For Glenda DuBoise, slowing down has never really been part of the plan.
Just four months after retiring from a 35-year career with Southwestern Bell, she was back in the community — volunteering and giving back in a series of leadership roles that eventually led her to the position of State Director for AARP Kansas, where she has served for four and a half years.
“I enjoy the work,” DuBoise said. “I like connecting people with resources and helping bring people together.”
Today, DuBoise leads AARP’s efforts across Kansas, traveling the state, meeting with community leaders and working with volunteers who carry out much of the organization’s work.
It’s a role that reflects a lifetime built around community service.
From Arkansas to Topeka
DuBoise grew up in Eudora, Arkansas, a small town where family and faith shaped her early life.
At 18, shortly after graduating high school, she moved to Topeka to pursue education and opportunity. Two of her brothers were already living in Topeka and serving as ministers: including Rev. Dr. John Kearney Sr., who pastored Antioch Missionary Baptist Church and Rev. Dr. Joseph Clark, Sr. who pastored Truevine Baptist Church.
“I came to Topeka to get a good education and a good job,” she said.
To support herself while attending Washburn University, DuBoise took a job at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company during her sophomore year.
What began as a way to pay for college soon turned into a career.
She eventually earned a degree in business and communication arts with an emphasis in journalism and public relations, though she chose to remain with Southwestern Bell after graduation. The company helped pay for her education and offered opportunities that allowed her to develop leadership and community engagement skills.
She retired after more than three decades at Southwestern Bell, which later transitioned into AT&T.
During those years, she was also very active in the community, volunteering, serving on nonprofit boards and participating in leadership programs that connected business leaders with civic initiatives.
When Volunteer Work Becomes Leadership
After her retirement, DuBoise began stepping into nonprofit leadership roles — often with organizations where she had already volunteered or served on the board of directors.
She served as executive director of the YWCA, worked with the Marian Clinic and Marian Dental Clinic, and later led the Antioch Family Life Center, all places where she had previously volunteered or served on their boards.
Later, she worked in community engagement roles with Community Coordinating Opportunities in Kansas City, the Greater Topeka Partnership, and the Topeka Center for Peace and Justice, where she helped bring together faith leaders, community organizations and law enforcement to hold conversations around community concerns during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through many of those years, DuBoise was deeply involved with AARP as a volunteer, serving in leadership roles including six years as AARP Kansas state president.
When the position of State Director became available, she applied.
When the position of State Director became available, she applied. For DuBoise, the role represents another opportunity to serve — something that has guided her work throughout her career and volunteer life.
“I believe in the mission. I had already seen the good work AARP does,” said DuBoise.
More Than Discounts
For many people, AARP is best known for the discounts that come with membership — discounted hotel stays, car rentals, insurance or cell phones.
But DuBoise says that’s only one part of what the organization does, and AARP leaders nationally have been working to expand public understanding of the organization’s broader mission.
DuBoise says the goal is for communities to recognize AARP as the “wise brand and a fierce defender” it is for people as they age.
That means advocating for policies that protect older adults and families while also providing resources, education and programs in communities across the country.
Nationally and locally, the organization works on issues such as:
- Protecting Social Security
- Supporting family caregivers
- Preventing fraud and scams
That advocacy continues at the federal, state and local levels, where AARP works with lawmakers, community leaders and volunteers to address issues affecting older adults and their families.
“We want people to understand who we are and what we do,” DuBoise said. “It’s about making sure people have the resources and support they need to live well as they age.”
A Small Staff With a Large Reach
AARP’s Kansas office is small — just four staff members plus DuBoise — but the organization’s work extends statewide through a large network of volunteers.
Those volunteers help lead community events, educational programs and advocacy efforts.
DuBoise estimates she spends about 70% of her time traveling across Kansas, meeting with residents and community leaders.
While the organization works throughout the state, Wichita serves as AARP Kansas’ designated key community, meaning it receives a significant share of the state’s programming and engagement efforts.
Wichita has been the site of several AARP-supported projects, including the creation of Grandparents Park at Central and Grove, a space designed to encourage physical activity and intergenerational connections.
AARP has also helped support community improvements through its Community Challenge grant program, including projects such as a community garden opening soon near Riverside Park in Wichita.
The organization also works with communities across the state — including Johnson County, Wyandotte County, Topeka and rural areas — helping local leaders explore ways to create more livable environments where residents can age in place.
Still Moving Forward
Outside of work, DuBoise continues to stay deeply involved in community service. She serves on the board of Living the Dream, which organizes one of the largest Martin Luther King Jr. holiday celebrations in Kansas. She recently completed a six-year term on the board of Brewster Place, a senior living community in Topeka. She is also an active member of The Links Incorporated, a national service organization, where she participates in the Topeka Chapter and holds a leadership position at the Central Area level.
She and her husband, Melvin, have been married 35 years and share a large extended family that includes children, grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
DuBoise enjoys traveling, interior decorating and fashion.Her travels have taken her across the United States and internationally, including trips to Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia.
But even with a lifetime of accomplishments behind her, DuBoise says she’s not planning to slow down anytime soon.
I like meeting people,” she said. “I like helping people. That’s what we do — we serve people.”
