Greenwich Gets a New Aging Commission Director

The Greenwich Commission on Aging has announced the appointment of Lori Ann Contadino as the town's Director Commission on Aging.

Contadino succeeds Sam Diebler who retired earlier this month after a decade at the helm of the agency that provides services to the town's senior citizens.

Contadino has a long career in the field of aging and assisting seniors.

Since September 2008, Contadino has been the gerontologist for the Greenwich Adult Day Center River House as where she developed and instructs a cognitively stimulating program for both older adults with a diagnosis of dementia/memory impairment and a rigorous mnemonic/brain training program for adults experiencing normal age related changes. She also helped launch the Caregiver Information Center and the Caregiver's Circle.

She has heightened awareness of River House programs and services through direct service and community outreach, researches, assesses and formulates educational programs and curriculum for day center clientele and assesses participants for the MasterMind brain training program. Since 2001, Contadino has been an Adjunct Faculty Instructor at the College of New Rochelle Graduate School and has been a member of the Greens at Greenwich Quality Assurance Committee.

From 1999 to 2006, Contadino was the manager of the Greenwich Hospital Center for Healthy Aging where she managed the hospital's day to day operation of the outpatient Center for Healthy Aging. Her duties included direct supervision of all clinical services, development of programs and services for older adults, their families and caregivers. Her accomplishments there include the expansion of Geriatric Psychiatry and the development and launch of the Generations Senior Affinity program.

She previously served as Director of Aging Services/Senior Center Director and Assistant to the Village Administrator for the Village of Rye Brook, NY, where she was the founding director of the Rye Brook Senior Citizens Center. During her tenure there she championed the planning, financing and construction of a new 10,000 square-foot senior center facility—an issue that is facing the Town of Greenwich.

Contadino received her bachelor's degree in Gerontology/Sociology from the State University of New York College at Cortland and her master's degree in Gerontology/Administration, Counseling and Education from the College of New Rochelle where she also earned certification in Thanatology.

She is a board member on the At Home in Greenwich, Community Coalition to Improve End of Life Care and Utilize Senior Energy Boards. She is a Planning Council Member of the Greenwich United Way and co-chairs the Late Life Issues Committee and annual professional conference. She is an active member of the Town of Greenwich Providers Network and City of Stamford Partnership in Elderly Services Committees.

Contadino's appointment is effective Jan. 22, 2013.