Toi L.

Before retiring from Bank of America in 2005 with 39 years of service, Toi was volunteering with the Juvenile Court of Jackson County to mentor young, non-violent offenders. Today, she serves on the Jackson County Juvenile Court board and the Blue Hills Neighborhood board, volunteers at the Sunshine Group Home for girls, and is a dedicated member of the Blue Hills Neighborhood Accountability Board for Restorative Justice. “If young, non-violent offenders appear before the accountability board and state their mistakes, why they made them and how they will move forward, their offense will not become part of their permanent record,” Toi explains.

On the opposite end of the age spectrum, advocating for the not-so-young is part of Toi’s now decade-long work as part of Kansas City’s Silver-Haired City Council. She is a Toastmasters-award-winning spokesperson for issues of concern to seniors, including health care and resources that allow people to age in place. “We send viewpoints to the city council and provide feedback about budget priorities,” she explains.

Toi loves traveling and meeting people, and she established the Gregg/Klice Community Center Seniors on the Move group that, through 2019, arranged for fun tours and trips to help seniors stay mentally and physically engaged. She also was vice president of the Gregg/Klice Information Forum, which gathers and distributes information about services and events for seniors.

“I love to connect with people,” Toi says. “They truly are an inspiration to me.”