Shon Earl Gress is the youngest of two sons. He is named after his two great-grandfathers, Shonder Gress and Earl Tom, who was one of Guernsey County’s first licensed funeral directors. He grew up in New Concord, Ohio. He graduated from John Glenn High School. He holds an associate degree in applied business; a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services Communication-Interpersonal Communication; and a Master’s Degree in Human & Consumer Sciences-Gerontology/Family Studies from Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude (4.0 GPA) for both his under-grad & graduate degrees.
He has very dutifully served as the Executive Director & CEO of Meals on Wheels Guernsey County and the Guernsey County Senior Citizens Center, Inc., located in rural southeastern Ohio for the past 23 years.
Guernsey County Senior Citizens Center, Inc.-Meals on Wheels Guernsey County has been recognized as an industry leader and has been awarded many notorieties and awards, including being named one of only two Meals on Wheels programs selected in the United States to participate in the More Than a Meal III research & demonstration project. Meals on Wheels Guernsey County’s use of technological “Change of Condition” databases & reporting quintessentially help revolutionize how Home Delivered Meals are delivered to clients across the nation and throughout the globe.
He is listed in Who’s Who Among American University and College Students (1996-1997); was an Ohio University Dean’s Upper-class Scholarship recipient; recipient of the Leland Jenkins Memorial Scholarship; member of Gamma Pi Delta and a Gamma Pi Delta National Honor Society Scholarship recipient; he is an All American Scholar (1998); received the United States Achievement Academy Award in 1998; National College Communication Association Award (1998).
He was recognized by the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging as the “Community Partner & Provider of The Year” and award recipient in 2004 and is a Guernsey Leadership graduate.
Shon is a Certified Senior Center Administrator of Aging Services and serves as a Past President and 21+ year Board Member of the state’s Ohio Association of Senior Centers (OASC).
In March 2012 he received the Ohio Association of Senior Center’s highest honor and award, The Muriel Bertsch Award, which has been awarded to past Ohio Governors and state & nationally recognized leaders who thanks to their work, tenacity, leadership, and advocacy have made a lasting positive impact on Senior Centers throughout Ohio and most importantly, a positive impact on the lives of many older adults & senior citizens.
In 2019 Shon Gress received two prestigious awards: The Honorable Judge Thomas A. Swift Outstanding Collaborative Leadership Award presented by Ohio Coalition for Adult Protective Services (OCAPS) and “Practitioner of The Year Award” presented by Ohio Association of Gerontology & Education (OAGE).
He also has served on the Board of Directors for Southeastern Med Hospital; Hospice of Guernsey; Guernsey County Chamber of Commerce; American Red Cross; and Haven of Hope. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Ohio Aging Advocacy Coalition; Ohio Attorney General’s Elder Abuse Advisory Committee; and the Guernsey County Cancer Society, where he has served as a Board Member for over 29 years.
Shon Gress has passionately worked to develop new innovative community-based programs, expand the scope of services, and strived to create an inclusive environment where every senior citizen can feel welcomed, valued, respected, and appreciated while engaging them in all aspects of community life.
Thanks to Shon’s leadership as Executive Director & CEO of the Guernsey County Senior Citizens Center, Inc. it is estimated that during his tenure over the past 23 years he has applied and secured over $82 million dollars in contracts and grant funding support, which have not only benefited the local county-wide economy, but has significantly benefited the lives of tens-of-thousands of older adults directly.
Prior to serving as the Executive Director of the Guernsey County Senior Citizens Center he previously worked as an Adult Protective Services Case Manager, Family Support Services Director-Team Leader, and served in multiple upper-management and executive positions with international hotelier Forte Hotels (formerly Trusthouse Forte International Hotels) based in London, England, a worldwide leader in the hotel and hospitality management industry.
Shon is passionate about advocating and serving senior citizens. He enjoys collecting antiques and Hawaiian Lithograph Art. He is a worldwide traveler who enjoys traveling and spending quality time with family and friends. He is always open to trying something or exploring someplace new. He currently resides in Cambridge, Ohio.
15 сен 2024
