Ha, I like your composition! You got it all in: reads the newspaper, participates in civic events, not focused on fashion and the superficial, of a certain age (as evidenced by the hands). This is a portrait of a whole segment of the American population rather than an individual. Time for an OOBie.
Reading a newspaper? How very leftist of you(r model)! This picture tells more of a story than most of the portraits, but the challenge was aimed more at describing a character superficially. Sitting right of center in your frame is a nice touch.