AARP

As Chief People Officer, Ms. Hollander oversees AARP's People Strategy, a focused and integrated journey to drive organizational performance through a highly engaged workforce. Under Ms. Hollander's direction, AARP is integrating and initiating a wide range of people-related efforts to positively impact the factors that affect employee engagement at AARP, including the employee's relationship with his or her boss, how staff work together and hold each other accountable, how the work environment supports everyone's best performance, and how well employees understand and are committed to the Association's strategic direction. She provides the vision, direction, and coordination that keep all these activities aligned to each other and to AARP's strategic goals. She also has responsibility for AARP's Human Resources and Organizational Learning & Performance groups and is a member of AARP's Executive Team, which provides leadership and strategic direction to AARP and its affiliates.

Kevin Donnellan is the Chief Communications Officer (CCO) for AARP. He leads the development of AARP's overall communications priorities and strategies, and the efforts to effectively position AARP, the AARP Foundation and AARP Services with the media and opinion leaders, and to shape and enhance the Association's reputation among key constituencies. Prior to being named CCO in 2006, he served as Managing Director for the Integrated Communications Group. Since joining AARP, he has served in numerous advocacy, legislative and public policy roles that have been instrumental in the growth and success of AARP. Mr. Donnellan served as AARP's Director of the Office of Grassroots and Elections. In that capacity, he led the 35-million member Association's extensive state and national grassroots advocacy operations, e-advocacy efforts, and renowned voter education initiative. Mr. Donnellan also served as Director of Advocacy and Management of the Legislation and Public Policy Group. There he was responsible for the implementation and day-to-day management of AARP's legislative and public policy activities. Before that, Mr. Donnellan served as the Acting Director of Legislation and Public Policy and as Legislative Counsel for the Association. As Legislative Counsel, he was responsible for facilitating the formulation, development and implementation of the Association's legislative and public policy agenda, a volunteer member process. He coordinated the activities of AARP's all-volunteer National Legislative Council. Before coming to AARP, Mr. Donnellan worked on Capitol Hill where he was Executive Assistant to U.S. Representative, Geraldine Ferraro. Mr. Donnellan is a member of the Board of Directors of the Long Term Care Campaign, and currently serves as its chairman. He also represents AARP on the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations and is a liaison to other aging organizations and coalitions. From 1994 through 2000, he was a member of the ABA Commission on Legal Problems for the Elderly. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Government and Politics from St. John's University in New York.

Robert R. Hagans, Jr. is Chief Financial Officer for AARP. He provides strategic guidance and expertise in all areas of the Association's financial management, strategy implementation and policy formulation. This includes oversight of approximately $4.5 billion in annual cash flow for AARP and related entities and the nearly $800 million operating budget.

Thomas C. Nelson is AARP's Chief Operating Officer. In addition to overall association leadership responsibilities, Mr. Nelson oversees State and National Initiatives, Operations, and Membership. He is responsible for AARP's key operations including publications, research, advocacy, community service and field delivery capabilities, and membership development, all of which further AARP's goal of being the leading organization for social responsibility. Mr. Nelson joined AARP in 1980 as Manager of Consumer Affairs, and in that position established AARP's consumer program. In 1982, he assumed the additional responsibility for AARP's health activities. From 1984 to1990, he was Director of AARP's Program Department that was responsible for the Association's educational and community service programs. In 1990 he became Director of the Field Services Division and was named Associate Executive Director of State and National Initiatives in 1999. His many contributions include the expansion of AARP's state capacity, strengthening of the advocacy team, development of the volunteer ranks, and growth of AARP's community service efforts. Prior to joining AARP, Mr. Nelson was at the University of Southern California Andrus Gerontology Center. From 1973 to 1977, he was a staff member of the Federal Trade Commission, where he worked on the investigation and subsequent regulation of the funeral industry, as well as inquiries related to nursing homes and other consumer issues facing the elderly. Mr. Nelson has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Union College, a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University, and Doctoral degree from the University of Southern California.

Lisa Yang is the current president of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance/San Gabriel Lodge where she encourages citizens to become more politically active. Ms. Yang has more than 26 years experience in real estate and brokering in such areas as apartment buildings and strip malls. She has also been a consultant in land development and design management. She is president of Monterey Park Dynasty Lions Club, founder and president of the AARP, Chinatown Chapter and honorary president of the Chinese Writer's Association of Southern California.

Dr. E. Percil Stanford became interested in the field of aging very early in life. As an undergraduate student in sociology and demography, he was involved in the first White House Conference on Aging, held in Washington, D.C. That experience left him enamored with the possibility of an older population that would be the foundation of society. Dr. Stanford began his career at Iowa State University, where he received his Ph.D in Sociology with an emphasis in Gerontology. He served as Director for the Education and Training Program in the Administration on Aging as the Associate and helped establish the first University-based education and training programs. He then received a Congressional Fellowship and worked as Staff Consultant to Congressman Shirley Chisholm and Senator Alan Cranston focusing on issues related to Veterans Affairs, Retirement and Pensions. Upon returning to the Department of Health and Human Services, he worked in the office of the Secretary as an Operations Officer, responsible for oversight of Social Rehabilitation Programs in Federal Regions IV and VI. In 1972, Dr. Stanford went to San Diego State University, where he served as Professor of Gerontology and Director of the University Center on Aging. He was professor and Charter Director for the University's Center on Aging and Department of Gerontology. He also served as the Director for the National Institute on Minority Aging, which he founded, and directed several other national programs under the umbrella of the University Center on Aging. He continues to serve as Professor Emeritus. As the field of gerontology has evolved, Dr. Stanford has played a leadership role in the development of several gerontological and geriatric focused organizations. His leadership in the field of aging extends to the role he played in the development of the American Society on Aging (ASA) which he served as president. He also had a significant role in the establishment of ASA's New Ventures in Leadership program for minority leaders. He has served as the Regional Director for the West Region for AARP since 2002 and as the interim director of the National AARP State Affairs Department working on state advocacy issues. Dr. Stanford was named Chief Diversity Officer for AARP in December 2005. Throughout his varied career and particularly at AARP, he has distinguished himself as a team-builder whose core values embody both the spirit and the power of diversity and inclusion. During the past two and a half decades, he has been an active leader in numerous professional organizations, and has been appointed to several commissions and task forces, including the White House Conference on Aging Planning Councils. Journal articles, books and book chapters authored and co-authored by Dr. Stanford have covered a wide range of topics, with core themes on Health Status, Retirement, Ethnicity and Diversity, Elder Abuse and Education and Training. He has set up gerontology programs for academic institutions, worked on long-term care, pension and retirement issues, and exposed members of the media to aging issues. Dr. Stanford is widely recognized for his expertise on issues associated with minority aging.

Rick Moody, PhD is the Director of Academic Affairs at AARP in Washington D.C. and an author on ethical issues in agingHe is known nationally for his work in older adult education and was former Chairman of the Board of Elderhostel, the nation's first and world's largest travel organization for older adults.

Michelle Walker (Shelly) is a marketing manager at AARP, charged with launching relationship marketing programs for segments across the Association. Prior to AARP, she ran product marketing programs at AOL for AOL Video, AIM, and MapQuest. Before returning to the DC area, Michelle worked in New York at American Express and JP Morgan Chase, in direct to consumer marketing functions. Michelle received her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania with a major in Political Science and a minor in Economics. As a Haas student, Michelle volunteered for the Young Entrepreneurs at HaasProgram, was a Consortium for Graduate Study in Management fellow and was a GSI for Haas marketing classes and undergraduate economic courses.

Carolyn J. Rodis, J.D., M.A. is a mediator, trainer and teacher. Certifed as a mediator byA the Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution, she is also qualified to mediate cases for the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court and District Court. Carolyn is a trainer and volunteer mediator for the Anne Arundel Conflict Resolution Center and consultant to the Maryland Senior Mediation Project. She is a member of the National Elder Mediation Network. Carolyn is a consultant trainer with AARP in the areas of nursing home law, guardianship and pre-incapacity planning, elder abuse, and mental and physical effects of aging. She is also a trainer for the Center for Social Gerontology. With a Master of Arts in Adulthood and Aging, she teaches Legal Issues and Aging at the university level. Carolyn is a former public interest lawyer and was in private law practice with a concentration in family law and issues affecting the elderly. She served as an assistant attorney general, Consumer Protection Division, Office of the Attorney General of Maryland, and was a managing attorney and staff attorney with the Legal Aid Bureau of Maryland.

Mary Ellen Kelley was born in Perry County, Kentucky and graduated from Whitesburg High School and Cumberland College. She is a retired Social Services employee and is currently a very active volunteer with AARP of Virginia. She is married to Larry Wayne and has two sons, Jason and Jonah, and one grandson, Lucas.

Joanne Disch is the director of the Katharine J. Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership in the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota. She is the first to be appointed to the Katherine R. and C. Walton Lillehei Chair in Nursing Leadership, and holds the professor rank within the School of Nursing. Disch is also a regional coordinator for the Colleagues in Caring Project for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Disch is a nationally and internationally recognized nursing leader. She has served in clinical positions as a staff nurse, head nurse, clinical director and faculty member, and vice president for nursing in two major medical centers. In addition to serving on the Allina board, Disch is chairperson of the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) National Board of Directors. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves 36 million people ages 50 years and older. Disch received her doctorate degree in 1985 from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She received her nursing degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1976, and her master's degree in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmington.

Buck has been in the business for 29 years. He is a member of FMCA and AARP. He and his family have lived in Santa Clara since 1977 and have enjoyed RVing as a family, including their grandchildren. Buck has sold everything from Marathon coaches to travel trailers. He is willing to share his expertise with you to the best of his ability.

Jay I. Nix was born in Washington DC, June 21, 1941 to Emily Hazel and James Arthur Braxton, (both deceased). She attended grade school in DC but graduated from Barnstable High School, June 1959 in Hyannis, Ma. Jay attended Cape Cod Business School and was hired as assistant manager for Zayre's Department Store. Jay is married to Warren Nix of Pennsylvania, Pa., for over 36 years and has two sons, Warren Jr. and Jeffrey (Yameen) Nix. Jay and Warren have one granddaughter, Sabreen. Jay retired from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996, and moved to St. Croix. She is an Alltemp employee, and active member of St. Croix Reformed Church, serves as Elder, member of Senior Choir, Vice President of Consistory and the representative from her church on the board of Interfaith Coalition. For Interfaith Coalition, Jay serves as secretary, on the membership/fundraiser committee and works as the administrative assistant staff-person. Jay's hobbies are reading, writing poetry, singing, acting, volunteer work, modeling and traveling. She is a member of the Urban League Guild of Philadelphia and AARP.

Mary C. Scott, M.A., of Bedford, TX, is a member of the AARP Board of Directors, Class of 2008. During the 2006-2008 biennium, she continues to serve on the Board Membership Committee, the AARP Insurance Trust, and AARP's 50th Anniversary Celebration Committee. Ms. Scott previously co-chaired the 2006 National Leadership Forum and served on AARP's Hispanic Council and Volunteer Engagement Project. She also was a member of the NRTA Pension Roundtable. Prior to election to the Board, Ms. Scott chaired AARP's National Legislative Council (NLC), a 25-member volunteer legislative advisory body to AARP's Board of Directors. In that role, her responsibilities included facilitating national issue forums, reviewing polling research, and examining policy trends and member needs. Ms. Scott was active in the AARP/VOTE program, serving in a number of volunteer leadership roles, including regional coordinator and training coordinator. She also served as a speaker on Social Security and other federal issues. Ms. Scott is a member of AARP Chapter 1251. In her community, Ms. Scott has been active in the Retired Teachers Association (RTA) and chaired the Senior Political Action Committee of Tarrant County. She also is a co-founder of the Tarrant Coalition for Environmental Awareness and serves on the coalition board. A speech pathologist, Ms. Scott practiced speech pathology in the public schools for 24 years and was an instructor of English as a Second Language at Tarrant County Community College. Ms. Scott earned a BA in Speech and a MA in Speech and Language Pathology. She also pursued post-graduate work leading to teacher certification for language and learning-disabled children.

Royse has served as parliamentarian to his faculty senate, and on various educational and community Boards of Directors. A life member of the Ohio Retired Teacher's Association, Royse is also a member of the University of Cincinnati Alumni Association, the AARP, the Ohio Gun Collectors Association, and the NRA. Royse has travelled on all continents, has lived in Alaska, California, Florida, and Hawaii, is multilingual, and since 1988 has held a dual citizenship as a Costa Rican. His hobbies are exploring overseas investment and business opportunities, finding backyard places to dock sailboats, politics, and continuing to savor the noble joys of bachelorhood. Some years back Royse, as he puts it, "read about Bob Ettinger, and decided to drive to Michigan and look him up". Within two hours of hearing about cryonics and meeting Bob and his wife Mae, Royse toured CI and joined both the Immortalist Society and CI on the spot, and signed and fully funded his suspension on the spot with American Express travelers' check, thus setting a record in becoming our first and fastest cash-prepaid cryonics member. He's been a CI Director and Officer for several years, but Royse has also been notable as a roving ambassador, fraternizing with, and encouraging donations to, most other cryonics organizations and activities.

William Hall, M.D. of Rochester, NY, is a member of the AARP Board of Directors, Class of 2012. During the 2006-2008 biennium, Dr. Hall serves as vice chair of the Board Governance Committee and is a member of AARP's Insurance Trust. He also is a liaison to AARP's National Policy Council. Dr. Hall is director of the Center for Healthy Aging and previously served as chief of general medicine/geriatrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and chief of medicine at Rochester General Hospital. As an academic geriatrician, Dr. Hall's career has been largely focused on aging. He was instrumental in establishing a replication of the On Lok PACE program (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), which was signed into legislation in 1997, making this Medicare/Medicaid program available to all 50 states. Dr. Hall's volunteer experience includes serving as medical director for the AARP Triumph Classic program and as a board member for the Lifespan/ElderSource global aging program. He has testified on numerous health issues before Congress, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Institutes of Health. Dr. Hall has extensive experience on numerous boards including the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Internal Medicine, and the Lifespan/ElderSource global aging program. Among Dr. Hall's awards are the Kaiser Award for Exceptional Service from the Rochester Academy of Medicine, the Jahnigen Award for outstanding education contributions from the American Geriatrics Society, and a Master Physician designation from the American College of Physicians.

Cathy has worked directly with our supporters and volunteers since 1996. She raises over $100,000 annually in grassroots contributions, and provides a vital link between BRO supporters and the organization's daily work. She served as a field organizer to defeat the anti-gay Measure 13 in 1994 and Measure 9 in 1992. Originally from New York City, Cathy brings nearly 25 years of grassroots organizing and outreach experience to BRO. As staff elder and card-carrying member of AARP, she enjoys being treated with "the right respect" and prefers the title "Goddess."

Scott Hill has been an Eldercare Planning Consultant to hundreds seniors for the past 18 years. He has been a featured speaker on retirement planning throughout the state of Georgia and nationally. Scott was a licensed, registered representative and manager with Dean Witter Reynolds and Oppenheimer. Scott studied Senior Estate Planning at American College in Philadelphia and is an active member of AARP. He is also a Certified Senior Advisor and a member of the American Council on Aging. Scott specializes in solving the unique problems faced by today's seniors. He uses specialized advanced planning strategies to maximize the proper use and management of family assets.