Biography
Dr. Sandra Timmermann is a Representative to the United Nations for the International Federation on Ageing and an Executive Committee member of the NGO Committee on Ageing/NY
Dr. Timmermann has held senior positions in field of aging for over 35 years and is nationally recognized for her work in aging, retirement and the application to business. Currently, she is Visiting Professor of Gerontology at the American College of Financial Services and consultant to business and non-profits. From 1997-2013 she was a Vice President at MetLife and the Founder and Director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute. Prior to that, she held senior positions at the American Society on Aging, AARP and SeniorNet.
Her numerous volunteer leadership roles have included serving as board chair of the National Alliance for Caregiving and the Business Forum on Aging and on the Boards of the American Society on Aging, the American Foundation for the Blind, the National Aging in Place Council and others. She is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and holds ASA’s Cavanaugh Award for Excellence in Education. She received a BA from the University of Colorado and MA and EdD degrees from Columbia University.
Timmermann, S.
Workshop
The Retirement Reset: A Global Reframing of Aging
Helen Dennis, a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging, employment and the new retirement, has received numerous awards for her university teaching at USC’s Davis School of Gerontology and for her contributions to the field of aging, the community and literary arts. Editor of two books, author of over 100 articles and frequent speaker, she has helped over 15,000 employees prepare for the non-economic aspects of retirement. As a weekly syndicated columnist she writes on the subject of Successful Aging for the Los Angeles Newspaper reaching 1.6 million readers. Additionally she is co-author of the Los Angeles Times bestseller “Project Renewment: The First Retirement Model for Career Women.” Helen has served as president of five nonprofit organizations and continues to serve on several boards. In 2016 she was recognized by PBS Next Avenue as one of the 50 Influencers in aging who continue to push beyond traditional boundaries and change our understanding of what it means to grow older.
Dennis, H.
Jan Hively (Janet M. Hively, PhD) – Co-Founder & U.S. Liaison, Pass It On Network. After a career in city and schools planning and administration, Jan earned her Ph.D. in 2001 at age 69 with a dissertation on “Productive Ageing in Rural Minnesota”. Since then, she has focused on raising awareness about new opportunities and challenges for older adults based on 21st century trends and research. As an “Encore Entrepreneur,” Jan is the co-founder of several thriving networks supporting lifework planning and positive ageing, including the Vital Aging Network, www.vital-aging-network.org, the SHIFT Network, www.shift-on-line.org , and the global exchange, Pass It On Network, www.passitonnetwork.org . As an Encore Purpose Prize Fellow, Jan is a nationally and internationally recognized presenter and consultant for programs that engage older adult leadership and support positive, productive aging. Her degrees were earned at Harvard University (A.B., SEP) and the University of Minnesota (MA, PhD).
Hively, J.
The concept of retirement is different from 25 years ago.
To a greater extent than in the past, older people want to engage in work and play meaningful roles in their community, live a life of purpose and, together with younger people, help create social and economic change for themselves and their communities.
Often they are held back by the age stereotypes. But changes are taking place throughout the world that are challenging these stereotypes.
This interactive session focuses on the “Retirement Reset.”
What needs to be done to bring this new way of thinking to scale? During this session, participants will (1) increase their knowledge about the new breed of retirees, (2) better understand retirees’ needs, capabilities and aspirations, and (3) learn about innovative models – models that can be replicated – to meet the new challenges and opportunities as the transition to retirement and move along the age continuum.
The expected outcomes are (1) Increased awareness and knowledge about conditions leading to the reset of retirement; (2) Increased knowledge of models that support this reset and (3) Increased potential to adapt the models so that they will be responsive to national and local conditions and needs.
The three panelists will provide a global overview and framework on retirement today and how it differs from the past; explain life planning as a process that encourages economic stability, promoting entrepreneurship, employment options, community service and policy change; demonstrate how small group self-styled learning communities help older adults make the transition to and through retirement, use their talents in new ways, address issues they will likely face with age, and fulfill their aspirations; and discuss skill building models that enable older workers and those who seek employment to adapt their experience to new economic markets. Gender differences will also be addressed.
Responding to discussion questions, workshop participants will have the opportunity to make observations and add their own illustrations to the examples of Retirement Reset approaches. The expectation is that the workshop, through the presentations and group participation, will demonstrate that these approaches can enhance healthy aging, tap underutilized human capital, contribute to the well being of communities and the economy, and lead to a better world where people of all ages are full participants.
