We are deeply saddened by the passing of Paul Rusk, Dane County supervisor and former long-time Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin (ADAW) from 1998 to 2018.
The ADAW and Wisconsin residents with dementia and their caregivers will forever be grateful for his passion and commitment to service. Paul guided the ADAW from infancy to maturity. He believed that funds raised locally should be spent locally to maximize the help it provided to families.
Paul worked with staff, governmental and community partners to create needed programing and lasting policy change in the state of Wisconsin. His vision led to the development of Memory Cafes, support groups and caregiver education and counseling through the ADAW which expanded from Dane County to fourteen additional counties throughout south-central Wisconsin. The programs and positive impact continue today, in virtual settings as the Alliance team innovates to meet the needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To put it simply, Paul personified the Alliance mission he helped create, “to improve the lives of persons with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias and their families.”
The ADAW extends our condolences to Paul’s family, friends and all who benefited from his service.
