About - Sharing Active Independent Lives

Who We Are

Sharing Active Independent Lives (SAIL) supports the independence of adults age 55+. We are a member-led community changing the way we view aging. We help one another stay connected, active, and safe. We enjoy activities, education, socializing, and access to resources.

How to Join

SAIL embraces the talents, experiences and wisdom of its members. We rely on one another for everything from leadership to volunteer activities to participation in special interest groups. We learn together, we share experiences, and we help each other as members needs change over time. Through new connections members demonstrate every day that we are stronger together.

SAIL is funded by membership dues, donations, and grants. We collaborate with the University of Wisconsin and local community organizations, and draw on the talents, insights, and ideas of our membership to solve problems and provide needed resources to seniors. This innovative, member-driven approach allows SAIL to meet the changing needs of the aging population, and improve the quality of life for its members.

SAIL is a village model organization and a founding member of the Village to Village Network

In the News

Newsletters

Annual Reports

Frequently Asked Questions

Resources

SAIL Staff

SAIL is led by an executive director and a team of dedicated professionals whose desire is to serve SAIL members. The staff is assisted and supported by skilled volunteers, largely drawn from SAIL members.

Ann Albert, AgeBetter Executive Director

ann@agebettertoday.org

Ann began working with SAIL's parent organization, AgeBetter, Inc. in 2004 and assisted with the launch of SAIL in 2005. Her master’s degree in rehabilitation psychology and her previous experience as an administrator at Oakwood Village prepared her well for her role with AgeBetter. SAIL is a charter member of the national Village to Village Network and has assisted in the development of other "villages" like SAIL throughout the United States.
In addition to overseeing SAIL, Ann led the development of the Safe at Home Pilot in 2023. Safe at Home offers free home safety assessments to seniors living in Dane County. Assessments are provided by volunteers who are Occupational Therapy college students, retired Occupational Therapists, or other retired health care professionals. The successful pilot helped position AgeBetter to receive funding by Dane County beginning in 2024 to support a part time program coordinator.
Ann is a member of the Madison West Middleton Rotary Club as well as various local professional aging services groups.

Becky Rogers, Volunteer and Member Services Specialist

becky@sailtoday.org

Becky coordinates the SAIL Volunteer program. Her role is focused on recruiting volunteers and matching volunteers with member and organizational needs. She ensures that each volunteer receives a personalized and thorough orientation to the program and provides support to the volunteers. She also provides customer support to members, welcomes and orients new members, and assists in maintaining positive relationships with both volunteers and paid service providers vetted by SAIL. Through her work with members and collaborations in the community, Becky assists with program planning and coordinates SAIL events. She has a degree in business and brings experience as a certified occupational therapy assistant and provider of direct care services in assisted living, independent living, and adult day programming.

Crystal Delwiche, Office Coordinator

crystal.delwiche@sailtoday.org

Crystal assists the team with administrative and technical support. She is the main point of contact when calling the SAIL office. Crystal has an extensive background in customer service with experience working in the property and casualty insurance and medical fields along with direct care services for senior home health care. She carries a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. She enjoys volunteering in her spare time.

Leadership

The SAIL Operating Council is comprised of SAIL members, community volunteers, and staff representatives. The Council oversees the day-to-day operations of SAIL and assists with membership development.

The SAIL Council

Top row, left-to-right: Christine Klotz, vice president; Ed Walker; Christine Beatty, secretary; Rick Sheridan; Alan Lukazewski; Christine McKenna; Beth Campbell, president; Kristen Peterson, AgeBetter representative. Seated, left-to-right: Galen Metz, Dana Warren, Sue Goldstein. Not pictured: Caroline Werner

History

From the beginning, and every step along the way, SAIL has been shaped by the needs of the community and of SAIL members. Our parent organization, AgeBetter, Inc., worked in collaboration with Attic Angel Community and Oakwood Village and two other local organizations to design a membership program with resources and services to help keep older adults healthy, independent, and in their homes.