Duncan Award for Senior Advocacy 2024
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 – 4 pm – 6 pm – The Pavilion at Hunter Valley Farm (9133 Hunter Valley Lane, Knoxville, TN 37922)
The CAC Office on Aging is pleased to announce its 22nd Annual John J. Duncan, Sr. Award for Senior Advocacy. This event is held each spring to honor a professional and an individual from the community who embody the legacy of the late Representative John J. Duncan, Sr., who was an advocate for the seniors of the Second District. A new category was added this year to nominate a business leader to receive the honor.
The Duncan Award for Senior Advocacy is not only a time to honor our servant-leaders, it also serves as a fundraiser for the CAC Office on Aging’s Senior Information & Referral program. The event is free to attend, but monetary contributions are greatly appreciated.
Dan Hix
Community Award recipient
Mr. Hix received his Master of Divinity degree at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky and completed Clinical Pastoral Counseling at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He was a Resident in Pastoral Care at the School of Pastoral Care at Wake Forest University Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
His calling has led him to serve in Spiritual Care capacities at churches, hospitals, and medical centers across several states, including North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee. He is currently a Pastoral Associate at New Providence Presbyterian Church in Maryville, Tennessee.
Norwood Veterinary Hospital & Dr. Joseph Tabery
Business Award recipient
Dr. Tabery was born on September 15, 1947 in Southern Germany. His family immigrated to the United States in 1955 and settled in the Toledo, Ohio area. He graduated high school in 1966 and moved to Columbus, Ohio to attend Ohio State University. After finishing his undergrad years and post-graduate years, he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1974. After getting his degree, he served in the armed forces in the United States Army. When he finished his tours in the Army in 1977, Dr. Tabery moved to Knoxville, TN. It was then that he built his Norwood Veterinary Hospital on Merchants Drive. He began his practice there in 1979 and has been there ever since. This year, Dr. Tabery celebrates 50 years of caring for the health and well-being of animals.
Dr. Monica Crane
Professional Award recipient
Dr. Crane is a fellowship-trained geriatric medicine physician who is nationally recognized as an expert in multidisciplinary dementia care. Her sole career focus has been the clinical care, treatment, and support for patients and families
affected by Alzheimer’s disease and the other neurodegenerative diseases which cause dementia.
Having completed her undergraduate degree at Yale University and her medical school training at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Dr. Crane went on to complete her residency and fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
During her fellowship, Dr. Crane was honored as a new investigator by the NIMH for her study of the behavioral symptoms due to Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Crane is a founding member of the International Society for Frontotemporal Dementias. She has received numerous clinical and research awards in the areas of Alzheimer’s disease, geriatric depression, frontotemporal dementia and end-of-life care.
Dr. Crane is the founder and medical director of Genesis Neuroscience Clinic, a multidisciplinary memory disorders clinic. The clinic provides the latest evidence-based care for cognitive impairment and the neurodegenerative dementias. Since the clinic opened in 2017, Dr. Crane has been the PI for eleven major clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementias partnering with the Center for Biomedical Research at Provision Healthcare and the University of Tennessee Knoxville. This unique model of care incorporates support from local non-profits including Alzheimer’s Tennessee, Alzheimer’s Association, Knox County Senior Services, the Purple Cities Alliance and The University of Tennessee Knoxville. The Genesis Neuroscience Clinic team has seen over 7,800 patients to date.
As an important part of the Clinic, Dr. Crane has developed and implemented an internship program intended to inspire the next generation of clinicians to pursue a career in geriatric dementia care.
In 2020, Dr. Crane founded the Tennessee Memory Disorders Foundation (tmdf.org) which is now the non-profit parent organization for the clinic. The Foundation’s mission is to provide support for comprehensive community care for those with memory disorders and to mentor students and professionals to become future leaders in dementia care. As a non-profit, Dr. Crane has created a clinic which will be able to offer services to a great many more people who need care, including those with little or no health insurance.
Prior to 2017, Dr. Crane was Director of Clinical Research as well as the Associate Director of Cole Neuroscience Clinic. Dr. Crane is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine at UT-Knoxville, Graduate School of Medicine. She has served on the Board of Directors at Alzheimer’s Tennessee since 2007 and has been a leader in the Outreach Workgroup for the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.
Dr. Crane has been recognized as a leader by the East Tennessee community as an inductee of Leadership Knoxville and the Executive Woman’s Association. Under her leadership, the Knoxville community started an annual frontotemporal dementia conference and a community-wide educational series with the goal of raising awareness.
