Nealley says “Senior power” Maine’s greatest resource

“Senior power” is Maine’s greatest natural resource, according to David Nealley, publisher of Maine Seniors magazine. Nealley addressed the membership of the Westbrook-Gorham Rotary Club at its June 6 lunch meeting held at the Westbrook Regional Vocational Center Culinary Arts dining room.

 

Nealley, a 1984 Business Administration graduate of the University of Southern Maine, has accumulated an impressive background in a variety of fields including financial services, business management and politics. He was awarded a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Chip award for successfully resurrecting the Snow and Nealley Company, an old family business manufacturing axes and garden tools. His revitalization of that company led to his being featured in Entrepreneur and Forbes magazines for his niche marketing expertise.

 

Nealley started Maine Seniors magazine several years ago with a vision for “changing the narrative” about senior citizens. He told the club members that Maine has the highest rate of volunteerism in the United States and also ranks among the highest in generosity mostly due to its large population of senior citizens who are motivated to be involved in making their communities stronger.

 

He pointed out that seniors who decide to retire to Maine from other states make a tremendous difference because of their love for the state. Some even invest philanthropically while most adopt the communities they move into as their own and quickly get involved.

 

Nealley told the Rotarians that Maine would do well to understand all the assets that seniors bring. He pointed out that in many cases the word “senior” is viewed positively as in the cases of “senior partner” and “seniors” in high school and college while “senior citizens” has a negative connotation of being “over the hill.” His goal through the publication is to replace that myth with the fact of the profound value that seniors bring to Maine.

 

He pointed out that the average age of U.S. presidents is 58 years old when elected and that most corporate CEOs are in their late fifties. Now that men are living to an average age of 83 and women to an average age of 87, people prefer to stay active and involved well into their seventies. Recognizing that fact and utilizing all the resources that seniors bring to the state is important to the future of Maine as a whole.

 

For additional information about Maine Seniors magazine visit www.meseniors.com or call 207-299-5358.

 

L-R: Hal Thomas, David Nealley, Jason Beever