Saint Paul -- Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced his nominations to the White House Conference on Aging. The Governor nominated Jeanette Metz, Loren Colman, Maria Gomez, and Eric Tangalos as Primary Delegates. Governor Pawlenty also nominated Chandra Mehrotra, Susan Holderness, Grace Lee, and Bette Gysland as Alternate Delegates.

The White House Conference on Aging is held once a decade. Delegates gather to advise the President and Congress on national aging policies for the next decade and beyond. The 2005 Conference is the fifth in the history of the nation. It will be held from October 23 to 26, 2005 in Washington D.C. Alternate Delegates attend the Conference if Primary Delegates are unable to attend.

PRIMARY DELEGATES

Jeanette Metz, of Mound, will lead the Minnesota delegation to the White House Conference on Aging. She is the Chair of the Minnesota Board on Aging. The Minnesota Board on Aging administers funds from the Older Americans Act and serves as the gateway to services for Minnesota seniors and their families. Metz has been a Board member of the Board on Aging since 1999, and has served as Board Chair since 2003. In 1999, she retired as Administrative Director of Community Services for Older Adults at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation in St. Paul. Metz has also served as a board member for the Living at Home/Block Nurse Program, Inc. as well as for the Minnesota Gerontology Society. She currently serves as a volunteer parish nurse at Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Mound. Metz received a B.A. in Gerontology from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul and is a Registered Nurse.

Loren Colman, of Golden Valley, has been Assistant Commissioner of Continuing Care in the Minnesota Department of Human Services since 2003. In this position, Colman oversees the Aging and Adult Services Division and the Disability Services Division. From 1980 to 2000, Colman held leadership positions for Extendicare Health Services, a health care company operating in Canada, Britain and the United States. He also previously served as Board Chair for Care Providers of Minnesota, a trade association made up of approximately 300 providers of services to seniors and people with disabilities throughout Minnesota. Colman has also been a Board member of the American Health Care Association and the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. He obtained his B.S. from the University of Minnesota and completed Long Term Care Credentialing courses at the University of Minnesota Public Health Department. Colman is a Licensed Nursing home Administrator.

Maria Gomez, of St. Paul, is a former Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). She served five Minnesota governors in her work at DHS. Gomez has helped shape every major human services program in the state, including the redesign of nursing reimbursement funding and developing programs. This redesign allowed low-income, elderly Minnesotans needing long-term care to receive home and community-based services, instead of nursing home care, also saving countless tax dollars. Gomez began also served as a social worker in Florida, working with the influx of Cuban immigrants. In 2004, she received the Dutch Kastenbaum Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Gerontology. Gomez also received a 2005 National Public Service Award from The American Society for Public Administration and The National Academy of Public Administration. She received a B.A. in Romance Linguistics from the University of Miami and a M.S.W. from the University of Minnesota.

Eric G. Tangalos, M.D., of Rochester, is a Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He also serves as Chair of Primary Care Internal Medicine and is Co-Director of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Program on Aging. Tangalos received his M.D. from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. He completed his residency (Internal Medicine) as well as a fellowship (Community Internal Medicine) at the Mayo Clinic. Tangalos is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine with added qualifications in Geriatrics. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians as well as a Certified Medical Director. He currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the National Alzheimer's Association and a member of the Board of the American Geriatrics Society. In 1994, Tangalos was appointed to the Advisory Committee for the 1995 White House Conference on Aging.

ALTERNATE DELEGATES

Chandra M. Mehrotra, Ph.D., of Duluth, is Dean of Special Projects, Professor of Psychology, and Director of Research Training Programs in Aging at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth. He previously served as Chair of the Psychology Department and as Dean of Graduate Studies. Mehrotra serves on the Editorial Board of Educational Gerontology, and is a Consulting Editor for Teaching of Psychology. He has done extensive published research on the topic of aging, including writing a university textbook, Aging and Diversity. Mehrotra received a Ph.D. in Psychology from Ohio State University. He also serves as a member of the Minnesota Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators.

Susan Holderness, of Edina, served as Director of Government Affairs and Community Relations for U.S. Congressman Jim Ramstad of Minnesota from 1996 to 2001. She served as State Director for U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger of Minnesota from 1989 to 1995. Holderness served as a Board member of the Minnesota Board on Aging from 1994 to 2004. She also previously served as President of the Minnesota State Board of Education. Holderness received a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Michigan and a M.A. in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.

Grace K. Lee, of Minneapolis, is the founder of the Korean Service Center in Minneapolis where she developed cross-cultural programs to benefit elderly immigrants. She also serves as a member of the Board of Commissioners of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. Lee has been a member of the Minnesota Board on Aging since 2003. She previously served on the Executive Committee of the Minnesota Elderly Coalition. Lee received a B.S. in Community Services from Bemidji State University, and a M.S.W. and M.Ed. in Adult Education from the University of Minnesota. She is a Licensed Graduate Social Worker.

Bette J. Gysland, of Ada, is a retired Registered Nurse. She has been a member of the Minnesota Board on Aging since 2000. Gysland is active with AARP, and volunteers with the AARP Safe Driving Program. She previously served two terms as a Board member of the Region One Area Agency on Aging, serving seniors in Northwest Minnesota. Gysland is also active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, having previously served as President of the Minnesota's 9th District. She was named Norman County Outstanding Senior Citizen in 1996.