Dr. Imani Woody Oral History

Dr. Imani Woody is the founding director and CEO of Mary’s House for Older Adults, Inc. She has a Ph.D. in Human Services, specializing in non-profit management.  Her thesis was "Lift Every Voice: A Qualitative Exploration of Ageism and Heterosexism as Experienced by Older African American Lesbian Women and Gay Males when Addressing Social Services Needs." She holds a Master of Human Services degree from Lincoln University and is a graduate of Georgetown University’s Paralegal program.

Receiving Ph.D.  Dr. Imani Woody has been an advocate of women, people of color and LGBT/SGL issues for more than 20 years. She is currently working as a diversity and inclusion consultant in the field of health, aging and issues affecting the LGBTQ/SGL and people color communities. Dr. Woody is a member of the National LGBT Elder Housing Initiative, and presented on LGBT housing issues at the White House.  As a licensed Standards of Excellence Consultant, Dr. Woody’s specialty is to work with nonprofit organizations to develop stronger Boards of Directors and more engaged staff. She is adept at structuring and facilitating strategic planning processes, including changes in organizational focus, identification of objectives and implementation of long and short-term goals.

Dr. Woody is a mayoral appointee to the DC LGBTQ Advisory Council, and is the Program Officer for the Older Adults Advisory Council for the Metropolitan Community Churches.  Dr. Woody also serves as the Chair and Program Executive for Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) Metro DC (an organization serving LGBT elders), and a Board member of the LGBT Technology Partnership and has served many boards including the Mautner Project and the Women in the Life Association.

Imani Woody at 3 years with wife Andrea Woody Macko  

Formerly a training specialist for the AARP’s Foundation, Dr. Woody developed curriculum and delivery of on-site and web-based trainings.  She trained substantive experts to become trainers through the Train-the Trainer program and provided on-going technical assistance to field trainers. Dr. Woody has been a life coach for more than 10 years and is the founder and principal of Living Life Like It’s Golden, a six-part program that empowers people to live their lives more fully through visioning. She lives with her wife of sixteen years in Brookland, Washington, D.C.

(This biographical statement provided by Dr. Imani Woody.) 

Biography Date: June 2017