TARCOG now has the largest staff in the agency’s 57-year history with 104 employees.
“The need for our services, especially within the Area Agency on Aging, has grown and is continuing to grow,” said Executive Director Michelle Gilliam Jordan. “We have close to 1,000 clients who receive Home and Community-Based Waiver Services (HCBS) through Medicaid Waivers.”
HCBS services are available to eligible Medicaid recipients who are at risk of needing care in a nursing home, hospital or other institution. Clients must meet financial, medical and program requirements and must be willing to receive services in their homes or communities. Waiver program enrollment is limited, and a waiting period may be necessary.
Michelle said TARCOG covers a large region that includes DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshall counties with a total population of 753,418.
“With our increasing aging population, our AAA services are more important than ever,” Michelle said. “That’s why we’ve had to add to our workforce.”
Since January, TARCOG has hired 19 case managers, one nurse and two administrative assistants.
“We strategized this growth,” Michelle said. “With the help of our new Human Resources Manager Melonie Gurley, hired last fall, we’ve implemented new hiring procedures, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.”
Melonie said the hiring results stem from outreach with local universities and online job boards. With multiple positions open for Medicaid Waiver Case Managers, the TARCOG Invitational Career Fair was brainstormed as an opportunity to set aside a day to invite several pre-screened candidates to the office and let them have an opportunity to learn about TARCOG and its staff, while going through the interview process.
The day starts with a warm welcome from TARCOG leadership and program managers who provide an overview of what the agency does and briefly share their personal journey with TARCOG. From there, applicants get tours of the facility, learn more about the different agency programs, and participate in up to three interviews. If an applicant makes it to the third round of interviews, he or she is usually extended a contingent offer of employment the same day.
TARCOG has held two invitational hiring events, one in December 2024, and another in April 2025. Many of the new faces at TARCOG were hired as a result of an Invitational Career Fair. Some may not have been able to attend the actual event but submitted resumes and were screened for interviews at other times.
“We’ve found this to be a very beneficial process for us,” Melonie said. “Our staff gets excited about the process, and we are able to interview multiple candidates in one day.”
She said that not everyone who is invited to the agency’s career fair receives an offer, however, the process has helped the agency find the highly qualified candidates it needs.
Michelle said having the largest staff in the agency’s history wasn’t necessarily a goal but a byproduct of the area’s growth. Her goal, she said, is to retain a consistent team of highly engaged employees.
“Because of the work we do here, with our AAA and Economic Development and Planning, I want TARCOG to be a place that our employees are proud to work and never want to leave,” Michelle said. “Our team is committed to their roles and to improving the quality of life in our region, and we want to retain them for the long term.”
New TARCOG staff pictured from left, Jamerson Baker, Alaceia Barber, Imani Beal, Demetrius Chatfield, DaeLauren Harrison, Vashuna Jones, Brittany Johnson, Virginia Johnson, Brittany Kelley, Jamia Kirk, Aqui Lacy, Taliaha Ladd, Vickie Lockett, Keilondria Pollard, Sarah Proctor, Markia Richardson, Jelisa Simon, Kimuel Stevenson, Kira Tolver, Deja Williams, Tabitha Whitehead, and Lameisha Wright.