Summit 2026: The Movement to Reframe Aging [livestream]

Rani E. Snyder, MPA, is president of The John A. Hartford Foundation, a national philanthropy dedicated to improving care for older adults by creating health systems that are age-friendly, supporting family caregivers, and improving serious illness and end-of-life care. With over 25 years in philanthropy, she has driven national movements that have transformed care delivery, influenced policy and enhanced medical education. Rani oversaw more than $220 million in grantmaking and built partnerships with foundations and federal agencies to scale impactful initiatives. She held leadership roles at the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, and has served on aging-focused boards and committees. She is currently a board member of the American Society on Aging and serves on the board for MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital. Rani holds an MPA from NYU and has dedicated her career to fostering collaboration and innovation to improve health outcomes for older adults and support for their family caregivers.

Lance is currently a Partner with Guidehouse and is the former US Assistant Secretary on Aging (Senate-confirmed) and HHS Administration for Community Living (ACL) Administrator. Prior to federal service, Lance served a decade as Oklahoma's Director of Aging Services. He served as President of the Board for ADvancing States during that season as well. He started his career at Oklahoma State University and served twelve years as an Administrator. He is on a number of boards and councils, including the National Center to Reframe Aging, and regularly speaks at conferences. He has an undergraduate degree from Oklahoma State University in Business Administration and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma. He is a US Army veteran.

Carrie Molke is the Director of the Bureau of Aging and Disability Resources in Wisconsin's Department of Health Services. She provides statewide leadership in aging and disability policy and oversees a broad portfolio of programs that advance inclusion and full community participation. She has 30 years of experience, including 26 years with DHS. She has helped shape major statewide efforts, including aging and disability resource centers, long-term care reform, and dementia system redesign. Carrie helped launch and lead Wisconsin’s Reframing Initiative, Age/Disability Friendly Ecosystem effort, and Wisconsin Coalition on Social Connection. She chaired the Wisconsin Dementia Steering Committee since 2014 and led the Governor’s Task Force on Caregiving in 2019. Nationally, she served on the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services chairing its Long-term Services and Supports Subcommittee from 2019-2023. In 2026, she will serve as faculty for Trust for America’s Health’s Age-Friendly Public Health Systems Learning Communities.

Carmel Roques has been committed to improving the lives of older Marylanders and their families for over 40 years. Appointed by Governor Moore in 2023 as Secretary of the Department of Aging, she led the development of Longevity Ready Maryland (LRM), the state’s first multisector plan for aging, followed by the LRM Act—landmark legislation that incorporates longevity planning into state policy. A recognized expert in community health, Secretary Roques has earned acclaim as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women, a Top CEO, and an Influential Leader in Health Care from The Daily Record. Her career includes leadership roles in nonprofit and philanthropy sectors and in non profit health care. Secretary Roques earned a master’s degree from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration and a bachelor’s degree from Mills College in Oakland, California.

In 2023, Jason Kavulich was nominated by Governor Josh Shapiro to serve as Secretary of Aging for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where one in three residents will be age 60+ by 2030. Secretary Kavulich is leading and advocating for an aging network of quality, sustainable programs that support Pennsylvania’s growing older adult population to stay healthy and active, age in their home settings of choice and thrive in their older years with safety and dignity. One of his first actions has been to lead the development of Aging Our Way, PA, a 10-year plan to transform the state’s infrastructure of aging services. A lifelong resident of Scranton, PA, Jason has brought 24 years of experience within the human services field to the mission, most recently as director of the award-winning Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging.

Lauren LeGate, a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, spent part of her childhood in Florida before returning to attend the University of Tennessee. She spent two decades in television news, covering major national events such as Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 Presidential Election, and multiple Super Bowls. Her parents’ commitment to public service greatly influenced her career path and ultimately guided her transition from journalism to state government. In 2019, she relocated to Middle Tennessee and joined the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities as the Public Information Officer. She later served as Chief of Staff under Commissioner Brad Turner and, in July 2024, became the Assistant Commissioner for the Aging division within the Department of Disability & Aging. Lauren resides in Franklin with her family.

Alison Barkoff is the Harold and Jane Hirsh Associate Professor of Health Law and Policy and Hirsh Program Director at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She also is a Senior Fellow with the National Academy of Social Insurance. Prior to joining GW, she led the Administration for Community Living, serving in the role of Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging from 2021 to 2024. She advised the HHS Secretary on disability and aging policy, oversaw national disability and aging programs, and led cross-agency initiatives related to long-term services and supports, civil rights, housing, direct care workforce, family caregiving, healthy aging and public health. She has previously held leadership roles in the Department of Justice, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and non-profit organizations. She has testified before Congress and is a nationally recognized expert on LTSS, disability and aging policy, Medicaid, and civil rights.

Dr. Andrew Steward is an Assistant Professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Helen Bader School of Social Welfare. His research explores gaps in understanding and responding to ageism through two primary aims: 1) to test programs and interventions to reduce internalized ageism and enhance psychosocial well-being among older adults, and 2) to explore the intersectionality of ageism with other social justice issues. Andrew is a licensed clinical social worker with practice experience in hospice care and developing healthy aging and intergenerational programs. He recently served as an advisory board member for the “Addressing Ageism in Healthcare” initiative through AARP & GSA, and is an advisory committee member for the “Reframing Aging and Disability in Wisconsin” initiative. Currently, he is partnering with several community organizations to evaluate a 10-session, anti-ageism peer support program facilitated by trained older adults called Aging Together.

Chelsea Mauldin is a social scientist and designer with a focus on government innovation. She directs the Public Policy Lab, a nonprofit organization that designs better public policy with low-income and marginalized Americans. The Public Policy Lab partners with government agencies and NGOs to develop more satisfying and effective policies and service delivery through ethnographic research, human-centered design, rapid prototyping, and formative evaluation. Find out more on PPL's website, www.publicpolicylab.org. Chelsea is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of International & Public Affairs. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the London School of Economics.

Stephen Samuels is Vice President of Innovation & Impact Investing at the national office of VOA, one of the nation's largest and most experienced nonprofit providers of housing, health, and human services. In this role, he leads market-driven growth and multi-sector partnerships to expand VOA's housing and value-based health initiatives. Stephen also directs VOA's Futures Fund, which has deployed more than $3.5 million in catalytic capital to advance innovation and entrepreneurship both within the organization and among early-stage founders across the country. Under his leadership, VOA tests and pilots emerging technology solutions that improve clients' quality of life nationwide. Most recently, Stephen commissioned and oversaw the publication of Residents First: Technology for Connection and Healthy Living in Affordable Senior Housing, a study that provides a people-centered roadmap for effective technology and health integration in older adult resident communities. Stephen has spent the last 20 years in community development roles, supporting economic growth and family resiliency. He holds degrees in Urban Planning and Business Real Estate from the University of Cincinnati.

Velma Carter-Dryer, a Licensed Social Worker with over 40 years of experience in behavioral health, aging, and healthcare, has clinical and management experience with ethics, equity, leadership, caregiving, advocacy, and social justice emphases. Her work experience includes roles with three mental health providers, as well as UMDNJ, PA Department of Aging, AARP, and Penn State Health. She has chaired several committees for the American Society on Aging and currently serves on the Board of Directors. Current community service includes membership on the Dauphin County Council on Aging, the PA Council on Aging, the Village-to-Village Network national board and is an Elder Justice Champion for NCEA. She is a member of the Dementia Friendly PA Community Advisory Committee, volunteers for the Alzheimer’s Association, and served on a regional healthcare advisory committee. A graduate of Penn State (BS) and the University of Pennsylvania (MSW), she also holds a Financial Social Work certification.

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.

Dr. Mary Dolansky, PhD, RN, FAAN is the Sarah C. Hirsh Endowed Professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and Associate Professor at the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University.

Megan Wolfe is a Senior Policy Development Manager at Trust for America’s Health, where she leads the national Age-Friendly Public Health Systems movement, working with state and local health departments to expand their roles in healthy aging. Megan has more than 25 years of experience in public policy, including working to support a national whole child approach to education, raising the federal education investment, and numerous other education and health policy issues. She has represented both Fortune 500 firms and non-profits and has Capitol Hill experience. Megan has written extensively about Age-Friendly Public Health and is sought after as a subject matter expert on age-friendly issues. Megan received her undergraduate degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin and earned a J.D. from the Antonin Scalia Law School.

Philip Solomon, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. He is currently the Program Director for the Geriatrics Fellowship Program and the Director of Education and Faculty Development for the Northwell Institute for Healthy Aging. He was recently appointed Section Chief of Geriatrics for the Northwell Health Central Region and is the immediate past-President of the New York Metropolitan Area Geriatrics Society. In 2024, Dr. Solomon was chosen as a Macy Faculty Scholar, a career development grant awarded annually to five medical educators nationwide. His educational focus is expanding the field of Geriatrics through the lens of health system navigation and interprofessional collaboration. In 2026, he was one of seven national Geriatrics educators to be named an American Geriatrics Society/Tideswell Emerging Leader in Aging.

John Auerbach is the Senior Vice President for Public Health at ICF. Over the course of a 30-year career, he has held senior public health positions at the federal, state, and local levels. He was previously the Director of Intergovernmental and Strategic Affairs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, linking governmental agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. During 6 years as the Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health, he developed innovative programs to promote health and support the implementation of the state’s health care reform initiative. For 5 years he served as the President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health, where he promoted public health policy to make disease prevention a national priority. As Boston’s health commissioner for 9 years, he directed homeless, substance abuse, and emergency medical services for the city as well as a wide range of public health divisions.

Julie Miller is Senior Director of Thought Leadership, Financial Resilience, at AARP where she propels news conversations and cultivates partnerships that challenge the status quo of longevity and empower people to have the financial and economic stability to live longer, healthier lives. Prior to joining AARP, Dr. Miller spent a decade as a social science researcher at the MIT AgeLab, where she led social science research that translated into industry insights and peer-reviewed publications. As a Harvard Rappaport Public Policy Fellow, Dr. Miller supported the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs in its administration of the nation’s first statewide Governor’s Council to Address Aging. She received her PhD in social work at Boston College, her MSW with a concentration in gerontology from The University of California, Berkeley, and her BS from Northeastern University, where she studied human services and American Sign Language.

Surya Kolluri is Head of TIAA Institute and is recognized as a thought leader in retirement and healthy aging research. The TIAA Institute is a think-tank celebrating its 25th Anniversary within TIAA, and conducts cutting-edge research in the areas of financial and longevity literacy, lifetime income, retirement plan design and behavioral finance for higher education and the broader nonprofit sector. Surya joined the TIAA Institute from Bank of America, where he spent 16 years, most recently as managing director of the Retirement Research and Insights team. Prior to that, he spent 14 years in corporate strategy consulting, first at A.T. Kearney and then at Bain & Co. Surya holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s in mechanical engineering from Drexel University. He lives with his family in Brookline, Massachusetts.

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.

Leanne Clark-Shirley, PhD, is President & CEO of the American Society on Aging. A social gerontologist with over two decades of experience spanning the nonprofit, consulting, and academic sectors, she brings a rare combination of research rigor and strategic leadership to the field of aging. Before joining ASA, Clark-Shirley served as Senior Evaluation Advisor at AARP, where she guided strategic planning, strengthened the organization's internal evaluation research capacity, and advanced impact measurement at both the departmental and enterprise levels. Previously, she led the Aging and Disability research practice at IMPAQ International, a policy research firm and think tank, directing studies that informed national policy on aging and disability. A fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, Clark-Shirley teaches courses on aging policy and is a dedicated mentor to emerging professionals pursuing careers in aging beyond academia. She holds a doctorate in Gerontology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Ramsey Alwin is the President and CEO of the National Council on Aging. Building on NCOA’s 75 years of service and advocacy for older adults, Alwin is renewing the organization’s commitment to improving the lives of millions, especially those who are struggling. A seasoned thought leader and policy advocate, Alwin has changed the way people think about older adult poverty and economic security. Prior to leading NCOA, Alwin was Director of Global Thought Leadership at AARP, served as Vice President of Economic Security at NCOA, served as Director of National Economic Security Programs at Wider Opportunities for Women, served as Director of Program Services at the National Association of State and Community Services Programs, and served as Foundation Board Specialist at the National Alliance for Black School Educators. Alwin holds a B.A. from Simmons University and an MBA from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.

Sandy Markwood, CEO of USAging since 2002, is a national advocate for aging issues and a champion for ensuring that older adults have the best supports to age well at home and in their communities, as well as ensuring that our society values and supports people across the lifespan. Sandy has led numerous USAging campaigns to support the needs of older adults as they age, including combatting social isolation among older adults, encouraging healthy aging, supporting caregivers, promoting livable communities, and access to transportation and housing options. Sandy has focused on the development of community planning practices that include the creation of dementia friendly communities and maximize the benefits of volunteering and engagement for people of all ages while preventing elder abuse and neglect. Sandy’s goal, and the goal of USAging, is to ensure that older adults have the ability to age with maximum independence and quality of life.