Dr. Tom Felke serves as the Executive Director of the Shady Rest Institute on Positive
Aging as well as the Associate Dean for Academics in the Marieb College of Health
& Human Services at Florida Gulf Coast University. He received his Bachelor of Arts
degree in Elementary and Special Education from Providence College followed by advanced
training and research assistantships at both New York University and Yale University.
He completed his formal graduate education at the University of Connecticut School
of Social Work, having earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree with concentrations
in administration, policy, and international issues as well as a Ph.D. focused on
research in Armenia with ethnic Armenian refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan.
Dr. Felke's professional career includes positions with Catholic Charities of Southern
Connecticut, the Connecticut Department of Social Services, the Connecticut Department
of Mental Health & Addiction Services, and Southern Connecticut State University.
Dr. Felke completed a needs assessment of older adults in Collier County in 2014,
which went on to garner national recognition from media outlets including the PBS
Newshour, CNN Money, and the Kaiser Health Network. Since that time, he has been
actively engaged in work to support older adults across Southwest Florida through
various research, advocacy, and consulting efforts. He is active as a member of several
boards and committees in Southwest Florida as well as for national social work organizations.
