Each year, Partners’ Senior Management Council nominates female staff members to spotlight in March for Women’s History Month. These dynamic women were nominated not only due to their work within the agency, but also their contributions to the community.
One of our spotlighted individuals for Women’s History Month is Christy Lau, MSSW, Partners’ Senior Director of Community Wellness.
Christy joined Partners in February 2016 as the Program Director of Health Self-Management Programs and was promoted in 2019 to Senior Director of the Community Wellness Department.
She found her passion for working with the older adult population while interning at WISE and Healthy Aging during her undergraduate studies at Pepperdine University. Following completion of her Master’s in social work program at Columbia, Christy’s passion grew in her first position at UCLA, where she worked alongside some of the top geriatricians in the nation. There was a shortage of health professionals equipped to care for the booming aging population and her work focused on coordinating training conferences and helping to develop curricula for healthcare professionals to increase knowledge and skills in gerontology and geriatrics.
During these conferences, Partners’ staff were heavily involved as faculty trainers, who taught about the impact evidence-based programs have on improving overall health for older adults. Christy was inspired by the agency’s impactful work and amazed with the various projects and partnerships Partners was a part of.
Shortly after, she brought her expertise to Partners in Care Foundation and now directly leads two statewide grants for Falls Prevention and Chronic Disease Self-Management, a research project in partnership with Blue Marble Health Co., which focuses on reducing falls and increasing physical activity among older adults, as well as the Dignity at Home Fall Prevention Program, which provides home modification goods and services to older adults at risk for falls.
Outside of Partners, Christy’s lifelong journey is to make a difference. While in college, she took part in multiple volunteer opportunities abroad. She visited the Dominican Republic and Panama, where she worked with organizations including Orphanage Outreach, teaching English and literacy in various learning camps, and Youth with a Mission, doing community outreach in both countries.
We are inspired by Christy’s passion for making a difference at a macro level and proud to have a passionate community leader in our agency.
