Baker Senior Center Founder Jaclynn Faffer dies at 75

When Collier County’s seniors had nowhere to turn, Jaclynn Faffer built a place for them. The founder and CEO of Baker Senior Center Naples died Dec. 14 at 75, officials for the nonprofit announced, leaving behind a legacy that reshaped aging services in Southwest Florida. The nationally respected social worker’s unplanned career path became a defining force in the region’s human-services landscape. 

Faffer, who moved to Naples in 2010, was the driving vision behind what became the first dedicated senior center in Collier County. When the organization, then known as Naples Senior Center, opened its doors in 2014, it served 80 adults age 60 and older in a modest facility. Today, Baker Senior Center Naples serves more than 1,400 members and stands as a comprehensive, accredited hub for senior services, widely regarded as one of the most innovative centers of its kind in the country. 

“Soon after her arrival, Jackie became the person to see for social services,” said Karen Heithoff, board chair of Baker Senior Center Naples. “Both publicly and during countless hours privately, Jackie enriched the lives of a countless number of Southwest Florida residents.” 

A native of New Jersey, Faffer brought more than 35 years of experience in social work, policy and systems building to Naples. She earned a master’s degree in social work from Tulane University and a doctorate in social welfare from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University. Before relocating to Florida, she held leadership roles in human service organizations in New York and consulted for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society on the psychological impact of chronic illness. She also served as adjunct faculty at Adelphi University, Hunter College, Wurzweiler and Barry University. 

Social work, however, was not her original plan. As a teenager, she intended to become a teacher until a Jewish youth program shifted her perspective toward service.  

She later recalled a defining moment early in her career, when a family seeking help asked for assistance paying ballet tuition for their young daughter. Her organization’s CEO approved not only the tuition but additional funds so the child would have proper shoes and a costume. “He said, ‘So, we’re going to throw in extra money so she can be dressed like the rest of the children,’” Faffer said in an August interview with The Naples Press. “And that has stuck with me for decades.” 

That philosophy carried into her work in Naples. While serving as chair of the Collier County Leadership Coalition on Aging, she helped commission a Florida Gulf Coast University study that concluded older adults in the county were “alone and lonely.” In response, Faffer helped build Baker Senior Center Naples on three pillars — social engagement, clinical services and cognitive health. 

The center’s growth culminated in 2023 with the opening of a 30,000-square-foot permanent home in North Naples, funded through a $25 million capital campaign. The facility houses a full range of services under one roof, including the Brookdale Cognitive Health Center, dementia respite groups, caregiver support, mental health counseling, geriatric case management and a choice food pantry. Roughly 40 social, wellness and educational programs are offered weekly, supported by more than 300 trained volunteers. 

“We give people the coping skills to be able to thrive,” Faffer told The Naples Press. “For respite, we’ve actually had caregivers say to us that they’ve moved here full-time from their home up north so that they can keep their loved one in our program.” 

Her leadership earned wide recognition. Faffer was a 2024 Gulfshore Business Women in Business honoree and was named one of Gulfshore Life’s 2025 Women of the Year. At the state and national level, she served as chair of the Florida Hospital Association’s Safety Net Hospital Alliance, chaired the Collier County Dementia Care and Cure Initiative and completed the Harvard Business School Executive Education program for nonprofit CEOs. 

State Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, a longtime supporter of the center, praised Faffer’s impact in August. “She is so very good at what she does. She cares deeply for our senior citizens,” Passidomo said. “Everything she touches is done beautifully.” 

The Baker Senior Center board launched a search for Faffer’s successor and established an interim management structure to ensure continuity of services. Chief Program Officer Marisa Luizzi will oversee day-to-day programs, while Chief Financial Officer Wanda Rodriguez will manage nonprogrammatic operations. 

Naples Press Assistant Editor Alexandra Cavalier contributed to this report.