Shumway: AARP Wyoming Staff And Volunteers Are Amazing

Becky Farrell

By Sam Shumway, AARP State Director

The first person I met when I started with AARP in August of 2016 was Bret Baugh. He greeted me at the door, showed me to my office where a new cell phone, computer, business cards, and anything else I might need to be productive were organized neatly. If I had a question, Bret had an answer. I thought Bret must really like me, but I quickly realized that Bret’s helpfulness didn’t just apply to me. Our volunteers, our AARP members, and just about anyone from the general public knew that Bret was their go-to for all things AARP.

A lot has changed since August, 2016 - including Bret’s retirement - see the article on page 5. As we are recruiting for a Bret replacement (it’s likely that we will have hired a replacement before you read this) I am struck by how amazing the AARP Wyoming staff and volunteers are.

There are AARP offices in state offices in all 50 states. I can say, without hesitation, that the AARP Wyoming staff and volunteers are the best in the whole organization.

Let’s talk about volunteers first. Some of you know that AARP Wyoming is led by a volunteer Executive Council. That group helps direct our work in the state. The Council is led by a volunteer State President. Kate Sarosy came on board as the State President shortly after I started in 2016, and we served together for six years - the maximum typically allowed. At the end of her term, she was recruited to lead all of the state presidents in the West Region (10 in all). Kate’s very big shoes were filled nicely by Stella Montano - see her article in this newsletter. I loved serving with Kate, and am thrilled that Stella agreed to step up in this new position.

We have amazing volunteers all over the state. I could write a whole newsletter on all of the amazing things they do, but Tom told me I have to keep this under 500 words - maybe next time.

Speaking of Tom Lacock, he joined AARP about a year after I started. He is in charge of all of our advocacy and communications work. When I hired Tom, I knew his communications skills were top notch, but he was fairly new to the advocacy work. Over the last five years, Tom has established himself as one of the top lobbyists at the Wyoming Capitol. He works tirelessly to identify, track, and advocate for the issues that matter to AARP Wyoming members - all while maintaining relationships with the Wyoming press, running our social media, promoting our work, and putting together this terrific newsletter…among other things.

Jenn Baier has been with AARP for 18 years. She and her husband were based in Wisconsin, but I knew she was looking for new opportunities. I really can’t overstate what a big deal it was for us to get Jenn to join our Wyoming team last year. Sports analogy time: Hiring Jenn would be like signing Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and Kobe Bryant…all in their prime…to the same team. Maybe a bit of hyperbole, maybe not. Jenn brought her experience, energy, and drive to Wyoming and we haven’t been the same since. Her engagement strategy utilizing virtual and in-person events has produced engagement numbers that place Wyoming near the top of all states. She has built teams, connected AARP with new partners, and re-energized our volunteers.

My point is that AARP Wyoming is in very capable hands. We are ready and eager to serve you and everyone over 50 in Wyoming. So, next time you see Stella, Tom, Jenn, (the new Bret) or any of our volunteers, tell them “thank you” - and then tell them how we can better serve you.