The final 2026 STARS ceremony took place yesterday at Tiffin University, where nearly 200 guests gathered to recognize the people who keep aging services running with skill, grit, and heart. We’re grateful to St. Francis Ministries for offering the invocation, welcome, and prayer. This was the largest STARS ceremony yet in Tiffin, and the energy in the room made clear just how much these team members mean to the organizations and communities they serve.
Across five ceremonies statewide, 329 STARS from 82 member organizations were recognized. These are the team members who repair, clean, coordinate, problem-solve, deliver clinical care, assist with activities of daily living, and handle the thousand details that make excellent care possible. Nurses, social workers, maintenance teams, dietary staff, information technology professionals, housekeeping, groundskeeping, and many more were honored for the work they do every day to support older Ohioans. They may not always be the most visible people in the building, but they are often the ones holding it all together.
Photos from each event are available on LeadingAge Ohio’s LinkedIn page. Organizations interested in receiving photos of their group of STARS can email Laurinda Johnson at ljohnson@leadingageohio.org.