The Excelerate Foundation, a private grantmaking organization that supports charities addressing problems and opportunities in American communities, has bestowed its Leadership Award on Dr. Karyn Skultety, Executive Director of Openhouse.
“Excelerate Foundation created this award to recognize outstanding progress and leadership in social change and community development,” said J. Alex Sloan, Chairman and President of the Foundation. “We reserve this award for the few who are making a palpable difference in the communities where they live and work, and we feel Karyn Skultety is actually helping change the landscape of LGBT aging in San Francisco.”
This is only the second time that the Excelerate Foundation has presented the Leadership Award in 11 years.
Dr. Skultety joined Openhouse as Executive Director in 2017. Since then she has almost doubled the size of the only organization in Northern California exclusively serving LGBT seniors with housing, housing assistance, social services, and community engagement. Prior to Openhouse, she served as Vice President of Health Services at the Institute on Aging in San Francisco. She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, specializing in geriatric psychology.
Under her leadership, Openhouse opened California’s first LGBT-welcoming affordable housing development for LGBT seniors at the organization’s Laguna Street campus, which now includes 119 units of affordable housing as well as activity and office space. Openhouse services have expanded under her leadership, including the launch of an innovative partnership with On Lok to open a first-of-a-kind program aimed at reaching LGBT seniors at risk of nursing home placement. In early 2020, Openhouse will open its new two-story community center at 75 Laguna, expanding capacity to serve up to 5,000 seniors with onsite services and programming.
“I am so honored by this recognition from the Excelerate Foundation and for the opportunity to work with Alex and Excelerate’s board to build a strong intergenerational community with LGBTQ older adults at its center, and combat ageism wherever it marginalizes seniors and makes them feel invisible,” Dr. Skultety said, accepting the honor at the Foundation’s recent Leadership Award Luncheon.
The award comes with a $5,000 prize for the recipient and a $5,000 grant for the organization.
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