MEET THE TEAM
Stephanie Smith
President
Senior Advocate was established in Hampton Roads, Virginia in 2000 by Stephanie Smith. Her experience in caring for her grandmother, who developed Alzheimer's disease, sparked Stephanie’s interest in issues involving the needs of older adults.
Stephanie’s hands-on experience providing care management for seniors and their families made her aware that these families were often ill-informed about resources available to help them. She also became aware that even the professionals who were providing services to seniors were frequently in need of additional information and options. Stephanie is committed to meeting those needs through Senior Advocate educational and social events, SeniorAdvocate.Live, Senior Advocate Social Media Sites and the Senior Advocate Magazine.
Stephanie holds a BA in Speech Communications, with a concentration in Public Relations, from Old Dominion University. She currently lives in Chesapeake and Williamsburg with her ‘In-Training Therapy’ puppy and two cats.
Sharon Smith
Vice President of Communications
Sharon Smith has been a part of the Senior Advocate team since its inception 23 years ago.
After managing care for her mother with dementia, she then worked with Senior Advocate helping with client home assessments. Sharon went on to work with the Richmond Alzheimer’s Association providing education to professionals and support and assistance to patients and their families with Alzheimer’s disease. Sharon currently helps moderate professional meetings, public seminars, and social events. She will also be consulting for our Concierge Care division.
Sharon holds a BS Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Education and Psychology. She lives in Chesapeake with her rescue cat, and enjoys cooking, reading historical novels and hiking the local nature trails.
Yaney Valerio
Vice President of Community Outreach
Yaney Valerio has been with Senior Advocate for over a year and has recently been promoted to VP of Community Outreach. She graduated with her BA in Healthcare Administration and served her country in the Army for over 20 years before returning to school. Yaney lives in Yorktown with her husband Wandy and two children, Edward and Yaneily, and Panini (Bichon), Milo (Labradoodle), and Max (German Shepherd).