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Senior Advisory Council reports membership gaps and outreach activity to commissioners
Summary
The Oakland County Senior Advisory Council told commissioners it has faced membership shortages but remains active delivering resources and outreach to senior centers; commissioners discussed recruitment, senior isolation and facility needs.
Cameron McClure, chair of the Oakland County Senior Advisory Council (SAC) and the District 10 representative, told the Board of Commissioners that the council struggled early in 2025 with insufficient approved nominations and lacked a quorum until April, when officer elections were held.
McClure said the SAC’s configuration is 19 district representatives (one per county commissioner) plus up to four at-large members. A handout provided to commissioners lists current representatives, five district vacancies and a map of district coverage. McClure said the SAC ensures at least 10 senior centers receive information and that the council interfaces with roughly 37 senior centers and many partner organizations; she said the council added the Chaldean Community Foundation and HonorHealth Services to its partner list this year.
Vice Chair Martha Schlessinger and District 11 representative Sylvia Whitmer joined McClure for the presentation. The council emphasized volunteer time commitments — members often spend eight to 20 hours monthly visiting centers and compiling written and verbal reports to commissioners — and asked commissioners to help fill vacancies by forwarding candidate names and facilitating orientations for new reps.
Commissioners and SAC members discussed the persistent problem of senior isolation, uneven facility quality across the county and funding volatility. Several commissioners noted that some communities fund robust senior centers while others rely on volunteer-run sites or shared space; West Bloomfield’s recent bond for community-center improvements was cited as an example of local investment in senior facilities. Commission Kirschle said the SAC website and meeting dates are difficult to find and encouraged staff to improve public access to SAC materials.
McClure said SAC materials — meeting minutes, nomination forms and resource links — are posted on oakgov.com and that the council will continue outreach to fill district vacancies and to ensure consistent information distribution to senior centers.
