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Simona Combi
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Arlington, VA (July 19, 2022) — The National Council on Aging (NCOA), the national voice for every person’s right to age well, welcomes Elizabeth Cole, Chief Human Resources Officer at Cambia Health Solutions, and filmmaker Sian-Pierre Regia to its Board of Directors effective July 1, 2022.

“Elizabeth and Sian-Pierre have both personal and professional experience with aging and equity, which dovetails perfectly with our mission,” said Ramsey Alwin, NCOA President and CEO. “We look forward to their insights and expertise as we work together to ensure aging well for all and achieve our goal of improving the lives of 40 million older adults by 2030.”

Elizabeth Cole is Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Cambia Health Solutions, which has been named one of the world’s most ethical companies for the fifth time in 2022. Cole provides leadership and strategic direction for all aspects of Human Resources. She brings more than 25 years of experience to her role, with a focus on strengthening a culture of growth and development and building a sense of belonging through diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has an economics degree from Texas A&M University.

“The time in the life of a senior should be filled with joy, peace, and a sense of fulfillment of a life well lived. But for far too many, it is anything but that. So many seniors struggle with stress over financial and health issues, they experience loneliness and struggle even to make their way in an ever changing and more complex world.

The work of NCOA is to help shift the pendulum back to what it should be…a life for seniors with less stress and more social connections by helping them find financial and health programs that will support, and by connecting them with others to encourage friendships and enrich their lives. I’m very encouraged to be able to be a part of that,” Cole said.

Sian-Pierre Regis is a filmmaker who directed, produced, and self-distributed his debut feature documentary Duty Free, which tackles ageism, caregiving, and financial insecurity in old age. Released in 30 theaters over Mother's Day weekend 2021, the film garnered coverage from CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, and MSNBC. It is nominated for an IDA Documentary Award in the writing category. Prior to filmmaking, Regis was a journalist and on-camera contributor to CNN, HLN, and MTV. In 2018, he received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Colgate University. He is also a Firelight Documentary Lab Fellow and a Film Independent Documentary Lab Fellow.

"It's been the joy of my life connecting with thousands of elder communities during the rollout of my film, Duty Free.

I'm thrilled to join the NCOA board to continue advocating for my mom and the legions of Americans who deserve dignity and respect at every stage of their lives," Regis said.

Cole and Regis replace board officer and member Sunder Joshi, former Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the American Heart Association, who served NCOA for nine years, including four years as secretary and treasurer, and board member Heather Dupré, adjunct professor at the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business, who served on the board for nine years.

Also on July 1, 2022, two existing NCOA Board of Directors members assumed officer roles. Connie Weaver, Chief Marketing Officer at Equitable, will serve as treasurer, and Peter Ziebelman, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Palo Alto Venture Partners, will serve as secretary.

About NCOA
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is the national voice for every person’s right to age well. We believe that how we age should not be determined by gender, color, sexuality, income, or zip code. Working with thousands of national and local partners, we provide resources, tools, best practices, and advocacy to ensure every person can age with health and financial security. Founded in 1950, we are the oldest national organization focused on older adults. Follow us at @NCOAging.