Administrator Award

• Nola Evonne Davis
• Dottie Santagata

This award recognizes adult day center administrators/directors who have demonstrated outstanding leadership within their centers and their communities. This award is given to an administrator or director who has given at least five years of service to an adult day services center.

Nola Evonne Davis, Executive Director
YMCA Bettye J. McCormick Adult Day Services
Vincennes, IN

Nola Davis has been with the Senior Center for 22 years. She has been the Executive Director for 11 of those 22 years and what accomplishments she has made! When the building was moved from its humble beginnings from 4th St., to its present location at 2009 Prospect Avenue 11 years ago, they thought they would have plenty of room—but they didn't plan on Nola Davis! Nola is a very "forward thinking" individual. She is constantly thinking of "how can we do this better" or "how can we bring more people in to the Center?" To help entice the Baby Boomer generation, Nola worked on getting funds and produced a life-sized movie theatre room. This room is equipped with real movie theatre seating, and a 20'x 15' screen. Complete with popcorn maker and surround sound, the seniors enjoy movies every Friday without end. Of course they are welcome to view television programs on a daily basis as well, but without the ingenuity of Nola, this would have never come to fruition.

Nola saw a need for more than just an exercise area. To address the needs of senior citizens and the limitations that arise, she found some equipment called passive exercise tables. That was just the ticket she needed. Off she went to approach the Advisory Board. Convincing them to spend the money in this direction wasn't an easy task, but Nola isn't one to back down easily and soon the passive exercise room was born. This room has been one of the most used rooms in the Senior Center. It has brought new clients in from the age of 50 to 90. Many times there are people waiting to get on the machines because it's become that popular.

The Adult Day Services need grew by leaps and bounds. When the Center received benevolent donations of funds, Nola put those to good use.  The addition of a day care sitting area was made out of a carport, and a new "Coca Cola" kitchen was made from a supply room. These rooms are immaculate. Compliment after compliment has been received about the brightness of this kitchen, and the stimulation that the Alzheimer's clients receive is immeasurable.

A more community-minded person you will never find than Nola Davis. In every local holiday parade, you will find a float from the Senior Center.  Last year the Grandmothers Club ran with the idea given to them by Nola. They purchased and wrapped over 300 gifts and distributed them during the parade. Nola and her grandchildren walked the parade, dressed in their elf costumes, enjoying every smile they received as they helped the Senior Center celebrate the season of giving. Nola also orchestrated the first ever senior citizen live Nativity during Christmas 2008.  Braving the cold, Nola, along with 10 seniors and dozens of live animals, portrayed the splendor of Christ's birth during one of the coldest days of December. Although their noses were quite frozen, the hot chocolate warmed them all as they sat around the fireplace at the center talking about the first ever-senior Nativity and planning more for next year.

The Senior Center also produces the monthly Beacon Newsletter. This newsletter was moved from local newspaper distribution to TOC, which is delivered in everyone's mailbox with a 17,000 readership and a huge following of Nola's column. I can't tell you the many times that I personally have been stopped on the street and told of the stories that people have enjoyed—all written by our own director Nola Davis. People of Knox County are able to relate to these stories as Nola talks about her humble upbringing and how it was in the "good ole days."

Recently, fire broke out at the Senior Center. Thankfully it was at the end of the afternoon, when most of the clients had gone home for the day. It started in the woodworking department, where the smoke was billowing from under the door. Nola was the first to arrive. She knew that Charles Lowe, a client who frequents the woodshop, could possibly be still in there. You see, Charles is in a wheelchair and could have easily been overcome with smoke, as you couldn't see through the glass it was so thick. Not thinking of her own safety, Nola opened the door, and yelled for Charles. There was no answer. That didn't stop her.  She yelled again and ventured a bit further until she could tell no one was in the room. Then, overcome with smoke herself, she left the building and was taken by ambulance to the emergency room. The Center was closed down for two days due to the smoke damage. This only proves the lengths Nola would go to in order to save one of our clients.

The limit of just one page to nominate limits my expressions of Nola! She wears many more hats. She recently wrote grants that netted $500,000 from President Obama's stimulus program for VanGo's transportation. This will set Phase 2 into motion for the VanGo project. Phase 1 was a grant that Nola had written and received from INDOT for a 12 bay garage to house 12 vans for Knox County's public transportation system. Nola is the director of this project as well. She also received two more grants: the New Freedom and JARC grant, which helped transport pre-school children to school when their funding deteriorated. The New Freedom grant will help our elderly clients with their shopping and getting to and from their doctors appointments with the help of an aide provided with the funding from this grant.

As stated before, Nola is always thinking of ways to provide more services to the community, either through transportation or through the services we provide at the Adult Day Center. She is not just a figurehead: she can and will do every job at the Center. When a staff member is ill and help is needed, she is right there to pitch in and help. She has given baths, helped with toileting, and cooked many meals.  I have personally worked side by side with her cleaning the Center from top to bottom, sweating and laughing as we turning the music up to get the work done, but in a fun manner.

When someone asks me where I work, I just smile and say…at the Senior Center! Where else can you dress in blue jeans and do the chicken dance and everyone thinks you are normal?  I have never worked at a better job, or had a better employer than Nola Davis. She is a friend to everyone, a confidante, and when she needs to be, a stern boss. She is knowledgeable, forthright and understanding. But most of all she is compassionate. She will go the extra mile for someone in need, and has done so many times. This woman amazes me on a daily basis, and I will never be able to fill her shoes, nor would I want to.

—Written by Esther Evans

Dottie Santagata, Director
Cornerstone Adult Day Services
Warwick, RI

Dottie Santagata is one of those rare individuals who made her passion her profession. From childhood, Dottie knew that she wanted to devote her life to helping people. This is a course she set for herself even before she had heard the term "social work," and it is a mission from which she has never wavered. With a Master's degree in social work, Dottie has spent her entire career in service to others.

Joining Cornerstone as Director of Social Services in 2001, Dottie consistently displayed equal parts of empathy, initiative, and a deep sense of commitment to caregivers and participants. As an organization, Cornerstone could not ignore Dottie's leadership abilities. In 2005, she assumed the administrative role and duties of Director of Day Services for all the Cornerstone centers. It would be understandable if in managing the centers and their health staff, Dottie became removed from the families and participants. But this is not the case. She spends part of each day working on "the floor," listening to and caring for participants. The bond between Dottie and Cornerstone participants is obvious, as is the mutual respect and affection they have for each other. When asked what her favorite part of the job is, Dottie doesn't hesitate to say "the participants." 

Although the Director of Day Services is in itself a full-time executive position, Dottie always goes beyond the administrative duties. She readily provides support to family members, counseling to referrals, educational opportunities to staff and always offers a gentle smile and helping hand to participants.    

—Written by Lynn Corey