CWAG's Governing Board Dinner was the occasion for recognizing seven individuals or organizations for their outstanding contributions to the health and security of older people in Wisconsin.  We're proud to introduce this year's award recipients:

2005 President's Award - Governor Jim Doyle
The president’s award is given at the discretion of the CWAG President to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the well-being of older people in Wisconsin.  We present this year’s President’s Award to Governor Jim Doyle for his empathy for the special needs of those most vulnerable in Wisconsin.  With his aging agenda, he made great strides for seniors in this year's state budget increasing funding for the elderly and disabled transportation and benefit specialist programs and funding the relocation of over 1,400 nursing home residents back into their communities.  But perhaps the biggest demonstration of his commitment to seniors in Wisconsin was his tenacity in negotiating with the federal government to allow Wisconsin's SeniorCare program to continue into 2007.  For this, and for his many other contributions to improving the lives of older people in Wisconsin, we honor Governor Doyle with the 2005 CWAG President's Award.

2005 Tommy G. Thompson Award for Service to the Elderly -
Representative Dean Kaufert
Representative Kaufert, a resident of Neenah, has long demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that government accepts its responsibility to provide assistance to citizens in need—particularly children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. 

Elected to the Assembly in 1990 and currently representing the 55th Assembly District, he serves as co-chairperson of the powerful Joint Finance Committee.  In that role, Representative Kaufert showed true compassion for the special needs of older people by ensuring that they were not forgotten in the state budget process. 

For his leadership in the state government budgeting process and his empathy for those most vulnerable, we salute Representative Dean Kaufert with the first annual Tommy G. Thompson Award for Service to the Elderly.

2005 Russ Feingold Award for Service to the Elderly -
Representative Peggy Krusick
Over her 22-year career in the Wisconsin State Legislature, Representative Krusick has a long history of supporting programs and services for older persons in Wisconsin and demonstrates a keen interest in the needs of older people.  

A resident of Milwaukee representing the 7th Assembly District, Representative Krusick co-sponsored SeniorCare legislation in 2002 and has consistently supported seniors on issues ranging from nursing home resident protection, to fair prescription drug pricing, to criminal background checks and abuse prevention for people working as caregivers. 

For her long-standing commitment to meeting the needs of older people in Wisconsin, we are proud to honor Peggy Krusick with the first annual Russ Feingold Award for Service to the Elderly.

2005 CWAG Member Group of the Year -
Douglas County Aging Resource Center
The Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups is made up of some 600 member groups spread throughout the state of Wisconsin.  But none is more deserving of the member group of the year award than the Douglas County Aging Resource Center.  A model for others to follow, the Douglas County Aging Resource Center has become a shining example of how a county aging unit can involve older people in their county in advocacy.

Older people in Douglas County are well-served by the resources the center provides and can get help with problems or questions related to SeniorCare, Medicare Part D, and other government programs.  The Center also supports advocacy for programs allowing seniors to maintain their dignity and independence by remaining in their own homes.  In fact, Douglas County was one of the first counties in Wisconsin to transition a 100 year old senior from a nursing home setting back into her own community.

In 1999, the Aging Resource Center for Douglas County was the first county in Wisconsin to help seniors go to Canada to purchase prescription drugs.  Agency Director Brad Beckman and the members of the resource center board attend CWAG district meetings, annual conventions, and are involved in CWAG rallies and lobbying efforts.

For their long-standing commitment to advocacy for older people, we honor the Douglas County Aging Resource Center as 2005 CWAG Member Group of the Year.

2005 Outstanding Media Person of the Year - Matt Pommer
Over the course of his career as a journalist, Madison resident Matt Pommer has gone above and beyond the call of duty to report on issues that are important to older people. 

People working and living in Wisconsin's Aging Network understand the complexities of the programs and services that support seniors in Wisconsin.  Communicating the issues surrounding those programs and services in a meaningful way is a difficult task.  Matt Pommer has made legislative reporting an artform and has taken a keen interest in understanding and reporting on the issues that will affect older people and their families.  Matt has been at the Capital Times newspaper in Madison for many years and in that time has covered a wide range of legislative topics with a talent for getting at the heart of an issue and finding its relevance to the public.

For his tenacious coverage of issues impacting older people in Wisconsin, we are pleased to name Matt Pommer as the 2005 Outstanding Media Person of the Year.

2005 Elder Law Advocate of the Year - Ron Konkol
A Madison resident since 1989, Ron Konkol has worked for the Social Security Administration since 1974—in six Wisconsin cities—and for six years in the Chicago Regional Office.

As state liaison for the federal Social Security Administration (SSA) in Wisconsin, Ron works to facilitate the coordination of benefits and services for all Wisconsin residents who are eligible for government benefits. 

This past year Ron has headed SSA’s outreach and education effort for those eligible for “extra help” on Medicare Part D.  He and his team have worked closely with the Benefit Specialists doing over 1,000 joint presentations. He is also a leader on the Wisconsin Task Force on Part D.

For consistently going above and beyond the call of duty in assisting Social Security beneficiaries in Wisconsin, we are proud to present the 2005 Elder Law Advocate of the Year to Ron Konkol.

2005 Community Partner of the Year -
Wisconsin Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Before CWAG was founded, the area agencies helped organize the first March on Madison in 1977 jamming the state capitol with over 4,000 seniors and playing a vital role in founding the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups as a means of maintaining that grassroots advocacy. 

Made up of the six area agencies on aging in Wisconsin — AgeAdvantAge Area Agency on Aging, Area Agency on Aging of Dane County, Bay Area Agency on Aging, Milwaukee County Area Agency on Aging, Northern Area Agency on Aging, and Southeastern Area Agency on Aging — the association continues to be a strong partner in advocacy and education for older people.

Over the years, the association has shown great leadership in establishing and supporting programs for the elderly in Wisconsin, advocating on state and federal budget issues, and encouraging grassroots participation in an effort to maintain and improve programs that are critical to older people.  They continue to support CWAG’s Senior Statesmanship Program—a leadership development program—by granting scholarships for seniors to attend and learn about their role in the process of developing good public policy.

For their leadership in Wisconsin’s Aging Network and a long-standing commitment to the vision and mission of CWAG, we honor the Wisconsin Association of Area Agencies on Aging as our 2005 Community Partner of the Year.