Carmel Perez Snyder is 2016 McKoy Award Recipient

For her exceptional accomplishments in Fort Worth, AARP’s Carmel Perez Snyder has been named the 2016 recipient of the Association’s Maureen McKoy Award for Excellence in Service.

The prestigious award is given annually to an AARP employee who has displayed tremendous leadership by fostering volunteer engagement and community outreach. Carmel led the Association’s work in Fort Worth since 2010, until moving to Oregon last month to be closer to family. Now she holds a similar position for AARP in that state.

Under Carmel’s guidance, AARP in Fort Worth hosted 50 community events and reached more than 5,000 people in 2015. The number of active Fort Worth volunteers doubled, expanding by 20 members. Together, Carmel and volunteers worked with more than 100 community partners on issues like family caregiving, making the  city more age-friendly, and education efforts around financial security and fraud prevention.

Carmel’s diligent work has led to success in Fort Worth. There are now more crosswalks, bike lanes, and other street infrastructure friendlier to pedestrians. This all goes hand in hand with AARP’s mission of more livable communities for people age 50+ and their families.

Carmel was also instrumental with grants and networking to help establish the community’s first “senior playground,” which is expected open in November.

In announcing the award, AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond noted that “her time in Fort Worth will have a lasting impact on the residents and AARP members there.”

 

By Kinsey Button and Mark Hollis