National Council on Aging Announces Three New Board Members, New Board Chair

Leaders Bring Experience and Proven Success to NCOA

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Council on Aging (NCOA) announces that three distinguished leaders in the field of aging will join the NCOA Board of Directors, effective immediately.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100615/NCOALOGO )

Robert Blancato is president of Matz, Blancato, & Associates. Blancato is also the national coordinator of the Elder Justice Coalition, a non-partisan, 680 member organization, and served as president of the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse from 2000-2006.

Blancato is currently executive director of the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP).  He is a former House of Representatives staff member and spent 17 years on the House Select Committee on Aging. In 1995, he was appointed by President Clinton to serve as executive director of the White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA).

Christine James-Brown has served as president and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) since April 2007, assuming leadership of the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization. Prior to her role at CWLA, Ms. James-Brown served as the fifth president and CEO of United Way International (UWI), where she was responsible for the efforts of the worldwide network of United Way nonprofit member organizations spanning six continents and five regions and serving communities in 45 countries and territories.

Ms. James-Brown has served as a member of the boards of the Philadelphia Corporation on Aging, the Samuel S. Fels Fund, Citizens Bank, and Public/Private Ventures.

James R. Knickman is the first president and CEO of the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth), a private foundation dedicated to improving the health of all New Yorkers. Under Dr. Knickman's leadership, NYSHealth has invested nearly $60 million since 2006 in initiatives to improve health care and the public health system in New York state.

Prior to his role at NYSHealth, Dr. Knickman was vice president of research and evaluation at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in Princeton, NJ, where he led and oversaw research initiatives, external evaluations of RWJF's national initiatives, and internal analyses related to its grant-making priorities.

Dr. Knickman serves as a board member of the Robert Wood Johnson Health System in New Brunswick, NJ, and of the Center for Effective Philanthropy in Cambridge, MA. He is a past chair of the New Jersey Department of Health's Cardiac Health Advisory Council, AcademyHealth in Washington, DC, and the New York Catholic Health Care System.

"Robert Blancato, Christine James-Brown, and Jim Knickman will bring tremendous wisdom, experience and energy to the NCOA Board of Directors," said Jim Firman, president and CEO of NCOA. "We look forward to their creative contributions and perspectives as NCOA seeks to have an even greater impact on the lives of millions of older adults, especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged."

Retiring from the board are Christine Beatty, director of the Madison, WI Senior Center; Satya Verma, of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Philadelphia; and Diana Aviv, president of the Independent Sector. NCOA is very grateful for their outstanding service and many contributions to NCOA and the lives of older adults.    

NCOA has also elected a new Chairman of the Board, Richard Browdie, president and CEO of The Benjamin Rose Institute to replace Msgr. Charles Fahey, program officer for the Millbank Memorial Fund and Marie Ward Doty Professor of Aging Studies (Emeritus) at Fordham University.

For additional information, please visit http://www.ncoa.org/about-ncoa/.

About NCOA
The National Council on Aging is a nonprofit service and advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC. NCOA's mission is to improve the lives of millions of older adults, especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged. NCOA is a national voice for older Americans and the community organizations that serve them. It brings together nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government to develop creative solutions that improve the lives of all older adults. NCOA works with thousands of organizations across the country to help seniors find jobs and benefits, improve their health, live independently, and remain active in their communities. www.NCOA.org |  www.facebook.com/NCOAging | www.twitter.com/NCOAging

SOURCE National Council on Aging