Ann is the Senior Program Manager, for Medicare at NCOA where she helps local, state and regional organizations develop and implement strategies to find, counsel and assist Medicare beneficiaries apply and enroll in benefits for which they may be eligible.

Over the past 25 years Ann has had the opportunity to work in many parts of the health care industry including managed care, patient assistance programs, and provider and sales force relations.  Prior to joining NCOA, Ann managed the operations for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) in Montgomery County, Maryland helping the most vulnerable populations gain access to the health care benefits and services.  

Ann received her B.S. in Health Care Management from Kings College in Wilke-Barre, PA and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN.

Brandy Bauer is Associate Director of the Center for Benefits Access at the National Council on Aging (NCOA), where she coordinates all communications for the MIPPA Resource Center, identifies and promotes promising strategies to increase benefits access for older adults, and educates consumers about scams targeting older adults. Previously, she spent a decade in the international health and human service sectors, working on improving access to services for vulnerable and marginalized populations, including refugee and war trauma survivors in Europe, and as a humanitarian aid worker in Afghanistan.

As Director of the Statewide Oklahoma Mental Health and Aging Coalition for 10+ years, Karen provides older adult behavioral health education and advocacy.  

She is immediate Past Chair and current Vice Chair of the Planning and Advisory Council to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS)HSAS and serves on the Oklahoma Behavioral Health Advisory Council, National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging Executive Committee, New View Advisory Council and Telligen’s Beneficiary and Family Advisory Council and Governing Board.  

She developed the Oklahoma Older Adult Behavioral Health State Plan, the Reducing Depression initiative and the Older Adult Peer Support Specialty for ODMHSAS. She is a certified trainer for QPR, Talk Saves Lives, Healthy IDEAS, Mental Health First Aid and Mental Health First Aid for Older Adults. 

Karen has a Sociology degree with a Psychology minor from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois and has completed sociology graduate level course requirements at Chicago’s Loyola University.            

Congresswoman Susan Wild has been a member of the Lehigh Valley community for more than 30 years. Her two adult children were born and raised in the Valley, where they attended public schools. Susan built a successful legal practice while raising her two children and became the first woman to be appointed as Allentown City Solicitor. In November 2018, Congresswoman Wild was elected as the first woman to represent Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congresswoman Wild has been appointed to the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee and is committed to fighting for quality, affordable health care for all, an economy that benefits every member of our community, and reforming our political system to return government to the American people.

Laura Shannonhouse is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services at Georgia State University. She is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Trainer (ASIST), and a Suicide to Hope (s2H) Facilitator. Her clinical experiences (e.g. college counseling center, cancer center, crisis center, etc.) have included working with disaster impacted populations both domestically and internationally (e.g. illness-related trauma in South Africa; prolonged grief from daycare center fire in Mexico, post-Katrina charter school teachers; both southeast Asian and post-earthquake Haitian refugees, and urban homeless, etc.). Therefore, her research interests focus on crisis intervention and disaster response; she is curious about how people make sense of suffering through their faith. Specifically, she conducts community-based research in kindergarten through 16 systems and with the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) to prevent suicide (suicide first aid), and with disaster impacted populations in fostering meaning-making through one’s faith tradition (spiritual first aid).

Kimberly A. Williams is the President and CEO of the Vibrant Emotional Health, a nonprofit organization which reaches over 2.5 million people each year to help them achieve emotional well-being through high quality, innovative programs. She began as a public policy intern in 2003, rising to President and CEO in 2017. She has served the mental health industry through various positions, including mental health advocate, administrator, educator, and consultant. As CEO, Williams has overseen the expansion of Vibrant’s premier programs they administer, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the Disaster Distress Helpline, and NYC Well, New York City’s leading edge, multi-lingual, multi-modal contact center program that responds around the clock to the mental health needs of over 300,000 New Yorkers every year. Williams serves on a number of advisory committees and boards including the New York State Interagency Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependence Planning Council, the New York State Health Foundation Community Advisory Committee, Mental Health News Education Inc., United Community Schools, and the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging, for whom she is immediate past chair. Her leadership in the field has been recognized by City and State New York, New York Nonprofit Media, Mental Health Association in New York State, and the National Association of Social Workers NYC Chapter. Williams has been an adjunct lecturer at Columbia University School of Social Work and NYU Silver School of Social Work. Her voice has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CBS Evening News, The Today Show and more.

Amy Miller is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Arvada, CO, with a broad range of experience in the field of aging.  Amy is the Director of Adult Outpatient Services at Jefferson Center for Mental Health, the Community Mental Health Center serving the suburbs and mountains west of Denver, Colorado.  Amy oversees the day to day operations of the community-based Senior Reach program, and as the Senior Reach National Consultant was closely involved with the training, implementation, and ongoing support for the Senior Reach sites in Colorado, Michigan, and New Jersey.   

As Director of Adult Outpatient Services Amy provides programmatic oversight of the Senior Services Outpatient, Adult Outpatient, Mountain Services, and Vocational Services programs. During her time at Jefferson Center she has also developed a new program to provide individual and group therapy to individuals with Hoarding Disorder. Amy earned her BA degree in Psychology from the University of South Dakota and her Master of Social Work from the University of Denver; she is also a Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor.

Brian Altman serves as the Deputy Director for the Administration on Aging (AoA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living (ACL).  In this role, Altman provides expert advice, guidance and support to the agency and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging on key mission critical issues, initiatives and agency functions. Altman also builds and enhances AoA’s work with aging organizations to foster exchange of information and strengthen support for the agency’s vision, policies and programs including working closely with stakeholders.  

Altman most recently served as the Director of Federal and Political Affairs at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) where he oversaw ASHA’s Capitol Hill office.  Altman advocated for increased access to audiology and speech-language pathology services in programs such as Medicare, newborn hearing screening and those funded by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 

Prior to joining ASHA, Altman served in federal government at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and completed a detail at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.  At SAMHSA, Brian served at various times as both the Director of the Division of Policy Innovation and the Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs. Altman also helped lead SAMHSA’s policy efforts on behalf of LGBT and aging populations, including co-leading the SAMHSA/ACL Behavioral Health Work Group.  
 
Before joining SAMHSA, Altman was a senior government relations manager at Drinker Biddle & Reath where he represented a broad range of health care clients. Altman also has served as the Director of Public Policy and Program Development at the Suicide Prevention Action Network USA (SPAN USA) where his work included advocating for the Stop Senior Suicide Act. Prior to joining SPAN USA, he worked at the American Counseling Association and served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Claire V. Eagan, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. 
 
Altman graduated from Duke University, cum laude, with a B.A. in public policy studies and received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.  

Ramsey Alwin joined NCOA as President & CEO in August 2020. She is a thought leader and policy advocate who has challenged outdated beliefs and sparked new solutions to address financial resilience as we age.

In her career, Alwin designed a new measure of economic security for older adults that better accounts for out-of-pocket health costs and busts myths surrounding senior poverty. She worked to introduce the Measuring American Poverty Act in Congress to redefine the federal poverty measure to better account for older adults’ costs of living.

Thanks to Alwin’s efforts, the U.S. Census Bureau formally implemented the Supplemental Poverty Measure nationwide, virtually doubling the elder poverty count and better demonstrating true needs among this population. Alwin also has led and organized efforts to enact state and local legislation and regulations using the new measure of economic security for income/asset eligibility for means tested programs.

Prior to returning to NCOA, Ramsey was the Director, Thought Leadership – Financial Resilience at AARP, where she worked to position AARP as the global leader in challenging outdated beliefs and sparking new solutions related to financial resilience and longevity, so people can choose how they age.

Alwin has been featured in major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal and New York Times and has testified before Congress.

Kathy Greenlee, Chair-Elect of the NCOA Board of Directors, is an attorney with 25 years of public service experience. She has expertise in aging, long-term care, disability, elder rights, health care, community services, rural aging, and LGBT health.

In 2009, Greenlee was appointed U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging by President Obama, a position she held for seven years. During her time in Washington, Greenlee created the Administration for Community Living (ACL), an agency that administers a broad range of aging and disability programs. Greenlee provided national and international leadership on preventing and responding to elder abuse. She chaired the Elder Justice Coordinating Council, created a federal home for state adult protective services programs, and created the national elder maltreatment data collection system. Greenlee also co-chaired the HHS LGBT Issues Coordinating Committee, an endeavor that resulted in comprehensive program and policy improvements for LGBTQ individuals.

In fall 2018, Greenlee launched a consulting business, Greenlee Global, LLC, to pursue aging-related projects regionally, nationally, and internationally. In early 2018, the Sunflower Foundation announced a major grant to support her continued work in the areas of elder abuse and neglect. In May 2020, Greenlee began working with the State of Kansas, serving as the Kansas COVID-19 LTSS Liaison.

Greenlee spent 18 years in Kansas state government. She served in numerous high-level positions, such as Secretary of Aging for Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Kansas Long-Term Care Ombudsman, General Counsel for the Kansas Insurance Department, and Assistant Attorney General.

Howard Bedlin is responsible for all of NCOA’s federal and state legislative advocacy efforts on issues and programs of concern to older adults, which include the Older Americans Act, Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care, income security, and community services programs.

Before joining NCOA, Bedlin was a legislative representative with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) for more than 10 years. Before that, he had been the deputy director of government affairs for the National Association for Home Care and served as counsel for public policy for the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.

Bedlin received both his law degree and master’s degree in public policy science from the University of Maryland.

Emily Allen is Senior Vice President, AARP Foundation Programs. 

Throughout her career, Ms. Allen’s primary passion has been on serving the needs of those most at risk in our communities. She has served in a number of capacities in the nonprofit, education and workforce development arenas, and has worked across the generations to ensure vulnerable and at-risk individuals have access to the resources and services they need to thrive. 

Ms. Allen began her career as a special education teacher and school administrator on Andros Island, Bahamas, and later accepted positions with AARP Foundation’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) as Project Director and Assistant National Director. She then served as Director, Workforce Programs, for AARP before being named Vice President, Income Security, for AARP Foundation in 2011. 

In 2016, Ms. Allen was named Senior Vice President, Programs, and now leads a team of Foundation innovators and social entrepreneurs to develop effective solutions that address the social determinants of health and help vulnerable, low-income older adults secure the essentials. In this role, she oversees AARP Foundation’s longstanding national programs like SCSEP, Tax-Aide and Experience Corps, as well as new innovations designed to increase economic opportunity and social connections that help prevent and reduce senior poverty. 

Ms. Allen holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Westminster College and a master’s degree in human and organizational learning from The George Washington University.

Joel E. Miller, M.S. Ed. is the Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer of American Mental Health Counselors Association. 

With over 30 years of experience in health care and behavioral health policy, Mr. Miller has advocated for the creation of federal and state policy – and regulatory solutions – to improve the delivery and financing of health care and behavioral health care in the U.S. 

In his current role as Executive Director and CEO of the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) – headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia – Mr. Miller leads over 7000 clinical mental health counselors who have a critically important impact on the lives of Americans with behavioral health conditions. AMHCAs mission is to enhance the mental health counseling profession through advocacy, professional development, education and licensing.  Mr. Miller is responsible for all operations of the organization and implementing strategic initiatives in support of the Board of Directors.  He is the publisher of AMHCA’s Journal of Mental Health Counseling and its Advocate newsletter. He also serves as a member on the AMHCA Foundation Board of Directors.   

In his previous position at the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), he led the development and implementation of NASMHPD’s policy agenda and regulatory strategies, which were designed to support State Behavioral Health Agencies and the state public behavioral health systems.  He also served as Director of NASMHPD’s Financing and Medicaid Division. 

At the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Mr. Miller led NAMI’s State Policy team and Public Policy Institute, dedicated to improving the financing and delivery of mental health services at the state level for people with mental illness, and addressing mental health issues across the lifespan.  He also was Staff Director to NAMI’s Veterans Council and the organization’s Scientific Affairs Council. 

Mr. Miller served as Senior Vice President at the National Coalition on Health Care, where he oversaw the evaluation, preparation and dissemination of innovative research and policy analysis about the nation’s health care system.  He also was the Director of Professional Affairs at the Health Insurance Association of America (now called America’s Health Insurance Plans). 

He has published over 50 articles and reports on behavioral health and health care delivery and financing, health care reform, Medicare and Medicaid policy, behavioral health integration, the health care workforce, cost management, medical practice assessment, quality improvement, health insurance exchanges, and health information technology.  

As a strong advocate on health care for seniors, he currently serves on the Executive Committee of the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging.  Miller also has served on state health planning boards and committees, and was a founding board member of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.  

Sharon R. Williams is the founder and CEO of Williams Jaxon, Consulting, LLC, a business development and training firm focused on support for community organizations, government agencies and health organizations serving Medicare/Medicare consumers. Sharon’s experience includes executive leadership in both the traditional health care and the Home and Community Based Services industries. She is a seasoned and results oriented executive with a passion for the delivery of high quality, culturally competent, comprehensive and cost effective health care services for publicly funded consumers. Sharon was CEO at CareSource Michigan, a top 100 ranked health plan with Medicaid and Medicare product lines. Additional leadership experiences include Vice President roles at Coventry, Amerigroup and OmniCare. She has also served as COO for one of the nation’s leading Area Agencies on Aging. Sharon is a consultant with the National Council on Aging (NCOA). She conducted the research and construct for the soon-to-be-released CDSME marketing video. Additionally, she administers NCOA’s Community Integrated Health Council and the 2017 Network Development Learning Collaborative.

Sharon has been affiliated with leading industry organizations such as America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA), National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), National Association of Health Services Executives, Meals on Wheels America (MOWA), and the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP).