Emily Whicheloe is Director of Education at the Medicare Rights Center, a partner of the National Council on Aging (NCOA). As Director of Education, she oversees the development of Medicare educational materials for consumers and professionals, manages training programs available to State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselors throughout the country, and fields questions from Medicare beneficiaries during weekly helpline shifts. In her free time, she enjoys taking photographs and exploring New York City by bike.

Jessalyn joined NCOA in August 2023, and serves as the primary point of contact for the Benefits Enrollment Centers in the Northeast. Her previous work focused on the experiences of beneficiaries enrolling in WIC, SNAP, and Medicaid, and she is passionate about working to increase access to life-changing benefits. She has her bachelor's degree in Health Equity & Policy from Cornell University. 

Matthew Hubbard, MA, manages NCOA's federal executive branch efforts on issues and programs of concern to older adults, such as access to Medicare, Medicaid, and SSI. Matthew also works on policies relating to older adult financial security.

Sherrill Wayland, Senior Director of Special Initiatives and Partnerships, serves as a trusted thought partner to national initiatives team members and SAGE staff across the organization. They lead the National Resource Center on LGBTQ Aging, serves as SAGE lead for the Long-Term Care Equality Index (in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation) and works in close partnership with SAGECollab, SAGECare, and the Diverse Elders Coalition. Sherrill began work with SAGE at the local level in 2008, founding the SAGE Affiliate in St. Louis, MO (now Missourians Aging with Pride). Sherrill earned a Master of Social Work degree from the Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, and has over 25 years of professional experience in the fields of education, disability, and LGBTQ+ older adult advocacy.

Kevin has worked across many industries from Education to Tech to Government and is passionate about improving government response to pressing needs in underserved communities. Kevin joined LiveOn in 2023 after a 3 year stint in New York City Council with the goal of elevating aging issues at all levels of government and combating the systemic ageism that has kept older adult services from receiving the attention and resources they need to meet the needs of older adults in New York State. Through the reframing initiative Kevin has worked to train those in the field and those who are interested in ways to combat their own internalized ageism and work to build a more inclusive system to make New York a better place to age!

she/her/hers

Jen Teague is the Director for Health Coverage and Benefits at NCOA. She has over 15 years of experience working on behalf of older adults and their families. Jen’s previous roles have included working with the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services, overseeing adult protective services and managing local non-profit organizations.  She has significant experience working with community-based organization (CBO) committees, taskforces, and providing education, information and resources to older adults, key stakeholders, and elected officials. Jen states her passion is ensuring that older adults can access services and supports that allow them to age with dignity and choice. Jen has a Masters degree in Community Counseling and a Bachelors degree in Sociology both from Appalachian State University.

Andy serves as the data specialist for CBA projects and programs, including its work with the national network of Benefit Enrollment Centers (BECs). Andy’s career has centered on using data to inform strategic and operational decision making for mission-driven organizations. Andy comes to NCOA from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where he worked for six years in roles focused on budget formulation, performance measurement and evaluation, data analysis, and project management. Prior to his time in government, his career included analytical roles with nonprofit organizations and experience as a journalist with a regional newspaper. Andy has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Master of Public Health (MPH), a Master of Business Administration (MBA), and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.