Senior Employment Success
Senior Employment Success
April 2, 2025
Meet Michael Leslie. Or, you may call him “Mr. Mike” like most everyone does at TARCOG.
On Tuesday, April 1, Mr. Mike, 66, was recognized at a TARCOG staff meeting for graduating from a 10-week Digital Certification Program (DCP) by the Center for Workforce Inclusion.
“My biggest challenge was being nervous and the fact that I had not been to school for more than 40 years,” Mr. Mike shared with his co-workers during a heartfelt and emotional thanks to all of his TARCOG family that he’s gotten know and who have supported him since he enrolled in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) on Nov. 27, 2023.
Mr. Mike was immediately assigned to TARCOG as a car fleet assistant, said John Sanders, program manager. The program is for those 55 and older and provides paid job training opportunities in which people may learn new skills or enhance existing ones, with the goal of finding employment opportunities.
John said he chose Mr. Mike for the DCP because he expressed an interest in learning more about how to use a computer.
“The program is extremely valuable to our participants as most employers want someone with computer knowledge and skills,” John said. “DCP gives participants one-on-one personal training, and that assistance continues even after graduation.”
Mr. Mike said his digital navigator used his knowledge of automobiles to help him better relate to computer technology.
“When my digital navigator offered me the analogy of the outside of the car being the hardware and under the hood being the software, it clicked for me,” Mr. Mike said. “The tools inside the car manage the user experience – and the same thing applies to computers.”
He said once he learned the vocabulary associated with hardware and software, including the menus he needed to create his experience, he earned 10 certifications throughout the course from internet basics, career search skills and using email to social media, and learning the Microsoft Office Suite.
According to its website, the DCP was created to prepare older workers for the modern workplace while combating ageism. Digital skills are required in 92 percent of jobs. However, one of the most pervasive ageist stereotypes is technological illiteracy among older adults. A digital certification provides job seekers with in-demand skills and a means to showcase those skills to potential employers.
Upon graduation, Mr. Mike and others who complete the DCP get to keep the new laptop, mouse, headset, flash drive and a notebook that was used to access the on-line digital learning platform during classes. He also gets a hot spot with 12 months of pre-paid internet to ensure ongoing connectivity. He will have continued access to additional opportunities like resume development, mock interviews and career coaching.
John said SCSEP is funded by the Center for Workforce Inclusion and Alabama Department of Senior Services. Anyone interested in participating may contact him at 256-830-0818.
From left, TARCOG Executive Director Michelle Gilliam Jordan, SCSEP Employee Michael Leslie and SCSEP Program Manager John Sanders at the TARCOG April Staff Meeting.
Employee of the Month — April 2025
Employee of the Month — April 2025
April 1, 2025
Name: Jelisa Simon
Title: Registered Nurse Case Manager
How long have you been at TARCOG and what do you do? I am a Registered Nurse Case Manager, and I have been with TARCOG for 2 months.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I have always wanted to be in the field of service. I later learned that being a nurse was my calling.
What do you hope to accomplish within the next year? In a little over a year, I hope to become a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
Who is your hero and why? My hero is my grandmother. She was smart, kind, strong, resilient, hard-working, and she never complained. All of these qualities are hard to find in one person.
If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? Go on a trip with my entire family.
What is the best piece of advice someone has given you? If you are going to pray, don’t worry. If you are going to worry, don’t pray.
What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done? I’m not really the daring type but going back to school after saying I was done—especially with how busy I already am—was definitely a bold move for me.
Who knows you the best? My husband, Cordalero.
What would you do if you won the lottery? I wouldn’t tell anyone, but there would be signs!
Employee of the Month — March 2025
Employee of the Month – March 2025
March 3, 2025
Name: Alexis Baker
Job Title: Gateway to Community Living Transition Coordinator
How long have you been at TARCOG and what do you do? I have been at TARCOG for two years where I am the transition coordinator for the Gateway to Community Living Program.
The program is a Medicaid-funded, targeting Medicaid recipients in a nursing home setting. I cover 26 nursing homes in six different counties. My position can be described as the “middleman” between the participant and Medicaid. I collect all medical records, communicate with formal and informal support, and complete a Return to Community Assessment.
If deemed appropriate, I assist participants obtain housing, furnishings, medical equipment, household supplies, and utilities, etc. I also set up the participants housing so upon discharge from the nursing home, the participant has most basic housing needs to ensure their health and safety needs are met. The participant is then transitioned to another case manager to monitor their progress.
What did you want to be when you grew up? What didn’t I want to be when I grew up … I thought about being a teacher, a florist, or a veterinarian.
What do you hope to accomplish within the next year? I want to learn a new skill. I thought about learning to can vegetables.
Who is your hero and why? My grandparents. They have always been the most stable people in my life and helped shape the person I am through compassion, action, and love.
If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? Go to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, skip all the lines, and ride rollercoasters all day.
What is the best piece of advice someone has given you? Honesty without kindness is brutality. Kindness without honesty is manipulation.
What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done? Moved to Alaska by myself. I skydived once.
Who knows you the best? Adam, my boyfriend.
What would you do if you won the lottery? Pay off debts. Go back to school. Invest. Help a non-profit. Travel.
GODSPEED BOB CULVER
GODSPEED BOB CULVER
February 18, 2025
The TARCOG family mourns the loss of one of its previous longtime executive directors, Robert “Bob” Culver, who died on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Details for a Memorial Service planned for March will be announced at a later date.
Bob led TARCOG for 19 years before his retirement in 2013.
Cupid Crew hits TARCOG Region
Cupid Crew hits TARCOG Region
Feb. 14, 2025
A pink rose and a pair of socks made Mattie T’s Day a little brighter on Valentines Day.
“I feel fine,” she said after TARCOG case managers Cady Bradley and Ashley Johnson delivered the special gifts for Mattie and her husband Charles on Friday.
She said Charles is recovering from a recent illness and staying with their daughter. It’s the first time they’ve spent time apart during their 62-year marriage. She planned to take his rose and socks to him as soon as possible.
The couple were among 2,500 people throughout the TARCOG region to receive a visit from TARCOG’s Cupid Crews, which delivered roses, socks and cards to 2,000 seniors in nursing homes, adult day centers, senior centers and the agency’s Medicaid Waiver clients in DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison, and Marshall counties.
TARCOG’s Area Agency on Aging collaborated with Wish of a Lifetime from AARP for Cupid Crew and Bombas socks to spread love to older adults this Valentine’s Day, said TARCOG’s Director of Aging Programs Sheila Dessau-Ivey.
She said TARCOG is also proud to be one of Bombas Giving Partners throughout the U.S. The company donates essential clothing to Giving Partners – from homeless shelters to community organizations – in all 50 states.
TARCOG has teamed up with several youth and community service agencies to create the Valentine’s Day cards and messages for the recipients across the region. The cards will serve as an additional gesture to help strengthen intergenerational connections.
TARCOG is honored to be participating in both programs to spark hope and joy in the hearts of older adults, Dessau-Ivey said.
More photos to come!
From left, TARCOG Case Manager Ashley Johnson, Mattie T, and Case Manager Cady Bradley on Valentine’s Day.