Meet Maureen Matthews

Maureen Matthews, RN, PhD is the founder of To Whom I May Concern®, and is also the senior moderator and writer for the program.

Maureen has many years of experience as a nurse and psychotherapist, working in the field of dementia. She received her graduate degree from Yale University (1982) and doctorate from New York University (2005). She has worked with people with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses, and their families and friends, for over 30 years. In the community, Maureen has participated in the assessment and treatment process and facilitated support group and psycho-social activities for people with early stage memory loss, as well as collaborated with nursing homes to develop specialized care programs.

Currently, Maureen is the Director of the Early Memory Loss Program at the Stamford Counseling Center, a pastoral counseling center located in Stamford, CT.

Maureen’s inspiration to create To Whom I May Concern has come from studying the work of people such as:

• Paulo Friere – A Brazilian educator who encouraged oppressed people to speak their truth
• Oliver Sacks – A neurologist who always goes beyond signs and symptoms to the person that suffers
• Tom Kitwood – A a pioneer in person-centered dementia care
• Anne Bastings – Director of the Center on Age and Community, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who brings together the arts and aging communities to create new ways of thinking and acting.

Meet Laura Bowley

Laura Bowley is the Director of Communications & Development for To Whom I May Concern®, and is a senior facilitator and trainer.

Since 2012, Laura has collaborated with Maureen Matthews, blending participatory management, storytelling, and theatre to co-create narratives with individuals diagnosed with dementia. Inspired by her personal connection to the disease through her late mother, who had vascular dementia, Laura aims to support others on similar journeys by engaging directly with those living with dementia.

Laura is the author of In My World, a book for people living with mid- to later-stage dementia to enjoy with others and has led support groups for care partners and guided peer-led support groups for people with dementia. She has consulted with Dementia Alliance International and the Ontario Dementia Advisory Group (ODAG) and was a partner in the Canadian National Dementia Strategy conference, preparing advocates living with dementia to fully participate in this important conference.

Laura has a Bachelor of Business Management from Ryerson University in Toronto and is a 2015 Fellow of the School for Social Entrepreneurs. She completed ICA Associates’ Professional Facilitator Program with a focus on Group Facilitation Methods and the Art & Science of Participation. With over 30 years of consulting experience in business systems design, projet management, communications, conference management and facilitation, Laura brings a breadth of experience to her role at To Whom I May Concern.