This year, the GPNYC Board welcomed Melanie Schnuriger as Treasurer. Edith Cresmer, longtime GPNYC Treasurer, remains on the Board.
Meet Melanie!
I’m a mom, partner, sister, aunt, daughter, granddaughter, cousin, niece, friend, coach, leader, and advocate. Each of these roles is dear to my heart. But, I am especially grateful to have had the years where I am both a mom and a granddaughter. When I visit my hometown of San Antonio, I watch as my grandmother lights up talking to my son and he tries to wrap his head around the fact that the woman in front of him raised his grandmother! He wonders at the fact that my great Aunt Mary Ann is still driving a golf cart in her neighborhood at 101. We make Aunt Mary Ann’s enchiladas and include her recipe in his school cookbook to allow our family’s history to live on. I have always loved the stories of the generations before me. Yet, the stories of older people are not always revered by the world around them. Ageism and lack of resources results in a population that is at times overlooked. Not every aging person has the ability to be cared for in a setting like my grandmother, filled with love and compassion. It is my goal as a board member to continue the legacy of the Gray Panthers organization; honoring its intergenerational approach, fighting ageism and advocating for those that need their voices amplified.