Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging

Dr. Tom Felke serves as the Executive Director of the Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging as well as the Associate Dean for Academics in the Marieb College of Health & Human Services at Florida Gulf Coast University.  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary and Special Education from Providence College followed by advanced training and research assistantships at both New York University and Yale University.  He completed his formal graduate education at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, having earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree with concentrations in administration, policy, and international issues as well as a Ph.D. focused on research in Armenia with ethnic Armenian refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan.  Dr. Felke's professional career includes positions with Catholic Charities of Southern Connecticut, the Connecticut Department of Social Services, the Connecticut Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, and Southern Connecticut State University.  Dr. Felke completed a needs assessment of older adults in Collier County in 2014, which went on to garner national recognition from media outlets including the PBS Newshour, CNN Money, and the Kaiser Health Network.  Since that time, he has been actively engaged in work to support older adults across Southwest Florida through various research, advocacy, and consulting efforts.  He is active as a member of several boards and committees in Southwest Florida as well as for national social work organizations.

Mona Afifi is a distinguished academic and researcher specializing in construction engineering. She has served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, teaching a wide variety of courses. Afifi’s research focuses on aging-friendly design, Building Information Modeling (BIM), lean construction, and AI in construction management, earning her significant grants, including the Ignite Grant and the NSF Engines Development Award. She is a published author and an active member of several professional organizations, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the fields of construction engineering and aging studies. Afifi completed her PhD at the University of Alberta, where she also earned her MSc in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Hanah Harley is an artist, educator, and curator, previously based in western Pennsylvania. Harley received a Master of Fine Arts in Photography and Related Media from Parsons, an executive certificate in Arts and Culture Strategy from University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Photography from Point Park University. Harley is currently a doctoral student at St. Francis University, where she studies Organizational Leadership and Innovation. Harley is represented by the Fox Clark Gallery in Indiana, PA.  Harley is also a community arts organizer involved in administering and facilitating a variety of organizations, grants, and programs. She was the Director of Development and Curator at Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, and the Public Art Consultant at Stuart Group Consulting, overseeing public art projects in Pennsylvania. Harley has been an educator for the last six years, working as an adjunct instructor at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA and Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. Community-based learning is at the center of her work, building programs designed to create meaningful connections through the arts.

Jaley A. Montgomery, MM, MT-BC, began her clinical experience in private practice to serve children and adults with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities in Southwest Indiana. Following that time, she was a music therapist at an autism center in Southeast Missouri. While working at the autism center she earned her master’s degree in music therapy through CSU. Her thesis pertained to the effects of music therapy on joint attention and sibling relationships with autistic children. Montgomery served as an internship supervisor at the autism center, and during this time realized her passion to teach music therapy students. Following this passion, she became a clinical assistant professor of music therapy and clinical practicum coordinator at a university in Southern Indiana. In 2021, Montgomery moved to Fort Collins, CO to pursue a PhD in music therapy. At CSU Montgomery was a Graduate Teaching Assistant who taught music therapy classes each semester and supervised practicum students in a variety of settings. Her research investigates utilizing supports in music therapy for neurodivergent individuals. She is delighted to return to the classroom and teach the next generation of music therapists at FGCU and to work with the Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging.