To celebrate ASA members by featuring those who represent the depth and breadth of what we do, we are asking members to answer 5 questions. This series was started during the 2025 Membership Celebration.
5 Questions for Luke Rackers
Luke Rackers is 40 and the director of Administration for Good Samaritan Haven in Central Vermont, which provides emergency shelter via a network of shelters, with a focus on building a continuum of care for unhoused individuals, including older adults. They joined ASA several years ago when working at a local Area Agency on Aging and studying gerontology. Rackers developed a creative aging program in the early days of the pandemic and was excited to share that work with the ASA community, as well as his perspectives on aging as an LGBTQIA+ individual. They serve on ASA’s Ageism & Culture Advisory Council.
1. What inspired you to work in the aging field?
I fell in love with the aging field as an AmeriCorps Member serving at an area agency on aging, where I served two terms as a volunteer coordinator and manager, and then held a few different positions at the same organization. My service time was a career shift for me, and I am ecstatic that it led me to an exploration of gerontology and nonprofit leadership. I am fascinated by the heterogeneity of aging—how we all age with uniqueness and continue on our human development journey until our last breaths. My first career was in the arts as a pianist, composer, and educator, so I was particularly drawn to the creative aging niche and the many ways creative practice can impact and influence us as we age. I’m still curious about creative habits of mind, through the perspective of gerontology. This work in creative aging has also led me to be an ageism-awareness advocate because the denial of creative being and worth is often a strong indication of internalized ageism.
2. What are you most proud of in your work in aging?
I'm most proud of the Creative Care Kit program that I developed during my time at the Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA). This program received local and national recognition and continues to this day at CVCOA. In addition to the beautiful artwork older adults in the Central Vermont region create through the program, I'm incredibly proud of the partnerships that made the program possible. I think this program a great example of how collaboration can yield amazing things.
3. What have you learned from the people you’ve met through ASA?
I think the most poignant thing I've learned from people I've met through the ASA is the importance of building community within your profession. I remember a session at an ASA conference that featured the lifetime work of someone who built a music program for older adults. It was incredibly touching, and stories like that really help sustain my own passions. Having the opportunity to lean on one another, learn from everyone, and support each other is a true gift.
4. What do you think is most needed in the aging field right now?
A couple things come to mind as I ponder this question. First, we are experiencing rapid changes in our technological landscape, and a focus on AgeTech is vital to ensure the inclusion of older adults and the ethical deployment of technology amid these profound shifts. Designing with older adults is critical. And secondly, we need significantly more funding to support social health opportunities that have a huge impact on people’s lives but often go unrecognized, financially. I suspect we are about to witness an explosion of support for social health as research continues to expand and progress.
Also, I would be remiss in not mentioning that there is an emerging crisis of homelessness among older adults, and that older adults are the fastest growing population of those who are unhoused. The numbers are expected to triple by 2030. We desperately need creative solutions for addressing this issue. At Good Samaritan Haven, we have older adults in a semi-congregate shelter with complex health needs. We are trying to address this challenge by quickly opening a complex care shelter that is more appropriate for older adults, but funding is a huge roadblock. Even our current plans are just a drop in the bucket in terms of the overall need. I think new collaborative partnerships are key to tackling this issue for older adults.
5. What’s one question you love to ask your peers?
I always love to ask open-ended questions that help get to the root of people’s values and feelings, so the question varies with each peer. I think asking questions and developing one’s creative and critical thinking skills are both incredibly important. Our curiosities provide doorways to problem-solving our toughest community and societal challenges. I'm a firm believer that leaders should encourage and embrace curiosity, collaboration, and connection with everyone in their orbit, because it is our collective efforts and insights that make the world a better place. So, my first question for peers is usually something like: If you could solve one problem in your work/life, what would it be and why?