As AARP bids farewell to Jo Ann Jenkins, we celebrate her decade of leadership in fighting for the needs of the 50-plus community, transforming the conversation around aging, and making significant strides in advocacy for older Americans. Thank you, JoAnn, for your unwavering commitment and inspiring vision!
In my first speech as AARP’s chief executive officer, I made a promise to our members: "As your CEO, I will be unapologetic in fighting for the wants and needs of people 50-plus.” As AARP's new CEO, I wanted to change the conversation about what it means to grow older. I said we needed to "disrupt aging" – to challenge outdated stereotypes and attitudes about getting older and spark new solutions that help people live better as they age. I challenged our staff, our volunteers, and our members to help me do that. Ten years later, as I prepare to say farewell to AARP, I am so proud of what we were able to accomplish together. We have fought for people 50 and over in the halls of Congress, at the White House, and in state capitals and communities across the country. We brought relief from the high cost of prescription drugs, helped ease the burden of caregiving, opposed age discrimination in the workplace, and protected Social Security and Medicare. We elevated the importance of brain health and made a significant contribution to the battle against Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. We made it easier for people to save for retirement, made communities more age-friendly, ensured that older Americans have affordable access to technology, and worked with entrepreneurs and businesses to develop new products and services to make aging easier. We changed not just the conversation about aging but also what it means to grow older. In my last column as AARP’s CEO, I look back at what we’ve achieved and how far we come. AARP's work is not finished, but I leave confident that the organization is well positioned to continue building on the legacy of our founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus. To our members, our volunteers, and our exceptional staff whose passion for our mission and commitment to service is second to none, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for your support, your service and all that you do each day to carry our work forward. And to those of you I have connected with here, I hope to stay in touch as I take my next steps.