10/20/2025

Ohio Scholars in Aging Where Are They Now?

Joe Voytek

Scholars in Aging: Where Are They Now?
Featuring Joe Voytek

From launching intergenerational literacy programs to leading one of eastern Ohio’s largest home and community-based service providers, Joe Voytek’s journey is a testament to the lasting impact of the OAGE Scholars in Aging program. Encouraged by Dr. Dan Van Dussen to join the inaugural cohort, Joe embraced opportunities that pushed him beyond his comfort zone—collaborating with senior volunteers, conducting research on caregiver burden, and connecting with passionate professionals across the state. Today, Joe serves as Vice President of Mirkin & Associates, Inc., and continues to champion aging services through nonprofit leadership and community partnerships. His story reminds us that small beginnings can lead to transformative change—and that empowering future scholars means investing in the leaders of tomorrow.

Name: Joe Voytek

Who and/or what influenced your decision to apply for the Scholars program?: I was encouraged to apply for the program by Dr. Dan Van Dussen as it was the very first group for this new program. I was excited to have the opportunity to work on a large project with individuals at the Department of Aging.

Please provide a brief summary of your Scholars in Aging project: My initial project was working on an intergenerational program initiative that focused on connecting senior volunteers with elementary school students to help improve reading/literacy for Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee through a one-to-one reading improvement program called Project MORE. I collaborated with local Retired Senior Volunteer Program and several local school districts to start the programming.

Describe your favorite experience as a scholar: I truly enjoyed meeting other students from around the state to learn about the various projects they were working on, as well as meeting many professors at other universities who had the same passion for helping older adults.

Describe your experience at the OAGE conference. What was the subject of your poster (if applicable)? What did you like most about the conference overall: My favorite presentation/poster would have been during my second term in the Scholars in Aging program where I focused on identifying the impact of Ohio's fist Veterans Directed Program for home and community-based services and its impact on caregiver burden among family caregivers who were supporting a Veteran with various disability levels. I enjoyed getting to discuss this topic with others as I was currently a caregiver for my father who was/is a disabled Veteran, so I had a true investment in this topic with it being so close to my own situation.

What advice would you like to share with future Scholars: Don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. I always found that I placed myself or my professors placed me in situations/projects that felt far outside of my abilities or area of expertise. It took me a while to realize that my best learning experiences were the ones where I felt uncomfortable or under-qualified to be a part of. Almost 15 years late, I still find myself diving into projects that might be outside of my comfort zone simply because I want to learn from other people who know more than me.

Describe "where you are now." Are you pursuing more school? Working full-time? Something else? What city are you currently living in: I currently live in Canfield, OH, a suburb of Youngstown, with my wife and daughter. I currently work as the Vice President for Mirkin & Associates, Inc. where we provide various home and community-based services like homecare, non-emergency medical transportation, minor home modifications, pest control/extermination, and grass cutting/snow removal. We are one of the largest providers of these services in eastern Ohio providing care to thousands of individuals/families every year. I also serve on the Board of Directors for the Greater East Ohio Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, The HELMS Foundation (art therapy organization), and Patriot Cares where I help to build relationships with potential donors and community organizations.

What do you plan to do (or hope to do) in the future: I hope to soon become a managing partner for my organization in the coming years. We are also actively working on establishing a non-profit entity focused on helping individuals to safely age in their communities by filling some of the gaps in service access in our region. Otherwise, I hope to continue growing our business into new territories beginning this year.

How has the Scholars program influenced your professional or educational career: The program gave me a great baseline for realizing my capabilities. Coming from a small rural community, the opportunities to make an impact on the world don't always seem obtainable. I learned quickly that small projects can make a huge impact on the lives of individuals across all ages and that when one opportunity ends, there's always another around the corner that I may have never considered. 

Please share anything else that we should include about you in the post: Being heavily involved in many groups or project across my region, I've learned that in order to keep my passion burning strong, you have to take time for yourself so you can stay refreshed. I enjoy hiking and fishing when I'm not working and I'm excited to get to do these things with my daughter now.