850 GOOD NEWS: Bay County Council on Aging CEO to retire

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - We’re taking you inside a place that’s been serving bay county seniors for decades and celebrating the woman who helped it grow every step of the way.

Beth Coulliette walked into the Bay County Council on Aging 44 years ago and never left.

Now, as she prepares to retire, her story is what makes this 850 Good News.

Inside her office-- in the center she helped build-- you’d find Beth Coulliette, on a mission to help the seniors who’ve helped shape her life.

It all began with an unexpected opportunity back in 1981.

“I thought, ‘Well, why not check it out?’” said Coulliette.

She can still recall that first day.

“I remember being interviewed by the full board,” said Coulliette.

The agency she walked into was tiny-- just one location in downtown Panama City.

“Oh, if we served 50 people, that would’ve been a generous number in the very beginning,” said Coulliette.

But Beth felt right at home.

“I had a family of grandmothers. When I was born I was told I had five grandmothers living. So, I thought, ‘I think I would love to work with grandmothers,’” said Coulliette.

She got the job.

Shortly after, the Bay County Council on Aging moved into the center you’re seeing now, added services and built programs from the ground up.

That includes transportation-- what eventually became the Bay Town Trolley.

“I paraded it for a lot of years. That was an exciting part of what we did. We branched out. We started it because we saw it as a help for the transportation disadvantaged. So many seniors no longer drive. They don’t a driver’s license, and transportation’s a real problem for them,” said Coulliette.

And what started small grew fast.

“Last year we probably served over 6,000 people,” said Coulliette.

Today, the council provides meals, in-home care, transportation, a place where no one has to feel alone and so much more.

“Nobody likes to eat by themselves,” said Coulliette.

Beth says she’s proud of the newer programs too.

“We were able to start a respite center to take care of people who have memory impairment,” said Coulliette.

And the newest program is focusing on senior brain health.

“We were able to start a respite center to take care of people who have memory impairment, Alzheimer’s, while their caregivers had to work or just take a nap,” said Coulliette.

But after 44 years-- Beth’s heart always returns to the people.

“The smiles on their faces when they realize they’re not forgotten-- they’re loved, they’re cared for; we want to keep them at home; we want to serve them-- that’s the biggest reward,” said Coulliette.

Now—the CEO who “just checked it out” all those years ago is retiring-- leaving behind a community that can age at home because she chose to stay.

Beth shares she’s also incredibly grateful for her team who were an amazing help along the way.

Congratulations and best wishes from all of us here at Newschannel 7, Beth.

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