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.  

Dr. Shari Ling is the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Dr. Ling contributes her clinical expertise to the Agency as a geriatrician, gerontologist, internist and rheumatologist, supporting CMS’s actions to improve health outcomes for beneficiaries, families, and caregivers through the delivery of high quality, person-centered care across settings.  She currently steers CMS efforts to address the nation’s mental and behavioral health needs as a leader of the CMS Behavioral Health Steering Committee, with a strong focus on care and services for people with behavioral health conditions, and mitigating barriers to equitable care. She also supports the CMS efforts in special topics such as pain, dementia, and multiple chronic conditions, ad improving quality in long-term care. Dr. Ling coordinates the work of the CMS medical officers and other clinicians.  She regularly provides mentoring to fellows, students, and others beginning their careers in health care.

Dr. Ling earned a Master’s in Gerontology from the University of Southern California, and MD degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. She performed postgraduate fellowships in rheumatology at Georgetown University Hospital and in Geriatric Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Joan Weiss is an adult and gerontological nurse practitioner who serves as the Deputy Director in the Division of Medicine and Dentistry (DMD) at the Health Resources and Services Administration. She oversees all phases of management for workforce development in geriatrics, primary care, graduate medical education, preventive medicine/public health, and oral health. She advises on the development of performance measures for HRSA’s DMD education and training programs. Her experience in interprofessional practice and education spans 30 years. She is the immediate past Designated Federal Official for the Federal Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary Community-Based Linkages. She is the HRSA representative on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Care, and Services; the Family Caregiving Advisory Council; and the Grandparent Advisory Council. She also serves on HHS interagency workgroups on palliative care, elder justice, and caregiving. She has served in many leadership positions at HRSA including Director of the Division of Public Health and Interdisciplinary Education and Acting Director of the Division of Nursing. She is a recipient of the 2015 Secretary’s Meritorious Group Award for taking important steps to find a cure and improve care for people with dementia.

Dr. Anne Mathews-Younes isthe Deputy Director of the Center for Mental Health Services at the SubstanceAbuse and Mental Health Services Administration and has been with this Federalagency for twenty-five years. She has worked in each of the CMHS divisionsduring her time with CMHS.  

Before coming to Federal service, in 1986, Dr.Mathews-Younes worked in Massachusetts and supervised a number of day hospital,day treatment, outpatient and psychosocial programs for adults with seriousmental illness.  She worked for six years with the District of Columbia’sCommission on Mental Health Services as Chief of the Residential Placement Unitwhere she worked to bring home children with serious emotional disturbances whohad been placed in out-of-state residential care. 

Dr. Mathews-Younes has worked as a licensed psychologistand was trained initially as an occupational therapist.  She completed adoctorate in Counseling and Consulting Psychology from HarvardUniversity.   She completed a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies(2007) and a Doctoral Degree in Ministry (2012) at Wesley Theological Seminaryin Washington, D.C.  

Michele Karel is a board certified geropsychologist who serves as National Mental Health Director, Geriatric Mental Health, in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of  Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. She coordinates the integration of mental health services in several VHA Geriatrics and Extended Care programs and partners on initiatives to optimize access to and quality of mental health services for older Veterans.

Carter Blakey is the Deputy Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Director of ODPHP’s Community Strategies Division. As the Community Strategies Division Director, she oversees ODPHP’s work in a number of areas, including the Healthy People initiative, social determinants of health and Healthy Aging activities. 

As President and CEO of the National Council on Aging, Ramsey Alwin is leading a nationwide movement to ensure equitable aging for every American. 

Building on NCOA’s 70 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. She is sparking critical conversations about the resources every American deserves to age well—and what needs to change to ensure all have access.

A seasoned thought leader and policy advocate, Alwin has changed the way people think about older adult poverty and economic security. She designed a new measure of economic security for older adults that better accounts for out-of-pocket health costs and worked to introduce the Measuring American Poverty Act in Congress to redefine the federal poverty measure for the older population. 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. 

Prior to leading NCOA, Alwin directed financial resilience global thought leadership at AARP and served as Director of National Economic Security Programs at Wider Opportunities for Women. Currently, she serves on the Executive Committee of the UN NGO Committee on Aging, the America250 Health and Wellness Advisory Council, and the National Academy of Social Insurance Finance Committee.