LeadingAge Announces Aging Services Award Winners

WASHINGTON—This year’s LeadingAge annual meeting, which was held at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee, announced its Aging Services Award winners: Lourisa “Lulu” Solomon and David Gehm. The annual meeting, which hopes to bring in mission-driven providers who represent the continuum of aging services, brought together over 6,000 attendees from across the country this year. 

“Lulu and David both exemplify the heart and dedication that drive aging services forward,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, a collection of nonprofit aging services providers and other mission-driven organizations. “Lulu’s unwavering commitment to mentoring and developing caregivers in long-term services is a testament to her passion for compassionate care; while David’s visionary leadership at Wellspring Lutheran Services has transformed the lives of thousands, creating nurturing environments for those in need. Together, embody the spirit of mission-driven service that our sector strives to live by. We congratulate both of them on their achievements and thank them for their dedication to the betterment of our field.”

Lourisa “Lulu” Solomon, received the 2024 “Joan Anne McHugh Award for Excellence in Frontline Nurse Supervision.” This award intends to recognize the critical role that frontline nurse supervisors play in the long-term services and supports workplace. A native of the Philippines, Solomon pursued a career in health care with the intention of following in her mother’s and aunt’s footsteps—a midwife and a nurse, respectively. Solomon briefly worked in acute care, but began her career in aging services after moving to the United States in 1985. Over the past four years, Solomon has worked as a staff development coordinator, infection preventionist and supervisor at New Jersey Eastern Star Rehabilitation and Nursing in Bridgewater, New Jersey. In this role, she has created training programs for direct care professionals, mentored those caregivers through their professional development and led the company’s infection control response. Additionally, she has supervised 45 care team members, while providing hands-on nursing care to 70 residents.

David Gehm, president and CEO of Wellspring Lutheran Services, received the 2024 “Award of Honor.” This accolade aims to recognize Gehm’s leadership, commitment to community service and advancement of older adults’ quality of care. Through his leadership at Wellspring Lutheran Services, he has intended to provide care and nurturing environments for older adults, as well as help foster children and families in need throughout the state of Michigan. With more than 30 years as a chief executive, Gehm has helped Wellspring become a prominent providers of human care services, offering a range of resources and supports that impact more than 15,000 of Michigan’s most vulnerable populations each year. 

The aging services leaders are recognized each year by LeadingAge for their innovation, leadership and dedication to serving older adults. At the annual meeting, LeadingAge seeks to allow attendees to learn, strengthen their networks and find inspiration in their sector’s gatherings.