December 16, 2020 Washington, DC—The Board of Directors of LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit and mission-driven aging services providers, heads into 2021 with a strategic plan for 2021-2023 as well as a focus on policy opportunities with the new Administration.

“The pandemic has disrupted our field in ways we could never have imagined,” said Katie Smith Sloan, LeadingAge’s president and CEO. “LeadingAge’s new strategic plan is a bold roadmap for providing mission-critical support for our membership–and for creating a stronger, more effective aging services system for an increasingly diverse, post-COVID world. And a new administration in Washington offers fresh opportunities for policy progress and innovation,” Sloan added. “I am excited to work with our board to lead the field into the future, solving the range of challenges that impact how our members care for older adults.”

The 17-member board, led by chair Carol Silver Eliott of Jewish Home Family, is made up of executives from LeadingAge membership of more than 5,000 aging-focused organizations providing services to older adults across the care continuum, from skilled nursing to home health, hospice and affordable housing. The group provides strategic leadership, policy direction, and fiduciary oversight. Members shape LeadingAge’s activities during their terms, and influence how the association works to transform aging services.

LeadingAge welcomes two board members beginning new terms. Deke Cateau is a 20+-year-veteran of long-term care, and CEO of A.G. Rhodes, a nonprofit organization providing therapy and rehabilitation services, short-term recovery, and long term care. Walter J. Ramos, J.D., is a long-time leader in nonprofit healthcare and municipal agencies, and the president and CEO of Rogerson Communities, a nonprofit network of affordable housing and services for older adults, persons with disabilities, and the working poor.

In addition to these new members, former board member Roberto Muñiz, president and CEO of Parker Health Group, returns for a new term with the role of board secretary.

“We welcome our new board members, who bring important experience and perspective to our organization,” said Sloan. “At a time when our members face the most challenging moment of their careers, LeadingAge is ready to help them through the pandemic and beyond.”

Members of the 2021 LeadingAge Board of Directors include:

We represent more than 5,000 aging-focused organizations that touch millions of lives every day. Alongside our members and 38 state partners, we address critical issues by blending applied research, advocacy, education, and community-building. We bring together the most inventive minds in our field to support older adults as they age wherever they call home. We make America a better place to grow old. For more information: www.leadingage.org.