If you want to know when an AgeSpan program started and how it evolved, need advice when making a decision that might impact staff or clients, or want to get to the bottom of one of the organization’s urban legends, Marie Kissel has your answer. AgeSpan’s Director of Clinical Support Services recently marked 40 years of dedicated service to the organization. Over that time, she has become a trusted source of wisdom on caregiving, the complexities of the system, and all things AgeSpan.
“Through the years, Marie has learned every facet of the Home Care program and is a wealth of information,” says Chief Operating Officer Christine Tardiff. “She can find just about any information you are looking for in record time. Her longevity gives her valuable perspective, and we rely on her feedback.”
In her current role, as a part of the senior leadership team, Marie oversees various aspects of the care management function including 5 managers and 40-50 staff members. She says the agency’s growth over the years has come with challenges and opportunities, but the one constant has always been the passionate, caring people who make up the team.
“There was a time when I knew every single solitary person who worked for us,” Marie says. “But what hasn’t changed is that we have really great people that work here and that’s why I’ve stayed all this time. The people are at the heart of the organization because they believe in what we do.”
As the unofficial historian of AgeSpan, Marie tells great stories about the agency in its early days. Among her favorite memories is one of the very first staff appreciation days, when the entire staff was divided up into rival “summer camps” and competed in games like three legged races and a scavenger hunt. Another year, for an event with the Employee Fund, AgeSpan turned a conference room into a cruise ship, complete with a variety show and dinner.
“When I think back over the last 40 years, the things we’ve tried to do for staff to build camaraderie are what stand out for me,” Marie says. “Staff appreciation day has had a lot of iterations over the years. But we’ve always tried to find fun ways to bring staff together.”
She says the people and the culture are what made her want to stay at AgeSpan.
“Family first. That’s the attitude that I’ve always had with the staff that report to me,” Marie says. “You’re not going to look back on your life and say, ‘I should have gone to that meeting.’ You’re going to look back and say, ‘I should have gone to that Little League game or the Christmas concert.’ I’ve stayed with AgeSpan all this time because it’s a place that puts family first.”
Marie leads with confidence, offering steady guidance, thoughtful decisions, and unwavering support to her team. She says she knows staff go home at the end of the day feeling like they have made a difference for someone else, because that’s what AgeSpan does.
“Marie is deeply committed to the mission of the agency,” Tardiff says. “She is dedicated, caring, and passionate about her work. Through the years, she has given a big part of herself to the agency, her staff, and to the consumers and families we serve.”
The organization nearly missed out on the opportunity. Somewhere in her files, Marie still has the rejection letter she received when she first applied for a job as a case manager four decades ago. Lucky for AgeSpan, she applied again and was hired. This June, she plans on retiring after dedicating her career to helping others.
“We were incredibly fortunate when Marie walked through our doors 40 years ago,” Tardiff says. “She has helped shape AgeSpan into what it is today. Thank you, Marie, for giving so much of yourself to help so many over the years.”
This article is part of a series celebrating the dedicated professionals who help AgeSpan deliver on our mission to ensure everyone’s choice to lead fulfilling lives as they age.
