Interview with Margaret Preston from Power Over Parkinson’s on August 15, 2023 by Dr. George Ackerman
Biography
Mrs. Preston spent six years in Human Resources where she started as a Recruiter at LandAmerica Financial Group, LLC (LFG) in Richmond, Virginia. In this role, she supported both internal external clients, as she also served as recruiter to LFG’s agent partners. She quickly grew in this role and moved into compensation analysis where she was the lead in the enterprise-wide transition from job descriptions to job families to show current and prospective employees their growth potential within the organization. In this role, she also participated in salary surveys and was responsible for the analysis of such survey results to ensure internal compensation programs aligned with business objectives.
Mrs. Preston’s Human Resource experience then evolved into general HR activities and ultimately in a director role at RetailData, LLC – a Markel Ventures company. Here, she helped create the HR department and led the HR team to integrate HR Information Systems, talent management solutions, recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies. She also led managerial training and implemented benefit packages that met both corporate and employee needs.
In 2009, she earned her Professional in Human Resources and continued to be an active member in the Society of Human Resource Management.
Mrs. Preston currently tends to her three children in Glen Allen, Virginia. She sits on the PTA Board of the local elementary school and serves in her church community.
Mrs. Preston holds a B.S. in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Since Mr. Rogliano’s diagnosis, she helped found Power Over Parkinson’s and has led the foundation in identifying and developing effective programs that are impactful for those living with Parkinson’s both through live and virtual programming. Because of her work, she was recognized by NBC12’s Acts of Kindness segment, been asked by the Michael J. Fox Foundation to speak with U.S. congresspeople to support important Parkinson’s legislation and has united research universities to partner for patient educational events. Finally, Mrs. Preston hosts an interdisciplinary YouTube interview series as well as a podcast (“POP Profiles”) where she has spoken with renowned clinicians and researchers in the fields of neurology, neurosurgery, and more. Mrs. Preston finds it to be a pleasure to serve the Parkinson’s community.
Please tell me a little about your background and what got you involved with awareness.
My background is in Human Resources Management where I worked for almost a decade until I had three children. I then paused my career during this phase of life until my father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2018. At that point, we wanted to act and support others with the disease, so we founded Power Over Parkinson’s in early 2019.
Can you tell me more about your advocacy?
Power Over Parkinson’s serves the Central Virginia community through free exercise, wellness, and educational programming. We also serve a larger geographical area through our POP Profile interview series and podcast where we have had the good fortune of interviewing amazing clinicians and researchers across the field.
In addition to the above, we partner with the MJFF to speak with Virginia-based Congressional representatives to encourage them to support the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act.
What is your passion and how did you get involved in Parkinson’s awareness and hope for a cure?
Our passion is serving those with the disease with the goal of facilitating their ability to live well with the disease on a day-to-day basis.
I became involved in PD support and advocacy and started Power Over Parkinson’s after my father’s diagnosis with PD in 2019.
What effect can your advocacy have on an individual with Parkinson’s awareness?
Our advocacy within the political sphere is impactful, particularly if the National Plan gets passed.
Our advocacy through our local programs positively impacts those with the disease by providing them with a sense of community and soft place to land when diagnosed with PD.
What would you like to see as a future goal for your advocacy?
I would like to see additional funding within the Commonwealth of Virginia for research and Parkinson’s patient support systems.
What events do you participate in?
We facilitate and participate in educational conferences and interviews, smaller seminars, patient community events, and patient wellness programs.
How does this also assist the caregivers?
All our free programming for people with PD is open to their care partners for free as well. We do not have any programs that limit attendees to just the person with PD and believe that by welcoming care partners, they are then better able to develop their own community of others who are experiencing similar circumstances.
How can someone get in touch? What is your website?
Email: contact@poweroverpd.org
Website: www.poweroverpd.org
Social Media:
- Facebook: Power Over Parkinson’s
- Twitter: @poweroverpd
- Instagram @poweroverpd
If you had one final statement or quote you could leave for the Parkinson community, what would it be?
I stress to patients that they are their own best advocate. If they have questions and/or concerns about a particular symptom, talk to your neurologist. You can never over communicate, as detailed communication is necessary for your neurologist to best treat what you are experiencing.
This also applies to being an advocate for their own well-being. Seek out community-based programs so you can mitigate the disease by exercising and staying active as best as possible. This of course yields a wonderful byproduct that comes with group exercise – a community of friends!
About the Power Over Parkinson’s Founder
Gary Rogliano, a Richmond, Virginia executive known for launching business startups such as MAXjet Airways and INR Energy was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. His first reaction to the diagnosis was to research the best methods for treating PD. He quickly discovered that in addition to long-standing drug therapies, one of the most effective treatments for this degenerative disease is exercise and physical activity.
After experiencing the benefits of such programs as the LSVT Global’s BIG and LOUD programs and his own personally developed multi-sport training program, Gary decided to create a charitable foundation to help other PD warriors take advantage of exercise and wellness programs and other programs designed to promote movement/activity that are not generally covered under Medicare and other typical health plans.
Today, Gary stays active in his business ventures and developing support systems for other PD patients while he continues his own aggressive attack against the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease through exercise. It is his goal to be the soft place for families to land upon diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease in the Central Virginia area.