Executive Leadership
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Executive Leadership

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NCOA's management team includes the following talented leaders.

James Firman, Ed.D.

President and CEO

For more than 30 years, James P. Firman, Ed.D., has been a leading force for innovation in services, programs, and public policies for older persons.

Under his leadership, NCOA has developed many nationally acclaimed programs to improve the health, independence, and economic security of older adults. NCOA has also developed world-class core competencies in collaborative leadership, fostering and scaling evidence-based innovations, and advocacy.

Prior to joining NCOA as president and CEO in January 1995, Dr. Firman was, for 10 years, founder and CEO of the United Seniors Health Cooperative (USHC), a nonprofit consumer organization. At USHC, he directed the development of the early versions of BenefitsCheckUp®, now one of NCOA’s core bodies of work. 

He oversaw the development of one of the nation’s first insurance counseling programs for older adults, which helped lead to the development of the national Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). As an advocate, he significantly influenced the development of federal Medigap legislation and long-term care insurance regulations throughout the United States.

From 1981 to 1984, Dr. Firman served as a senior program officer at The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, where he helped develop initiatives in aging and health care finance, as well as the model Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers program. He is a co-founder of Grantmakers in Aging.

Dr. Firman has served in several national leadership roles, including Chair of the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (three times), and Chair of the Access to Benefits Coalition. He currently serves as Board Chair of the National Human Services Assembly and Chair of the Independent Sector’s National Advisory Committee on Charting Social Impact. 

Dr. Firman earned his M.B.A. and his Ed.D. from Columbia University.

Jay Greenberg, Sc.D.

Senior Vice President, Social Enterprise

Jay Greenberg, ScD, leads NCOA's Social Enterprise to create and diffuse sustainable, scalable solutions to key issues facing an aging society. A current focus of that work is widespread diffusion of Stanford University’s evidence-based online self-management workshops including Chronic Disease Self Management, Arthritis, Diabetes, and an online workshop designed for family caregivers.

Over the last three plus decades, Dr. Greenberg has played leadership roles in university, not-for-profit, for-profit start-ups, and publicly traded company settings. Prior to joining NCOA, he was the president of LivHOME, Inc., the largest at-home assisted-living company in California.  

Dr. Greenberg has served on the board of directors of Group Health Inc. of Minnesota (now Health Partners), was an officer of United HealthGroup Inc., and served as president of one of United's wholly owned business units. As part of his work at United HealthGroup, he led the development and implementation of the CalPERS long-term care insurance program, and he developed the evaluation framework for the initial phases of the Evercare national demonstration project. 

Dr. Greenberg co-founded two successful entrepreneurial health companies - LifePlans Inc. and The Long Term Care Group (now part of Univita Health). While he was director of long-term care at Brandeis University’s Health Policy Institute, he directed the National Social/HMO demonstration project – a forerunner to Medicare Special Needs Plans. 

Dr. Greenberg began his career as a member of the faculty of the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute for Public Policy and its Center for Health Services Research. He received an Sc.D. in Health Services Administration and an MS in Biostatistics from Harvard University’s School of Public Health and a BA in economics from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).  

Sandra Nathan, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President, Economic Security

Sandra Nathan leads NCOA’s efforts to improve economic security for millions of vulnerable and disadvantaged older adults. She oversees the Economic Security Initiative, Benefits Access Group, Home Equity Initiatives, and Workforce Development Programs, which collectively have the goal of improving the economic well-being of 5 million vulnerable older adults by 2020 as a result of receiving holistic, person-centered services.

Dr. Nathan has a background rich in the field of aging and human services. She initiated her career in the field of aging working with the San Diego County Area Agency on Aging, where she served as Community Organizer and Planner. She then moved to Washington, DC, working for the National Center and Caucus on Black Aged as a project director overseeing workforce development initiatives; served as staff of the 1981 White House Conference on Aging; national program associate for the Foster Grandparent Program; and policy analyst and subsequently legislative representative and regional field director for AARP.

Returning to the Bay Area, Dr. Nathan served in key municipal leadership positions, including director of the City of Oakland’s Department of Aging, Health and Human Services; deputy regional director for the Health Care Financing Administration, Region IX; San Francisco County Department of Aging and Adult Services, and deputy county executive for Santa Clara County, where she had responsibility for Criminal Justice, Public Safety, and Social Services Agencies and Departments. 

Prior to joining NCOA, she served as President and CEO of the Richmond Children’s Foundation, overseeing its transition and conversion to a community foundation.

Dr. Nathan has a deep commitment to social justice, community and economic development, and the creation of livable communities. She has served on the boards of directors of AIDS Project of the East Bay, The Black Adoption Research and Action Agency, SEVA Foundation, and the Greenbelt Alliance. She currently serves on the board of Generations United. She also served on NCOA’s Leadership Council before joining the organization in 2008.

Dr. Nathan has a Ph.D. in Christian education, a masters degree in public administration, and bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of San Diego, College for Women.

S. Stuart Spector, MBA

Senior Vice President

Stuart Spector leads NCOA's corporate partnerships, external relations, marketing and communications, and technology initiatives. 

Mr. Spector was a key player in the initial success of NCOA's Web-based BenefitsCheckUp® service and other benefits access initiatives. These programs helped more than 2.4 million seniors identify over $7.2 billion in public and private benefits and were a catalyst for enrolling more than 300,000 seniors in the Medicare prescription drug Extra Help program.

Mr. Spector has built a track record of success in generating revenues, accelerating strategic partnerships, improving efficiencies, and creating and implementing effective business plans for several organizations.

Prior to joining NCOA, he was a vice president and general manager for Vertafore, Inc., a $200 million software applications company with a niche in the insurance industry; chief operating officer for Benelogic, a benefits administration company; and co-founder and CMO of Innovative Outsourcing, a nationally recognized health care outsourcing/application service provider.

Mr. Spector was recognized as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Emerging Business Leaders in 2003, and he earned the distinction of Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist from Ernst & Young in 2000. He holds an MBA from the University of Maryland.

Nancy Whitelaw, Ph.D.

Senior Fellow

Nancy A. Whitelaw, Ph.D. is a nationally recognized leader in the design and implementation of evidence-based health programs for seniors and in strengthening collaboration among aging services, public health, and health care. Her work emphasizes the importance of prevention, self-management, and person-centered care, moving beyond the traditional medical model and into community settings where most older adults live and wish to stay.

Under her direction, NCOA's Center for Healthy Aging seeks to improve the health of older adults by strengthening collaboration between research and practice, and fostering improvements in programs, community partnerships, and public policy. The center’s work is especially focused on elders with multiple health problems and those at risk of frailty. 

Dr. Whitelaw also co-directs the Practice Change Fellows Program, a major national initiative to develop strong leaders for health care and social service organizations serving older adults.

Prior to joining NCOA in 1999, Dr. Whitelaw served as Associate Director of the Center for Health System Studies at the Henry Ford Health System (HFHS), overseeing research and training projects on case management and geriatric team care. She also served as a member of the HFHS leadership team responsible for strategic planning and program development in senior care and geriatrics. Prior to joining HFHS, she worked for many years to expand and improve community-based services for older adults.

Dr. Whitelaw has a Ph.D. in Health Services Organization and Policy from the University of Michigan and BA and MS degrees in sociology from Portland State University. 

In 2004, she received NCOA’s Molly Mettler Award for national leadership in health promotion, and in 2007 she was awarded the Maxwell A. Pollack Award from the Gerontological Society of America for distinction in bridging research, policy, and practice. In 2009, she was the recipient of the Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award for “leading an innovative, effective nationwide movement to develop and deliver evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs through community-based, aging, and health organization networks.” 

Dr. Whitelaw was elected to serve as President of the Gerontological Society of America in 2012.

Donna Whitt

Vice President, Finance and Operations

Over the past 25 years, Donna Whitt has served in senior positions in both the nonprofit and business sectors. Most recently, she was chief financial officer of the Children’s Defense Fund, and prior to that she was senior vice president of Finance and Operations for the Electronic Industries Association. Earlier in her career, she was vice president and chief financial officer of Mobile Datacom Corporation and Director of Planning & Business Analysis for a division of COMSAT Corporation.

She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and received her MBA from George Mason University. Ms. Whitt is a certified public accountant. 

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