MARSHALL - Sherrye Perry has made it her life mission to advocate for older-aged residents in Western North Carolina, and Perry was recognized for that work last month.
Perry 62, of Marshall, received the Carol McLimans Trailblazer Award, which was established in 2016 to honor professionals serving in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania Counties who are pioneering innovators in aging and adult services.
For Perry, working with older-aged residents has always been her passion.
"It's not a burden. To me, it's a privilege that I get to do this, and maybe I'm talented in that respect," Perry said. "And if I'm talented in that respect, then shame on me if I don't do it.
"That's just to say, I love what I do. If I can help somebody else grow to love this journey with our aging population, then that's what I'm tasked to do."
Since 2018, Perry has served as director of client relations at Brightstar Care, an Asheville-based home health care service for older residents.
Perry is a board-certified patient advocate and leads a monthly networking and educational group, Senior Care Professionals.
In 2017, Perry was appointed Delegate for Madison County, her home county, with the North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature, which works with Land of Sky Regional Council.
On June 4-5, county delegates throughout the state met for the Tar Heel Legislature's monthly meeting in Raleigh. In April, she became a Land of Sky Regional Council Board of Delegates at-large member representing Madison County.
County Manager Rod Honeycutt presented Perry the Carol McLimans Trailblazer Award in a May 22 regional Land of Sky Board of Delegates meeting.
“The county could not ask for a more dedicated advocate for our seniors," Honeycutt said. "Sherrye continues to accept increased roles of responsibility. Our seniors are her passion."
Perry said she's witnessed a renewed enthusiasm and focus on taking care of the county's older residents, as Madison County's residents aged 60 and up comprise 32% of the population.
"I'm very encouraged. Let's continue on, and we have our county manager who is obviously showing his support," Perry said of Honeycutt.
But representatives throughout the county are stepping up to the table for older residents too. According to Perry, 73 Western North Carolina providers were on hand last month at the Madison County State of Aging annual meeting.
"When you got that many people together that are engaged in the same focus, the energy was palpable. It was so encouraging," Perry said, who added that Elderberry Health Care administrator Karen Cutshall was one of the providers in attendance.
"She said, 'I have to tell you, I have been here all of my life, and I have learned things today, and was informed about services for our seniors that I had absolutely no idea about,'" Perry said. "To me, that was the biggest compliment that we could've gotten because that's what it's all about. It's collaborative work. It is working cooperatively, not in a little silo trench."
Other presenters included Lord's Harvest founder Bill Welsh Community Housing Coalition Executive Director Chris Watson, County Child and Protective Services Director Connie Harris and Veteran Services Officer Dan Jackson.
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While the Trailblazer Award is gratifying and she's encouraged by the work done by the county so far, Perry conceded that there's always more room to grow.
"We've got to have an present a localized voice to help our seniors," Perry said. "It goes back to what I feel is imperative: getting in front of as many people as you possibly can. I don't think we're representing that demographic as well as we could. And I just want to be a part, whatever that is, to be more of a voice and advocate for that demographic.
"But we have got to do it, because the state of North Carolina is one of the more aging states of older adults. We've got to serve them."
But Perry said Madison County, especially, has an inherent reverence for their elders, so the path to providing for that demographic is already in place.
"Just because somebody is elderly does not mean they don't have anything to offer," Perry said. "Madiosn County, I believe, has a greater respect for their elders than other places. We're more of not only an agrarian situation, but we're communal. There are strong family ties.
"I just feel like maybe that's why I'm doing what I'm doing. Maybe this was the time that I was supposed to be doing what I'm doing."
Johnny Casey has covered Madison County for The Citizen Times and The News-Record & Sentinel for more than three years. He earned a first-place award in beat news reporting in the 2023 North Carolina Press Association awards. He can be reached at 828-210-6074 or jcasey@citizentimes.com.
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