Wanda Smith

Major Accomplishments

Featured in Life Magazine, August 1986, Smith described the role of caring for her mother as she experienced Alzheimer's Disease. This was recognized as the first article on young families struggling with Alzheimer's Disease

Founder

Creator and Founder of Nationally recognized program 1990 called "The Morning Out Club," the first early stage respite program for people with AD, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This program generated the first-ever support group for people in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease in the country.

Developer of the first and largest state-wide advocacy event for Alzheimer's. it was held in the State of California, 1990 and was known as the Alzheimer's Association Advocacy Day. The event continues today bringing hundreds of families together to make their voice known to our elected officials.

A member of the Board of Directors of The Alzheimer's Association in the early years of its founding. Assisted the non-profit in opening its first office, in the hiring of staff and in fundraising that moved the organization to growth of 125% in revenues.

Publications

Co-Authored a home-safety booklet with UCSD Alzheimer's Disease Research Center for a NIA grant. This booklet is now distributed by NIA's ADEAR (Alzheimer's Disease and Research Center) in many languages.

Industry Leader

Corporate Director of Marketing Key player in the growth and development of a California Assisted Living Corporation,Silverado Senior Living, a new innovative approach to patient-centered care. She successfully managed the marketing and filling of their high-end communities, establishing and filling their first 90 bed community in less than 9 months with no advertising, not even a brochure. The fill rates for each additional community far exceeded national average.

Consultant. The Memory and Aging Project of Washington University, ADRC is funded through a grant from the National Institute of Aging. This project is funded to develop neurological criteria for assessing dementia; genetic research into the genetic cause of the various dementias and many other research endeavors. Smith consulted with the Center to recruit, educate and motivate families with hereditary dementia to participate in research and assisted staff with marketing concepts for the center.

Coordinator/Volunteer for Non-Profit Organization
Alzheimer’s Association, San Diego Chapter, VP Public Relations
Wanda established a professional committee responsible for attracting free advertising for the various issues on Alzheimer’s Disease. She positioned the Association of San Diego as the media’s source of information on AD. The PR efforts of Smith included scheduling the chapter spokespersons and the local researchers and developing the audio, video and print materials distributed to local media for local ad campaigns.

Director of Marketing, Silverado Senior Living Corporation

Key player in the growth and development of a California Assisted Living Corporation, a newly innovative approach to "life-purposed care". She successfully managed the marketing of their communities. She achieved record-breaking fill-up rates, move-ins and wait-list in five different markets.

Education

BA Mass Communication, Public Relations, University of Alabama

Personal Affiliations and Notables

California Council Alzheimer's Association Leadership Award, 1992
Channel 10, San Diego’s Volunteer of the Year Award in 1991
San Diego and Imperial Counties United Way/CHAD Volunteer of the Year 1990
Alzheimer’s Association Volunteer of the Year for San Diego, 1989
Featured in Local and Regional Newspapers
Testified before California Legislature
Presenter at National Alzheimer’s conferences
Presenter/Spokesperson for California Alzheimer’s Association
San Diego Alzheimer’s Association Speaker/Presen