Summit 2024, Panel 1: From Bias to Understanding: Dissecting Ageism's Widespread Impact

Kathy Greenlee JD is the Senior Director for Elder Justice Initiatives for ADvancing States, the national membership organization of state agencies on aging, disability and Medicaid home and community-based services. Her work is focused on elder abuse, adult protective services, guardianship, and rural aging. From 2009 to 2016, she served as Assistant Secretary for Aging at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, a position to which she was appointed by President Barack Obama. During her time at HHS, Kathy led the team that created the Administration for Community Living and served as the agency’s first Administrator. Kathy worked 18 years in Kansas state government, including serving as Kansas Secretary for Aging and Kansas State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Kathy is a University of Kansas graduate, having received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a JD from the School of Law.

John Beard, MBBS PhD, is Irene Diamond Professor and Director of the International Longevity Center- USA at Columbia University, New York.  He was previously Director of Ageing and Life Course with WHO in Geneva.   He was lead writer for the World report on ageing and health which underpins the current UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, oversaw development of the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) programme, and established the Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities.  He has worked extensively with the World Economic Forum and participated in the US National Academy of Medicine Commission on Healthy Longevity.

Alicia Harkness is a certified health care financial professional and certified change management professional. She is a founding partner at Guidehouse, where she serves as the Health segment leader and former diversity leader. She works with government, commercial, and nonprofit organizations to make a positive impact on society while balancing cost efficiency, service, quality, and compliance. In addition to Commercial Payers, Providers and Life Sciences companies, some of her government clients include the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Military Health System, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Harkness has more than 25 years of experience providing information technology consulting and managing teams. She previously was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, a vice president at BearingPoint, and partner at KPMG Peat Marwick. 
 
In 2018, Harkness received the Women in Leadership Leading for Impact Federal Health IT Award. Harkness has a Bachelor of Science in business management from Lehigh University and attended INSEAD’s executive education program.

Dr. Stacy Torres is an Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing, and an avid public sociologist. She is the author of the forthcoming book, At Home in the City: Growing Old in Urban America (University of California Press). A proud first-generation college graduate, Stacy grew up in New York City.

Patricia M. D’Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP is Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs for the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and a board-certified geriatric pharmacist. Ms. D’Antonio directs GSA’s policy initiatives and is responsible for developing relationships with organizations in the aging arena. She represents GSA on several policy coalitions and serves as co-chair for the Adult Vaccine Access Coalition, president of the board of the Protecting Access to Pain Relief, and a member of the steering committee for several federally focused coalitions. Ms. D’Antonio is also the executive director for the National Center to Reframe Aging, the central hub to advance the long-term social change endeavor designed to improve the public’s understanding of what aging means and the many ways that older people contribute to our society. She received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Duquesne University and her Master of Science in Health Finance and Master in Business Administration with a concentration in health care from Temple University. She completed a residency in administration and finance at The Philadelphia Geriatric Center.