Photo: Ruth Spink, left, director of the Genesee County Office for the Aging for the last five years, with her successor, Diana Fox, of Clarendon.
Ruth Spink has no earth-shattering reason for deciding to retire now – other than “It is time.”
“It’s time to spend more time with my family. It is time to travel,” said Spink, who has worked at the Genesee County Office for the Aging for 25 years, the last five years as director.
And she is delighted to be turning over the reins to Diana Fox, who has a career in human services.
Fox, who lives in Clarendon with her husband Bill Fox, grew up in Batavia and Byron, a daughter of Larry and Jerianne Barnes. She graduated from Byron-Bergen High School, then obtained an associate degree in education from Genesee Community College. She got her bachelor’s degree in community and human service at Empire State College and a master’s in social work from the University of Buffalo.
She has worked as a counselor with Planned Parenthood for nine years and at the YWCA for five years as a domestic violence coordinator. She left there to complete her master’s of social work. She got her post-graduate degree at Brockport State College and then worked for nine years at Orleans County Mental Health.
She has known Spink since the 1990s, and became more acquainted with her through attending Leadership Genesee in 2002.
“Every Friday, they send a tidbit to all the alumni,” Fox said. “Ruth had graduated from the program in 2007, and she announced last July she was retiring and they would be looking for her successor. I respect her so much and I was excited about the ability to train with Ruth.”
Fox was hired as deputy director in August and she will step into the director’s position when Spink officially retires Jan. 17.
Fox said she plans “business as usual" when she steps into Spink’s shoes.
“I just want to maintain the services and expectations people have of the Office for the Aging,” Fox said. “Demographically, our population is aging, and the services we provide are going to be more in demand than ever.”
Fox stressed the Office for the Aging provides all kinds of vital services and information, not only to seniors, but to their families and caregivers.
Fox also shared she has had Type I diabetes since she was a child, and has a service dog by her side constantly. Her mini golden doodle Daisy has warned her several times of an impending diabetic attack.
Fox said when people see Daisy, they tend to want to pet her or get her attention, and that is the worst thing they can do.
“When Daisy is distracted, she is less apt to be able to do her job and detect if I’m having a spell,” Fox said.
She said the best thing to do when anyone greets Fox is to just ignore Daisy.
Photos by Virginia Kropf.
Below, Diana Fox sits with her service dog Daisy.
