LIFELONG MAINE MASTER CLASS
Sustainability

Jane provided the following hints, tips and mistakes to avoid:

• • Identify or cultivate a champion within Town Government (staff or elected).

  • Tell the story/paint the picture of the importance for improved community/public health and livability.  Be persistent and consistent in keeping stories about needs and opportunities flowing. (food security, transportation, housing, socialization, accessibility, walkability, etc.)  Normalize language such as age friendly and/or livability.

  • Bring resources to the table out of the gate and find ways to leverage resources before asking for town funds.

  • Avoid unnecessary communications to manager and elected officials.  When providing information make sure its relevant and has a clear purpose.  Limit emails to targeted efforts. 

  • Always plan for sustainability so efforts become institutionalized over time.

• • Maxine Beecher and Lisa Joyce Age-Friendly South Portland. Maxine and Lisa provided several tips to foster your relationships with partners through effective communication:

    • Always copy Staff Liaison when communicating with other City Staff.

    • When fundraising always present to designated person in the City Manager’s Office before beginning.

    • Provide information for the City Newsletter/Social Media when possible.

    • If an Age Friendly issue is coming up at Council/Town Meeting be present to represent the Committee and answer any questions that may come up.

    • Present a yearly report to the Council/Select Board recapping accomplishments for the year.

    • Always be inclusive in listing staff who provide assistance on Age Friendly projects and give thanks and kudos to those people in a public way if possible.

    • If you run into a problem with a staff member deal with the Staff Liaison.

    • Promote your efforts in local media.

    • ALWAYS BE INCLUSIVE AND LAVISH WITH PRAISE.

Maxine and Lisa shared a few hints and tips for mistakes to avoid:

• • • Lack of communication.

    • Thinking you don’t need to follow the rules, because you are doing so much good.

    • Not being a good partner with staff, other committees and community members.

    • Forgetting you’re part of a larger entity.

Municipal Panel - Town Managers

• • James Bellisimo - Berwick for a Lifetime
    James stressed that the real heroes in the room were the age-friendly leaders who coordinate all of the work they do. James provided several tips for communicating with your municipality. 

    • • Come with solutions, not issues.

      • Present proposals, not ideas.

      • Ensure you spend some time getting buy-in from those that will be helping you.

      • Be clear and understand what you are asking for.

      • Understand that your ask may require staff resources and time.

Like the other municipal officials who joined us for the call, James also provided a few suggestions of mistakes to avoid:

• Don't overthink it--It's likely been done before.

• Don't put barriers in your own way - it's always free to ask

• Don't forget to reflect on what has gone well. It is easy to get overwhelmed so take the time to reflect on how far you have already come.

• Don't give up

• • Christine Landes - Age-Friendly Chelsea
    Christine has been town manager in three different age-friendly communities--Bethel, Gardiner, and Chelsea. The greatest value she sees in being a member of the AARP Network is that it brings together multiple generations to work on projects that benefit everyone in the communtiy and discussed the social and health benefits of the relationships that develop as an add-on to the many age-friendly projects in Chelsea. She shared a few hints and tips from her extensive experience supporting age-friendly initaitives:

    • Communication is a two-way street. Christine doesn't hesitate to ask questions about the age-friendly projects in her community and recommends that age-friendly leaders go to their town manager or other municipal official about your goals and objectives when you want to start a new project. Look on them as a resources, not a barrier.

    • Tell your municipal staff contact who the partners are that you are bringing into the project. 

    • Christine emphasized the importance of bringing age-friendly accomplishments to the different boards in town, including the select board. It is an opportunity to build trust that the age-friendly committee is doing great work and lends credibility when the committee requests that it be added as a budget line 

    • The one mistake she suggested to avoid was excluding younger people from participating in the committee. 

Additional Resources...

• Island Institute. Resilient Leadership

• Noonan, David (in Scientific American) - The 25% Revolution: How big does a minority have to be to reshape society? 

• Rand Corporation - Getting to Outcomes

• Russell, Cormac -. Sustainable Community Development: From what's wrong to what's strong. 

We are deeply grateful to AARP Maine for their thought leadership and for funding the Master Class.