Meet AARP Delaware's New Executive Council

AARP in Your State: Delaware

Source: AARP.org | May 23, 2003

AARP Delaware announces four prominent Delawareans have been appointed to the state's new Executive Council. Dick Johnson, Lynne Howard, James Soles and Dana Ulery will play key roles in the state's strategic planning activities. The four volunteers join AARP Delaware State President Charles Jackson and AARP Delaware Acting State Director Brian Posey, who also serve on the council, to help outline the state's priorities for the year 2003. In addition to their AARP Delaware duties, council members also participate in issue training, association-wide ad hoc committees and taskforces as well as represent AARP Delaware on statewide boards and commissions. We welcome the wealth of experience they bring to their new volunteer leadership roles.

Richard (Dick) Johnson - Executive Advocacy Volunteer

For many of our members and community partners for quite a few years, Dick Johnson was "AARP Delaware". As State President from 1996 to 2000, Dick led our volunteers to outstanding results by providing direction to the former Leadership Council, serving as AARP spokesperson for our issues and projects and creating strong working relationships with the Attorney General's office and Division of Aging to ensure the protection of seniors throughout the state.

In 2001, Dick was named AARP Delaware's Volunteer Leader of the Year for his successful work with House Bill 84, the "Money Management Bill". This bill was designed to create an AARP Money Management Program in Delaware, providing seniors in need with volunteer assistance in paying bills, managing budgets and ensuring their financial security. As Lead Legislative Volunteer, Dick worked diligently and persistently contacting supporters, lobbying non-supporters and pursuing the financial support the program needed. Now less than a year old, the program is already assisting nearly 100 seniors. But, Dick's volunteer efforts extend well beyond his contributions to AARP. He has served on the Board of Directors for First Call for Help since 1996 and on steering committees for Gambling and Aging, Improving Older Adult Health and Christiana Care VNA Family Friends.

Lynne Howard - Executive Community Service Volunteer

Currently Chief of Staff for the President of Wilmington's City Council, Lynne has led a distinguished career in public service. Prior to her present appointment, Lynne served as Advisor on Family Issues for former Governor Thomas Carper. In this role, she worked issues ranging from health care to nursing home reform, served as the Governor's liaison to the Delaware General Assembly on health and social service issues and served as Vice Chair of the Governor's Family Services Cabinet Council.

Prior to joining the Governor's office, she served as Executive Director of the Delaware Association of Rehabilitation Facilities and as Director of Rehabilitation and Personnel of Goodwill Industries. Lynne has also been involved in a variety of civic and volunteer activities including stints on the Delaware State Arts Council, the Delaware Commission for Women and the Board of Delaware Special Olympics, just to name a few. She is currently a Trustee of the Wilmington Friends School, a member of the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of Delaware and a member of the Delaware Chapter of the Coalition of 100 Black Women.

James Soles - Executive Public Affairs Volunteer

The former Chair of the University of Delaware's Department of Political Science and International Relations is still known to all as "the Professor". His current role as Alumni Distinguished Professor enables him to continue his lifelong involvement with academia, while allowing him time to nurture his other passion — public service.

Presently, Jim serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Delaware Technical and Community College; Chairman of the Delaware Heritage Commission; a member of the Delaware Board of Higher Education and the Delaware Task Force on Citizen Involvement in the Judicial System. He has served on the Boards of both the Delaware Humanities Forum and the Historical Society of Delaware, just to name a few. Two academic honors at the University of Delaware now bear his name — the James R. Soles Citizenship Endowment and the James R. Soles Fellowship for the Center for Public Integrity. Among his numerous awards, Jim received the Governor's Citation for Distinguished Service to the Governor's School for Excellence.

Dr. Dana Ulery - Executive Communications Volunteer

Like many AARP members, Dana used her retirement from the DuPont Corporation as a springboard for a second career. She currently serves as Chief of the United States Army Research Laboratory Knowledge Management Center. This newly formed Center, which Dana helped define and create, focuses the expertise and outlook of government, industry and academia to solve complex "big-picture" problems to provide our military with information and decision-making expertise.

Dana takes pride in achieving results through collaboration and diversity; currently managing an organization that is 86% professional women and minorities. In various professional capacities, Dana has focused on strategic planning and change management. Presently, she also serves as the U.S. National Lead for Knowledge Management with the Technical Cooperation Program, an international organization for military research. She also Chairs the Army Material Command Knowledge Management Council. Until recently, Dana served as a U.S. and Pan American Delegate to the United Nations e-commerce organization and as Chair of an American Standards Institute Task Group. Her Ph.D. and M.S. degrees from the University of Delaware are in Computer Science.