Summit 2024, Panel 5: Ageism’s Political Footprint: Voters, Candidates, and Policies

James C. Appleby, BSPharm, MPH, ScD (Hon), is the Chief Executive Officer of The Gerontological Society of America (GSA), the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The Society works to advance innovation in aging and disseminate information among scientists, clinicians, policy makers, and the public. He is leading the Society’s current initiative to “reframe aging” in America by fostering accurate narratives of aging to replace the outdated “conventional wisdom” that dominates public understanding. The 5,500-member Society is advancing major initiatives related to improving adult immunization rates, earlier detection of cognitive impairment, improving oral health, and demonstrating the impact of the longevity economy. Appleby also is currently serving a four-year term on the National Advisory Council on Aging after being appointed by the U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services, and he additionally serves on the National Alliance for Caregiving Board of Directors. Prior to joining GSA, he had a 17-year career with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) where he served in a variety of roles before being appointed Chief Operating Officer. Before joining APhA, he was on faculty at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science (PCPS). Appleby holds a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from PCPS and a master of public health degree from Temple University. He has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

Liz Seegert is an award-winning, independent journalist who has written about health for more than 30 years. Her primary beats currently include aging, social determinants of health, women’s health, and health policy. She’s the contributing editor on aging for the Association of Health Care Journalists, helping reporters better understand the topic’s many nuances. Her freelance work has appeared in dozens of national and local media outlets, including Fortune.com, The Wirecutter, TIME, Consumer Reports, The American Journal of Nursing, Medscape, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Liz also co-directs two fellowships, mentoring and training emerging journalists in aging and in health reporting. Read more about Liz here.

Social:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lizseegert
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@lseeg...
Bksy: lizseegert.bsky.social

Moira O’Neil serves as Senior Vice President of Research Interpretation at the FrameWorks Institute. In this role, she leads FrameWorks’ efforts to interpret and share communications science with the nonprofit sector so it can more effectively drive social change. Moira manages a team of communications professionals and social scientists who help fields of practice frame social issues in ways that have the proven power to deepen understanding and inspire action. She oversees the team’s efforts to synthesize framing research, teach advocates to apply it to strategic communications, and train sectors to unite around evidence-based framing recommendations. A senior researcher, Moira also directs the organization’s efforts to analyze framing patterns in the media and nonprofit sector and writes in-depth research reports on a wide range of topics, including immigration, child mental health, and housing and homelessness.

A sociologist with expertise in how frames impede or advance social movements, Moira has helped hundreds of organizations strengthen their communications capacity. She regularly delivers presentations and lectures on issue framing at nonprofit organizations, colleges, and universities around the country and abroad. And she publishes regularly in the academic press, with articles appearing in peer-reviewed journals including Child Abuse and Neglect, Generations, Qualitative Research, and the Revue Internationale d’Education de Sèvres. Her work has also appeared in USA Today, The Hechinger Report, The Boston Globe, and other publications.

Moira joined FrameWorks more than a decade ago. Since then, she has conducted framing research around dozens of social issues and has led major projects to reframe the public discourse around immigration, race, and criminal justice. She also brings deep expertise in issues related to sexual violence, equity, and equality. Prior to joining FrameWorks, Moira worked as a research associate for the Vera Institute of Justice on projects related to immigration policy and at the Institute for Scientific Analysis on issues related to substance misuse and drug policy. She holds a BA in sociology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she studied the medicalization of war trauma at the turn of the 20th century in the United States.

As AARP's chief advocacy and engagement officer, Nancy LeaMond leads government relations and campaigns for AARP, widely seen as one of the most powerful advocacy organizations in the country. She also oversees AARP’s public education and outreach initiatives, including work to support America’s 48 million family caregivers. 

Nancy has led many landmark advocacy campaigns for AARP, including the Fair Rx Prices Now campaign focused on convincing federal and state lawmakers to take action to lower the prices of prescription drugs. Her leadership in this arena positively influenced the historic signing of 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act to include helping millions of Medicare enrollees better afford their life-saving medications.

Nancy has been named by The Hill as a “Top Lobbyist” every year since 2011 and as one of Washington, D.C.’s Most Influential People Shaping Policy in the healthcare category by Washingtonian Magazine four years in a row. 
 
Prior to coming to AARP, Nancy served as the chief of staff and assistant U.S. trade representative for congressional affairs at the Office of the United States Trade Representative.  She also served in the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Education and as chief of staff to a senior member of Congress. 
 
Nancy holds a bachelor's degree from Smith College and a master's degree in public policy and city planning from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Patricia M. D’Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP is the Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs for The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and a board-certified geriatric pharmacist. Trish directs GSA’s policy initiatives and is responsible for developing relationships with organizations in the aging arena. Trish 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 Chair of the Friends of NIA.  Additionally, she serves as 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. Before joining GSA, Trish served as Executive Director for the District of Columbia Board of Pharmacy and Program Manager for the Pharmaceutical Control Division, where she was responsible for the regulatory and policy development for the practice of pharmacy and served as liaison to the FDA, DEA, and other federal, state, and city organizations that promote safe handling of medications.  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.