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1645 Marthaler Lane, West St. Paul, MN 55118
Reflecting on Finding Community:
Happy 50th Birthday, DARTS!
Reflecting on
Finding Community:
Happy 50th Birthday, DARTS!
Reflecting on DARTS
DARTS is 50 years old!
I am honored to sit in the leadership chair for DARTS, and fortunate that all who came before me are still available to supply their wise counsel and insights.
Dick Graham was the first DARTS President, and he remains connected to our work and mission. I caught up with him this week, just after his scheduled volunteer time as a DARTS Learning Buddy at a local elementary school.
As Dick reflected on the early years, he used the word “community” repeatedly. He rejects the title of “founder” because it was a community effort to increase mobility for those who did not drive. In all ways, community involvement is what formed DARTS.
While Dick was creatively sourcing used airport limousines and hiring our second President, Mark Hoisser, as a driver, I was turning 12 years old.
Reflecting on Myself
The 1960s impacted my generation. My friends had siblings serving in Viet Nam; I witnessed peace marches; I saw how terrible it was when Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and knew President Nixon because he interrupted our favorite TV shows with impossibly long speeches.
My 1974 memories include President Nixon resigning, my surprise birthday party pulling my friends from their beds to bring them to my house for breakfast, and starting junior high to realize that midi-skirts had replaced the oh-so-short mini skirts on the Manitowoc fashion scene. People entering adulthood during this time looked to fix the world’s wrongs. As a tween, I learned from my parents and grandparents to quietly lend a hand where the community needed help. I waited tables at the hospital auxiliary pie and ice cream social and babysat. More than anything, I adored spending time working with my grandparents.
Reflecting back, 1974 seems to be the time that my approach to learning and leadership solidified. I am a person who learns from what has come before me. That makes me more likely to make a series of small adjustments rather than sweepingly holistic changes. I am not necessarily brave, but I will fight for what I believe is right.
Finding DARTS
I found DARTS when I was helping my dad as his Alzheimer’s progressed. My sister and I were trying our best to balance his desire to live at home (and continue to drive!) while his ability to do so declined. DARTS provided a service which I now know is caregiver coaching. At the time, I just knew DARTS was helping me find the resources we needed to better help dad.
When then-President Mark invited me to join the DARTS Board of Directors, I was glad to have an opportunity to support the organization that I had grown to respect. The more I learned, the more I became convinced that all communities need a DARTS. We only grow old once, so having an expert point out the resources available improves our odds that we will age successfully.
Finding Community
I have been DARTS President for nearly nine years. When I began, our board chair, Lance Lemieux, pointed out that community partnerships and building team were the most critical components of my job description. I am so proud of the DARTS team – those here today and those who paved our way. Their balance of “smart and heart” make us strong advocates for the right to age well. Their understanding that we are better together helps us to build strong relationships with our volunteers, clients, partners, and funders.
DARTS is the community’s organization, like it was in 1974. Our services have adapted to 21st century needs and at our core, we continue to value our personal connections. Thank you for your role in fulfilling our mission to create connections that enrich aging.
Author
Ann Bailey (Author)
Ann Bailey was President of DARTS beginning in 2015, following five years of service on DARTS Board of Directors. Her connection to DARTS began when her father's Alzheimer's disease progressed, and she saw firsthand the impact of caregiver support services.
She retired in 2025 after a decade of leadership. Ann remains a dedicated advocate for aging and caregiver services. She serves on the board of the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging and shares her expertise with groups including Dakota County Disability Advisory Council, University of Minnesota 10,000 Family Studies, and Fairview Ridges Healthy Communities. In 2024, she was honored with the Legacy Award from the Dakota County Regional Chamber in recognition of her impact. And in 2025, she was honored with the Dakota County Public Health Achievement Award in recognition of her contribution of her contribution of bringing people together to create a healthy future for all citizens of Dakota County.
Ann and her husband, Randy, live in Apple Valley and engage in community-building initiatives. In her free time, she enjoys traveling - and two trips per year are states drawn at random - along with cooking and tending to a small garden that provides fresh ingredients.