Caregiving Experiences, October 24th Alzheimer's Walk and "Do What You Love to End ALZ"
Please welcome Terry Billen to speak tonight!
Terry Billen was born in Hickory, North Carolina. She attended Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina,
where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education. She continued her studies for an additional year as a
Graduate Teaching Fellow in Fine Arts and Industrial Arts.
Terry began her teaching career at Oak Hill Academy, a private boarding school in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. For two
years, she taught art to students in grades eight through college preparatory level.
Terry later entered the hospitality industry in Inverrary, Florida, where she served as resident manager of a 200-room
luxury hotel. When the property was converted into condominiums, she joined the 1,000-room, five-star, five-diamond
Boca Raton Hotel and Club in Boca Raton, Florida. There, she served as Reservation Manager and later as Convention
Reservation Manager.
Her hospitality career continued in Texas and Oklahoma. Her positions included Sales and Catering Liaison with Hyatt
Regency in Fort Worth, Texas; Corporate Sales with The Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City; and Director of Sales and
Catering with the Northwest Hilton in Oklahoma City.
After interning with two public relations firms in Oklahoma City, Terry became Membership and Marketing Manager at
Quail Creek Country Club. She then entered the association-management field, serving as Associate Editor for the
Oklahoma Osteopathic Association organization’s medical publications and as manager of the Oklahoma Education
Terry’s final professional position was with Junior Achievement of Oklahoma, where she served as Oklahoma City
Development and Event Manager. This was a highlight of her career because it allowed her to help fund programs that
provided financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work-readiness education to students in grades K–12. After 14 years with
Junior Achievement, Terry retired in 2022 at the age of 71.
Since moving to Oklahoma City in 1988, Terry has been active in the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, Northwest
and Bricktown Rotary Clubs, the Oklahoma Society of Association Executives, the Successful Businesswomen’s
Association, and numerous other civic organizations.
Since retiring, she has become involved with VillagesOKC, the Senior Living Truth Series, and the Alzheimer’s
Association. Her Alzheimer’s advocacy includes fundraising for the annual Alzheimer’s Association Oklahoma and
Northwest Arkansas Chapter Walk, supporting Turning Edmond Purple to provide awareness and resources for
caregivers, assisting with Rock Shows in area senior communities, and serving as an Alzheimer’s State and Federal
Legislative Advocate.
Terry was a member of the 2025 Alzheimer’s Leadership Summit and was selected to attend the 2026 Leadership Summit
in Anaheim, California. Her personal experiences as a long-distance caregiver for her late mother and as a caregiver for
her late husband for eight years have deepened her empathy and strengthened her commitment to supporting families
affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
Outside of her volunteer work, Terry enjoys traveling, building LEGO creations and miniature rooms, staying connected
with friends and former colleagues, and sharing information about aging with younger generations. She also enjoys the
companionship of her support schnauzer, Ridley.
Terry is passionate about advocating for increased funding for caregiver resources—including respite care—and for
research aimed at finding effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
Terry graduated with the 2026 class of the Oklahoma Aging and Advocacy Leadership Academy (OAALA), further
expanding her knowledge of aging services and strengthening her commitment to supporting older adults, caregivers, and
senior-living communities.
As Terry looks to the future, she hopes to continue learning about ways to support older adults and caregivers, expand her
skills, and explore new opportunities for creativity and service. She is grateful for the experiences that have shaped her
and remains committed to making a positive difference in her community and beyond.