by John BINDER
Recognizing that age is not an indicator of ability, Pamela Krawczyk has
chosen to find ways to dispel the myths of aging. She is enthusiastic in her description
of the vitality of older adults and in the promotion of their ability to live
independently. Sitting behind her desk, in the comer office on the 13th floor of the Rath
Building, does not cause Pam to forget her roots and humble beginnings. She grew up, and
still lives in the Kaisertown neighborhood of Buffalo where a sense of community has
always been and still is important.
The daughter of Richard and Theresa (Plewniak) Krawczyk, she is proud of the fact that her
grandparents and great-grandparents came to this country to give their future descendants
a better life. They had nothing but the clothes on their backs. "I consider myself to
be truly blessed to have had such wonderful and loving parents," Pamela states,
"they provided all of their children the skills, talents and education to become
successful individuals. By success, I'm not referring to positions or status in the
community, I'm speaking about respect for self and others, discipline and faith. My dad
was a skilled cabinet maker who had a brilliant mind—however, circumstances prevented
him from pursuing a college degree. He made sacrifices and placed his dreams aside to
provide financial security for his family. After he returned from service in World War II,
he chose a position with the United States Postal Service in order to provide each of his
children with the opportunity of an education. To his credit, each of his three children
earned Masters degrees. My mom made many sacrifices also. An extremely strong, independent
and creative woman she was a role model for us. She taught us life skills, ethics and
responsibility and shared her wisdom—which all her children refer to today as
invaluable advice."
Pamela is the youngest of three children. Gregory, the oldest is a food chemist at FMC in
New Jersey where he resides with his wife and two daughters. Claudia, Pam's sister, works
as Vice-President in Operations Risk and Support Services at HSBC Bank. Pamela endearingly
refers to their relationship as the "sister act" in that life experiences have
given them a unique and special bond.
Although Pamela's grandparents had passed on prior to her birth, the streets of Kaisertown
held numerous "surrogate" grandparents, providing life's education. Respect for
your elders was something that was learned at an early age. This served her well when she
was appointed to the Geriatric Unit of South Buffalo Mercy Hospital as a "candy
striper." This experience fostered further respect for the abilities of older adults,
and thus the pathway was set before her.
Her primary education, at St. Bernard's, located on Clinton Street in Kaisertown, and Mt.
Mercy Academy, not only gave Pamela the education but provided the strong ethical
foundation upon which she has built her career and the belief that education is a journey,
not a destination. She credits faith, hope and a supportive network of loving family and
friends with her success.
In 1977, Pamela received a scholarship to D'Youville College where her field of study was
Biology/Pre-Med. During the next four years Pam continued to take several Sociology
courses and was prompted by a professor's handwritten notes on her term papers encouraging
her to study gerontology.
Her pathway was detoured for six years, as Pam worked in Cardio-Pulmonary Research for the
New York State Research Foundation. Recalling the comments of her professor and wishing to
pursue an advanced degree, Pamela made the decision to make a career change and returned
to D'Youville to earn a Masters degree in Gerontology. She considers this to be one of the
best decisions of her life and a most fascinating career choice given the current
demographic trends in Erie County. The National Honor and Professional Society in
Gerontology, Sigma Phi Omega, has recognized her talents and work.
As her thesis research was originally conducted in a long-term care institutional-type
environment, Pamela Krawczyk volunteered as a Red Cross Long Term Care Ombudsman where she
advocated for the rights of those older adults residing in nursing homes.
Pamela also became a strong voice for changing the misconceptions about aging. She spent
the next eleven years directing the Golden Age Center of The Salvation Army, promoting
prevention programs and encouraging independent living.
Through her efforts in coordinating the Senior Olympics for Erie & Niagara Counties,
she was able to prove that age should not be an indicator of ability. During the time of
Pamela's leadership, participation tripled and in 1999 she was proud to accept the Network
in Aging's Outstanding Program Service Award for The Salvation Army Senior Olympics.
Observing the ever-changing role of families and realizing the growing number of older
adults assuming parental responsibility for grandchildren, Pamela began the Grandparent
Enrichment Program at The Salvation Army Golden Age Center. This program was selected
nationally out of one hundred twenty applicants to receive a seed grant from the Brookdale
Foundation.
In January 2000, Erie County Executive Joel Giambra appointed Pamela Krawczyk as
Commissioner of The Erie County Department of Senior Services. As the Director of this
area agency on aging, she is responsible for the development of a comprehensive and
coordinated plan of services for the frail, low-income, elderly of Erie County. Although
this position provides many challenges, it also provides opportunities to promote the
strengths, health and wellness of older adults. Pamela remains steadfast in her commitment
to assist all older adults to lead lives filled with happiness and dignity.
Her volunteer efforts have been directed by her belief that she is a "servant
leader" and is committed to helping the frail, poor and aged of the Western New York
community. On March 1, 2000, D'Youville College awarded Ms. Krawczyk their Alumni Service
Award for her achievements in working with older adults and her continued dedication to
serving this community.
Pamela's life philosophy can be summed up in her favorite quote from Langston Hughes:
"Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with
the striving and tolerant with the weak and wrong...because sometime in your life you will
have been all of these."
John Binder is a freelance writer.