2015 Erie County Senior of the Year Rose Marie Hall (center, holding proclamation) is surrounded by Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz (L), family members, and Erie County Senior Services Commissioner Randy Hoak (R) after being named Senior of the Year. An active volunteer in numerous capacities for 60 years, Ms. Hall is the immediate past Chairwoman of the Er5ie County Senior Services Advisory Board and is the current Chair of the RSVP Advisory Council for the Senior Services department. A parishioner at St. Theresa’s, Ms. Hall  is also an active volunteer with Meals on Wheels of WNY.

Hall’s Volunteer Service Covers 60 Years, Numerous Agencies; May is Older Americans Month

ERIE COUNTY, NY— Today, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz was joined by Erie County Commissioner of Senior Services Randy Hoak and members of Senior Services department as well as family members of Ms. Rose Marie “Ro” Hall as he recognized Ms. Hall as Erie County’s “Senior of the Year” for 2015. An active volunteer in numerous agencies and capacities for 60 years, Ms. Hall is the immediate past chairwoman of the Erie County Senior Services Advisory Board and the current Chair of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Advisory Council, a volunteer receptionist for Meals on Wheels of Western New York, and an active leader within her church parish.  She has served on the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Aging and as a board member and committee co-chair of the Network in Aging Inc. of WNY.

“Ro Hall is a terrific example of an individual who constantly looks for ways to give back to her community and helps to build a better Erie County for all. She has touched countless lives through her many volunteer positions and has been a constant force in whatever endeavors she undertakes,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz.  “It is an honor to recognize her as the 2015 Erie County Senior of the Year, and I want to thank her for her years of volunteerism. She has truly made a positive difference in our community.”

Professionally, Ms. Hall has worked as Volunteer Coordinator for Erie County’s Senior Companion Program, Manager of the McLaughlin Center for Senior Wellness/Kaleida, a HUD Housing Manager in Buffalo and Blasdell, and as a Catholic elementary school teacher. Born and raised in Buffalo, Ms. Hall brings a solid South Buffalo enthusiasm to all she does and has been a tireless volunteer throughout her life, even while raising five children and earning a Master’s degree.

Senior of the Year Ro Hall said, “I volunteer because I have time, some talents, and it’s my way of giving back for all the good in my life.  Because I have diversity in my volunteer efforts, I’m never bored.  I meet interesting people; I have discovered many interesting things about this community and myself; I receive a certain amount of satisfaction in knowing I’m helping society in a small way.”

Commissioner of Senior Services Randy Hoak added, “It has been an honor to work with Ro and even more so to recognize her as ‘Senior of the Year’ for 2015. Ro is a true leader in the field of aging. Ro has been a source of inspiration to fellow older adults, aging services professionals, and government leaders.  Ro always looks for ways to give of her time and talents, and she is greatly deserving of this recognition.”

Ms. Hall is now in her eighth year as a member of the Senior Services Department’s RSVP Advisory Council, and has served as Chairwoman of that body since 2009, advocating for the program’s strategic planning process as well as the University Express program. RSVP’s continuing education program, University Express, enriches the lives of older adults by recruiting retired teachers and elected officials, college professors and local professionals who lead seminars on a wide array of topics of interest to seniors.  The seminars are open and free to everyone at senior centers across Erie County.  

As a member of the Advisory Board, Ms. Hall was actively involved in the Safe Streets movement, which grew out of state and local Complete Streets legislation, advocating for walkable and safe streets for seniors to stay healthy, actively engaged in their communities, and to avoid social isolation.  

For more information:

On the Erie County Department of Senior Services, visit   http://www2.erie.gov/seniorservices/