Speakers

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.