Organization also welcomes four new board members to advance mission of equitable aging

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Maurisa Potts
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Arlington, VA (October 13, 2021) — The National Council on Aging (NCOA), the national voice for every person’s right to age well, today announced the appointment of Kathy Greenlee, former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging, as the new Chair of its Board of Directors, while also welcoming four new Board members who bring a diverse mix of business acumen, thought leadership and industry expertise to its mission.

New NCOA Board Chair (2021-2024)

Kathy Greenlee
President & CEO, Greenlee Global, LLC

Greenlee is an attorney with 25 years of public service experience. In 2009, she was appointed U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging by President Obama, a position she held for 7 years. During her time in Washington, Greenlee created the Administration for Community Living, an agency that administers a broad range of aging and disability programs. She also chaired the Elder Justice Coordinating Council, created a federal home for state adult protective services programs, and created the national elder maltreatment data collection system. 

New NCOA Board Members

David Markiewicz
(Retired) Former Executive Vice President, Greater Southeast, American Heart Association 

Markiewicz held numerous positions during his 40-year career with the American Heart Association before retiring as Executive Vice President for the Greater Southeast Affiliate. In this final role, he led a six-state and Puerto Rico staff of 320 professionals and thousands of local volunteers to advance the mission of the association. He was responsible for all fundraising, program implementation, advocacy initiatives, hospital quality improvement, and the management of annual operating budgets. 

Betsy Palmer
Chief Marketing Officer, AIG Life & Retirement  

Palmer is a marketing and public relations leader with years of experience in driving impactful programs in a variety of industries, including financial services, global consulting, telecommunications, and government. In her current role, Palmer has responsibility for all marketing, communications, stakeholder management, industry thought leadership, sponsorship, and brand positioning activities across the business. In August 2020, she led the successful launch of the AIG Life & Retirement brand.

Martha Peláez, PhD
(Retired) Former Regional Advisor on Aging Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization

Peláez served as regional advisor on aging to the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), where she focused on building the knowledge base for health and aging in 28 Latin America and the Caribbean countries. Her work focused on developing policies and tools for creating age-friendly primary health care services. She coordinated with the WHO Global Program on Aging and Health in Geneva, with the United Nations Program on Aging, and with the National Institute on Aging in the U.S. on several international projects and in resource mobilization to conduct population-based research across Latin America and the Caribbean.  

Cheryl Woodson, MD
Principal, Dr. Cheryl E. Woodson, LLC

Dr. Woodson completed a BA at Wesleyan University in CT, an MD at the University of Pittsburgh, Internal Medicine residency at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, and a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at UCLA. She taught at The University of Chicago and Northwestern University medical schools and practiced primary care and sub-specialty geriatrics in several settings before moving into managed care administration. During her almost 40-year career, Woodson also raised a family, navigated her mother’s 10-year journey with Alzheimer’s disease, and published several books. Before coming to NCOA, Woodson served on several national eldercare policy committees and was a board member of the RRF Foundation for Aging. 

NCOA also announced that Jim Knickman has retired from his role as Board Chair after serving 10 years collectively on the Board as both a member and chair.

“On behalf of the NCOA staff and Board of Directors, I would like to sincerely thank Jim for his contributions to the organization,” said NCOA President & CEO Ramsey Alwin. “His leadership and guidance—including serving as interim NCOA President & CEO during the pandemic—have been critical to advancing our mission. We look forward to continuing his good work with our newest Board members and Chair.”

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.