Susanna Montezemolo
Policy Development and Integration Director
AARP
Susanna Montezemolo is Policy Development and Integration Director for consumer and livable communities issues at AARP. In this role, she leads the development of AARP's public policies on a wide range of issues including consumer protection, financial services, utilities, housing, and transportation. She also works to integrate these policies into AARP's work throughout the organization. She recently led a year-long policy deep-dive into autonomous vehicle issues.
Susanna has two decades of experience working on consumer protection, community development, and housing issues. Previously, she worked as AARP's federal housing advocate, at the Center for Responsible Lending as a federal advocate and an expert on consumer finance issues, and for Consumer Reports on financial services and telecommunications issues.
Susanna holds her Master in Public Affairs and Urban and Regional Planning degree from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colby College.
Sherry Kolodziejczak
Director of Therapy Services/Cardiac Rehab/ALS Care Clinic
Crestwood Medical Center
Sherry Kolodziejczak graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1983 with a BS in Occupational Therapy. She received her master’s in occupational therapy from Boston University in 2006.
Her career began at William Beaumont Hospital followed by serving as the Vocational Services Coordinator at the Haggerty Center for NeuroRehabilitation in Michigan. Now settled in Alabama, she was employed by HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of north Alabama as Senior Occupational Therapist. Her areas of interest included neuro-rehabilitation, COPD, low vision, Interactive Metronome and NDT treatment, and working with both Level I and Level II fieldwork students. She is currently Director of Therapy Services/Cardiac Rehab/ALS Care Clinic at Crestwood Medical Center in Huntsville, AL.
Kolodziejczak continues to speak and present workshops on COPD, stroke and head injury rehabilitation, ALS, seating and wheelchair mobility, aging in place, community mobility, caregiving, coding and reimbursement, and Parkinson’s/MS adaption and treatment.
Her volunteer work includes serving as the Vice President of the ALSA Board of Directors, and as a member of the MS Community Board, MS Clinical Advisory Board, Parkinson’s Support Community Board and Share the Care Committee, and local initiatives for GBS/CIDP. Kolodziejczak also serves as the AARP Driver Safety National Coordinator, and AARP Driver Safety State Coordinator for Alabama, and is a member of the AARP Alabama Executive Council. She is also the Alabama State Ambassador for the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation. She speaks on fraud and identity theft, HomeFit, and disaster preparedness. She serves on ACOTE® and served as chair of an ad hoc committee exploring the role of occupational therapists as case managers. She presents as a lay certified leader for Self-Management of Chronic Conditions. She has received the Alabama Occupational Therapist of the Year Award, and the Eric Obermann Humanitarian Award, and she was recognized as an honoree for Women Honoring Women.
Janae Wheeler
Janae Wheeler is an experienced trainer delivering workshops nationwide. She educates consumers on AARP’s social mission topics to include digital literacy, work and jobs, caregiving and smart driver technology. She is passionate about working with people and connecting them to the resources and information that can make a difference in their lives and the lives of those around them.