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NEWS RELEASE

October 22, 2009

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Howard County Resident Named to Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County’s Office on Aging is pleased to announce that long-time Howard County resident Nancy Koepsell was inducted into the Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame (MSCHF) today during the Senior Citizen Hall of Fame Award luncheon in Glen Burnie. Koepsell, who is 87 and lives at Vantage House in Columbia, was nominated by Frank Chase for her role in the creation and continuing success of the Spotlight on Seniors cable television program.

“Nancy has accomplished more since she turned 60 than most of us do in a lifetime,” says Chase, also a Columbia resident and himself a 2001 inductee of the MSCHF. “Over the years, Spotlight on Seniors has given seniors in Howard County a lot of good information on a wide variety of subjects. Nancy herself is truly a dynamic person and she has a knack for bringing people together.”

“I want to congratulate Nancy on her induction into the Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame,” said Howard County Executive Ken Ulman. “Nancy is well known for her commitment to improving life for others whether it’s been through Spotlight on Seniors’ or through her help facilitating the Office on Aging’s first grief and loss support group. Nancy is an amazing woman and is certainly deserving of this honor.”

Koepsell has served as Spotlight on Seniors’ producer, director, and frequent host since the show was first produced in 1981 at the encouragement of Nell Boynton, then-director of the Bain Center in Columbia. Spotlight on Seniors’ started out as five-minute features on a local cable channel; today the 30-minute shows are a regular feature on Comcast public access Channel 73. The show features topics of interest to Howard County’s older adults like health care, assisted living options and retirement planning.

“Spotlight on Seniors’ educational and entertainment programs have increased the knowledge of many Howard Countians and others about options available to improve their living conditions and financial circumstances,” said Susan Rosenbaum, Director of Howard County Department of Citizen Services. “It not only provides vital information to seniors, but also gives its volunteers an opportunity to acquire or enhance technical skills.”

Dot Keczmerski, former Mental Health Coordinator for the Howard County Office on Aging, knows Koepsell well. “She was one of our early pioneer volunteers, showcasing programs and services to help seniors age well. At 87 years young, she obviously remains up to the challenge to tackle new projects and advocate for what she believes in,” said Keczmerski.

Founded in 1986, the Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization which recognizes outstanding volunteers age 60 and over from the State of Maryland. Of the 48 Maryland seniors inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, Nancy Koepsell was the only senior from Howard County.