Award-Winning Service
The American Society on Aging honors Laura Trejo for decades of Los Angeles-based aging-community leadership
By Jonathan Riggs
Laura Trejo |
USC Davis School of Gerontology alumna Laura Trejo won the American Society on Aging (ASA) 2011 Gloria Cavanaugh Award for Excellence in Training and Education.
Trejo, the general manager of the City of Los Angeles Department of Aging, has been a longtime national leader and educator in the field as well as a much beloved local and national resource and advocate for the aging community.
“Laura Trejo is a great example of altruistic service to the people of the city of Los Angeles,” says mentor and colleague Edward Schneider, M.D., dean emeritus of the USC Davis School of Gerontology. “She has held many important jobs in serving the public and deserves just about every award for public service.”
A member of ASA since 1983, Trejo was selected for the honor on the basis of her significant, long-term contributions creating visibility for exemplary training and education efforts. Besides teaching in Schneider’s courses and serving as a technical and policy advisor to Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Trejo has reached more than 10,000 professionals through hands-on training as well as millions more in the general public via her use of media outreach campaigns.
Despite her busy schedule and high-level responsibilities that play a major role in shaping aging policies and programs across the nation, Trejo is famous for her unparalleled dedication to the older adults she has devoted her life to serving.
“There aren’t too many people out there who work so selflessly,” Schneider said. “She makes sure that the seniors of Los Angeles have enormous access to her, and takes a personal interest in making sure that they have the highest quality of life possible.” |
