Barrington Area Council on Aging taps director

The Barrington Area Council on Aging announced the appointment of Terri Channer as its new executive director.

Channer previously served WINGS, a non-profit that supports people subjected to domestic violence as the senior director of development for more than 12-years. She recently worked as the interim executive director of CASA McHenry County before joining BACOA.

Richard Resseguie, senior vice president of Northern Trust, and president of BACOA's board of directors said, "Our board recently completed a five-year strategic plan and needed someone with a breadth of nonprofit experience, vision and leadership skills. Terri brings all those and more to the table."

The organization's long-term strategic plan calls for increased services and a larger geographic footprint to meet the increasing demand for older adult services throughout the northwest suburbs.

Channer is no stranger to a growing organization as she worked on the opening of WINGS newest emergency shelter, overseeing fundraising, planning and community relations initiatives.

"I am very excited to be a part of BACOA's future and thrilled to be working with a proven organization with so much potential to lead the way in senior services," Channer said.

Last year BACOA helped nearly 1,400 individuals with information on housing options, in-home care services, enrollment in Medicare and Medicaid and counseling on insurance benefits. The group also provided support and education for seniors and their caregivers. BACOA provides numerous activities and programs for active seniors, a day respite program for older adults, and a Memory Café. It also provided 4,000 meals through its Meals-with-Wheels program this past year.