Tracy Breasure has left her position as director of the Lenoir County Council on Aging, and New Bern resident Mineko Holloway has taken her place.
Holloway managed the Family Caregiver Support program at the Eastern Carolina Council of Governments’ Area Agency on Aging in New Bern for the past six years.
Her focus there was mainly respite care, or temporary care that allows home caregivers a brief time away from their care-giving responsibilities. She developed a voucher-based respite service model that included underserved rural family members in Lenoir, Carteret and Duplin counties.
Holloway also set up educational events, such as workshops, conferences and programs, for professionals and the public.
For two years prior, she was senior community service employment program coordinator at the ECCCOG, placing and managing older workers in public and nonprofit job positions in five counties.
For about three years, Holloway operated a five-star child care center in New Bern.
Her present position allows the Southern California native to work at the local level of government and stay in Eastern North Carolina.
“I felt like moving to a local level would allow advancement on my career path,” she said, “while continuing to live on the East Coast.”
She said it also allows her “to serve more people.”
“I didn’t really want to be removed from the clients,” she said. “… I would still like the opportunity to engage with the people while still taking care of business.”
The Council on Aging provides hot on-site lunches and Meals on Wheels for older adults. It also offers activities, educational programs, a variety of classes, an exercise room and in-home healthcare. There are satellite locations in Pink Hill and La Grange.
Holloway is currently working on a master’s degree in social work — a three-year program at ECU — and anticipates graduating in the spring of 2015. She attends classes on Saturdays.
“I reached a point in work,” she said, “where I felt like I was doing as much as I can with what I knew.”
Holloway earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with a minor in child development and family relations in 2007 at ECU.
She is a member of the N.C. Association on Aging and the Aging Programs Advisory Council of Coastal Community Action, facilitator of the Alzheimer’s caregiver support group in Morehead City and laughter yoga leader.
“I guess there’s a sense of balanced conscience at the end of the day,” Holloway said, “that you can live with yourself, that you’re producing good work — something meaningful.”
The Council on Aging is open to seniors from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Meet-Me Monday
Who: Mineko Holloway
Position: New director of the Lenoir County Council on Aging
Residence: New Bern
Previous job: Family Caregiver Resource Specialist
College: Currently working on a master’s degree in social work
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.