Louis Colbert, Senior VP of Operations, to retire; Shaunise Spivey announced as his successor
The following is a message from PCA President & CEO Najja Orr:
Today, I humbly announce the retirement of PCA’s Senior Vice President of Operations and the beloved “mayor of PCA,” Louis Colbert, effective May of 2021.
Louis has been an esteemed advocate of the aging community for more than 40 years. His first time at PCA, Louis spent seven years with the agency. He then returned to the agency in his most recent tenure, which has spanned over the course of eight years.
During his time at PCA, Louis has actively advocated for older adults on both the state and national level. He has been essential in forming many new partnerships and reengaging our partnerships with the City of Philadelphia.
Louis was instrumental in the revitalization and opening of the Firehouse Active Adult Center, as well as launching several PCA initiatives including the Culture Change Committee and Defeat Malnutrition Today.
He is a lifelong mentor who has worked to shape the careers of countless professionals in the aging field. In addition to mentoring many at PCA, Louis has also been a strong supporter and engaged member of the agency’s Leading Up program and Toastmasters, a program that provides staff with tools to feel comfortable speaking in a public setting. Outside of PCA, Louis imparts his experience on new generations of students in the field of gerontology as an adjunct professor at Lincoln University.
Louis has shaped the local and national dialogue around caregiving for older adults. Facilitating the Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group at his local church, Louis was instrumental in the filming of that group for a documentary focused on male caregivers. He has also been featured in dozens of articles and delivered numerous presentations on male caregivers in communities of color. In 2011, Louis penned an article featured in the American Society on Aging’s (ASA) bi-monthly publication, Aging Perspectives, entitled “Taking Care of Mom: A Son’s Journey.”
For 15 years (2001-2016), Louis was on the ASA’s board of directors and served as chairman from 2013-2015. During that time, he initiated the ASA National Diversity Summit, which shed light on diverse older adult populations and worked extensively on its New Ventures in Leadership Program. In 2020, Louis received a lifetime achievement award from the ASA for his outstanding and ongoing contributions to aging-related services and creating visibility for ASA and the field of aging.
Louis has always possessed a distinctive ability to connect with people across all walks of life. It has been an honor for many, including myself, to learn from and work beside Louis.
After an extensive search, Shaunise Spivey, former vice president of human resources, diversity and inclusion was named Louis’s successor as PCA’s new chief operating officer (COO). Effective Monday, Dec. 7, Shaunise will begin the transition plan to assume all PCA operations from Louis by working closely with him until his scheduled retirement. Starting February of 2021, Louis will work in a part-time capacity while this transition process is ongoing. Shaunise will continue to oversee the Human Resource Department until a successor is identified.
Shaunise has made incredible strides during her tenure at PCA, as she has implemented, developed and played a critical role in a number of cultural competency initiatives and I am confident she will continue to create new and exciting ventures in this position.
Shaunise came to PCA as a human resources generalist in May 2014. In December 2019, Shaunise was promoted to vice president of human resources, diversity, and inclusion after serving as PCA’s human resources director since 2017.
Shaunise is a champion for diversity and inclusion and most recently led PCA in agency-wide training sessions to begin our educational journey in that process. She is sharply focused on overall employee development and cultural change throughout the agency. Shaunise was instrumental in creating and leading a grassroots mentoring program that pairs members of PCA’s leadership with staff seeking career development and helping an agency-wide customer experience program rollout to all staff through her work with the Culture Change Committee.
Further information will be forthcoming in the future to celebrate Louis and his contributions to PCA. Please join me in congratulating both Louis and Shaunise as they embark on their new journeys.
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Caption 1: Louis Colbert, PCA’s senior vice president of operations, will retire in May 2021
Caption 2: Shaunise Spivey has been named PCA’s new chief operating officer
