Meet AARP Washington's Executive Council
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2007-04-24 11:15:26.081751-04:00
Art Cruz, State President
Art Cruz served as District Coordinator for the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Program from 1998 to 2001 and as State Coordinator from 2001 through 2005. Under Cruz's leadership, the program helped more than 55,000 low-income and elderly Washington consumers with their tax returns in 2005. Cruz has also been an instructor for the AARP Driver Safety Program. In addition to his work with AARP, Cruz has extensive volunteer and community service experience with faith based organizations, nonprofit groups and local, state and federal governments.
Cruz is currently president of the United Filipino American Community of Pierce County. He has also worked as District Vice President for the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE), and as president or chairman of various groups in the private sector and federal government over the past 20 years. Before retirement, Cruz worked for the Federal Aviation Administration for 25 years.
Shelby Gilje - Executive Council Member
Shelby Gilje retired from The Seattle Times after more than 30 years as a writer, editor and columnist. She reported on a variety of topics, including abortion reform, federal and county courts, features and general assignments. She has also served as reporter/editor for The Sun, the Anchorage Daily News, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the West Seattle News.
While employed as a journalist, Gilje moved The Seattle Times' "Troubleshooter" column from a question-and-answer format about street lights and potholes to a column noted for advocacy, price surveys and issues such as Medicare HMO's. Additionally, she was active in the Consumer Protection Roundtable, president for two terms on the board of the Western Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and a coordinator of a Matrix Table for Women in Communications. She received her BA from the University of Washington.
John Barnett - Executive Council Member
John Barnett is an advocate of healthy aging. As a writer, speaker and teacher, John is a leader in the Seattle area in motivating positive behavioral change. His book, "How to Feel Good as You Age," teaches goal-setting along with holistic living, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Barnett facilitates programs at one of the nation's leading centers for seniors-the Northshore Senior Center in Bothell. He has expertise in self-management of chronic diseases and patient-doctor effective communication. He is a leader for the annual Northwest Wellness Conference for Seniors, and a State Long-Term Care Ombudsman and advocates for residents' rights in nursing homes, assisted living and adult family homes.
Barnett received the 2000 Paul Harris Fellow Award from Rotary International for service above self. He administered an educational exchange program between the U.S. and Japan and retired from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a Paris-based group of 30 countries where he worked in public information and marketing. His graduate studies were at the University of Washington and Sophia University in Tokyo.
John Lothspeich - Executive Council Member
John Lothspeich is a leader for civic engagement and public policy advocacy in Eastern Washington. He is the chair of the highly successful Capital Fund Drive for Spokane South Side Activity Center and the chair of the Washington State School Retirees Association Committee on Pension Governance and PAC Committee.
Lothspeich has also been president of the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Spokane, a member of the United Way Executive Committee and Board of Directors, president of the Eastern Washington University Alumni Association, chair of the Spokane Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee, board member of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, member of the Eastern Washington University Eagle Athletic Association and national director of the International Student Ambassador Program. Lothspeich's graduate studies were at Washington State University and the University of California, Berkeley, Center for the Study of Higher Education on a Kellogg Foundation Fellowship.
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