Get to know the more than 250 50 Over 50 honorees from across Minnesota.

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Event Details
SPEAKERS

Event Details

Conversations on Aging Well

October 19, 2021
11:30am-1:00pm Central

Join us on Zoom

Minnesota is more than just lakes, hockey, and Prince. The state is at the center of a national conversation around reshaping public safety. It’s known for high educational outcomes and strong voter turnout, but also for deep racial disparities. Whatever the issue, Minnesotans of all ages stay engaged in their communities. We’re ranked fifth in the nation for volunteerism with 41% of residents 16+ having volunteered in the last year (2019, MN Compass).

Volunteering makes us feel good. It benefits our communities and positively impacts both the people who receive help and those who provide it. This is especially true for older adults. Studies show that volunteering can increase longevity more than physical mobility, exercising, and attending religious services. Volunteering deepens our connections to community and others, improves our emotional and mental well-being, provides a sense of purpose, and reduces the risk of depression, stress, and disease. In other words, it helps us age well.

Join AARP Minnesota and Pollen on October 19 to hear inspiring stories from 50 Over 50 honorees who have mastered the art of aging well through their volunteer efforts. Connect with people from across Minnesota who share a passion for building community. And learn about opportunities to get more involved in your community with AARP Minnesota’s Create The Good program.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Rose Wan-Mui Chu, 2016 50 Over 50 Community Honoree

Paula Hart, 2017 50 Over 50 Nonprofit Honoree

Phil Johnson, 2018 50 Over 50 Community Honoree

Moderated by Kate Schaefers, AARP MN Volunteer State President

With a performance by Alive & Kickin

PROGRAM

Welcome & Performance 11:30am
Panel discussion 11:45am
Conversations 12:45pm

ACCESSIBILITY

Live captioning is available, and ASL interpreters are available upon request. When registering, please let us know what you need to fully experience the event.

PRESENTED BY

AARP Minnesota works every day to challenge outdated beliefs and spark new solutions. Pollen shares stories of individuals who want to change our collective story for the better. Our two organizations came together to recognize and celebrate the possibilities and contributions that come with age.

ABOUT 50 OVER 50

Pollen and AARP Minnesota’s 50 Over 50 list celebrates the hope, resilience, and contributions of those over the age of 50 who work tirelessly to make Minnesota better for all of us.

Since 2016, we’ve honored over 250 individuals from across the state of Minnesota who keep our communities connected, whole, and nourished; strengthen and grow our nonprofit sector; create a thriving culture; steward our economic resources and talent; and infuse the energy of innovation into industries, products, systems, and policies that improve our lives.

SPEAKERS

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Rose Chu

2016 50 Over 50 Community Honoree

Featured Contributor

Rose Chu

2016 50 Over 50 Community Honoree

Dr. Rose Wan-Mui Chu has dedicated her professional life to the tireless pursuit of education equity and excellence for children and youth. She is a proud educator with a passion for elevating, demystifying and strengthening the teaching profession. She is an experienced consultant with a diverse professional portfolio, often sought after for her thought partnership and commitment to equity and systems change.

A first generation immigrant from Hong Kong and a first generation college graduate, Rose brings over 25 years of rich and diverse cross-sector experiences. She has a long history of service through her volunteerism and leadership in the community. Rose co-founded the Dragon Festival at Lake Phalen. She has served on numerous boards, including being a founding board member of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders. Rose is a Parks and Recreation Commissioner for the city of Little Canada and was elected to the school board of the Roseville Area Schools and began her first term in January 2020.
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Paula Hart

2017 50 Over 50 Nonprofit Honoree

Featured Contributor

Paula Hart

2017 50 Over 50 Nonprofit Honoree

Paula Hart is a social sector executive who retired in late 2019 as President/CEO of Volunteers of America Minnesota/Wisconsin. She now lives in Dallas where she is a consultant and community volunteer. Paula currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Good Shepherd Episcopal School, as the Convener of the Council for The Abbey on Lover’s Lane, and as Chair of the Governance Committee for the Carleton Alumni Council. She also is a lector at her church and a regular platelet donor.

Paula graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Carleton College, has a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from St. Catherine University, and completed the Executive Education Program for Nonprofit Leaders at Stanford University.
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Phil Johnson

2018 50 Over 50 Community Honoree

Featured Contributor

Phil Johnson

2018 50 Over 50 Community Honoree

Since retiring 7 years ago, Phil Johnson volunteers his time to lead the national US Men’s Sheds Association as part of the world-wide Men’s Sheds Movement. He also leads Minnesota Men’s Sheds here in the state and is researching the needs of rural Minnesota for community Men’s Sheds through a grant from the U of M and the National Institutes of Health.

Phil has over 50 years of experience forming and leading volunteer organizations in gender equality, education, sports, human rights, youth programs and senior wellness. He was recognized by the USA Track and Field Association with their top award for his leadership in creating equal access for girls and women to compete in all events available to men.

After graduating from the University of Minnesota Duluth, Phil served as a Jet Pilot in the Marine Corps and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Software Engineering from the University of St. Thomas. During his career, Phil worked extensively in aerospace technology and software development and is a certified Project Management Professional.
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Kate Schaefers

AARP Minnesota Volunteer State President

Featured Contributor

Kate Schaefers

AARP Minnesota Volunteer State President

Kate Schaefers, Ph.D. serves as Volunteer State President of AARP Minnesota. She is also Executive Director, University of Minnesota Advanced Careers (UMAC) Initiative, a gap year for experienced professionals as they transition from career jobs into meaningful post-career lives. She is an educator, licensed psychologist and leadership coach, with a specialty in leadership transitions and encore careers. In addition to her volunteer role with AARP MN, she volunteers for a number of other organizations. She is on the leadership council for the Encore Network, and is a founding member of The Nexel Collaborative, a higher education consortium of institutions exploring ways to bring intergenerational learning to their campuses. She also helped found SHIFT, a community based organization serving people 50+, and has been a contributor to Encore.org, authoring the Encore Talent Works toolkit.
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Alive And Kickin

Senior Arts Organization

Featured Contributor

Alive And Kickin

Senior Arts Organization

Founded by 50 over 50 recipient Michael Matthew Ferrell, Alive & Kickin is a senior services arts organization committed to giving voice to seniors through personal stories and popular songs, and empowering its members to entertain and enlighten multi-generational audiences.

It began its journey as a touring vocal ensemble of seniors who rock. The rock ensemble is comprised of seniors ages 60-99+. Now, a full decade later, Alive & Kickin has grown to redefine what it means to grow older.

Alive & Kickin supports and serves the senior population through the craft of music, empowerment of self-expression and the belief that you’re never too old to pursue your passion.