Dorothea Vafiadis

Dorothea Vafiadis, MS, is a senior leader at the National Council on Aging, overseeing the organization’s healthy aging portfolio and advancing national strategies to improve health, equity, and access for older adults. With more than 20 years of experience, she leads large, multi-state initiatives and manages complex programs, funding, and partnerships. She works across federal agencies, philanthropy, and the private sector to bring people together around shared goals and drive meaningful impact. Vafiadis focuses on turning strategy into action—scaling solutions that create lasting, system-level change. She previously contributed to federal nutrition policy at USDA and remains active in national efforts to address chronic disease. She is a member of the National Academies Food Forum and Co-Chair of the Obesity Care Advocacy Network.