Thomas P Felke

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.