Peer Exchange: How and Why to Participate in NCOA’s Hill Day

Howard Bedlin has led NCOA's legislative advocacy efforts on issues and programs of concern to older adults for the past 25 years, which include the Older Americans Act, Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care, income security, and community services. Prior to joining NCOA, he worked for the American Association of Homes for the Aging (now LeadingAge), the National Association for Home Care, and AARP. Howard received his law degree and Master of Policy Science from the University of Maryland, and Bachelor’s in Political Science from Binghamton University in New York.

Paige Denison serves as the Director of Health, Wellness and Project Enhance® at Sound Generations, a multiservice community-based organization located in Seattle, WA. Paige has 20+ years of experience working with health promotion programs for older adults and adults aging with disabilities. Nationally, Paige oversees the ongoing licensing, research coordination, adaptation and dissemination of two such programs: Enhance®Fitness (45 States and DC) and Enhance®Wellness (11 States). Regionally, her oversight focuses on supporting multiple interventions for diverse adult populations, chairing the King County Falls Prevention Coalition and providing operational guidance for the development of the region’s Community Information Exchange. Her work on multiple boards and committees includes NCOA’s National Falls Prevention Summit Planning Committee, University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center (HPRC) Community Advisory Board, American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Exercise Is Medicine (EIM) Older Adult Advisory Committee (2017- 2023) and the Evidence Based Leadership Collaborative (2013-2020).

Scott Miniea serves as the Executive Director of Missouri Connections for Health (MCH), a nonprofit organization focused on connecting Missourians to health-related and health-supporting programs. MCH operates the Missouri SHIP and MIPPA 1 and Benefits Enrollment Center on behalf of the state of Missouri Department of Commerce & Insurance. As one of only two nonprofit-based SHIP programs that are not internal to state government, MCH has slightly more flexibility when educating decisionmakers about impacts of programs in the aging, disability, and housing categories.  Speaking as MCH or a member of the aging and disability network, and not using federal funds, Scott has participated in Hill Day activities as well as ongoing education and advocacy projects in support of the programs.

Sophie Morgado serves as the Legislative & Policy Associate at the National Council on Aging. In this capacity, she advocates for older Americans at the federal policy level, focusing on critical issues such as the Older Americans Act, mental health, vaccine equity, falls prevention as well as other healthcare, equity, and retirement issues. 

Prior to starting her professional career at NCOA in September 2023, Sophie served as Health Policy Intern at Powers Pyles Sutter and Verville, a Washington, DC-based law firm focused on healthcare issues. In this role, she supported the Powers team in various policy areas including aging, disability, and maternal health. During the Fall of 2021, Sophie served as a Legislative Intern for the United States Senate.

Sophie holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree, with a health policy focus, from The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She also received her B.S. in Public Health with a minor in Political Science from West Virginia University.

Daniel Noyes is the director of the Vermont Association of Senior Centers and Meal Providers (VASCAMP) and for the past eight years has served on Human Service Committee in the Vermont House of Representatives. VASCAMP is a statewide organization that connects, supports, and strengthens the network community-based senior center and Meals on Wheels programs. His experience working with older Vermonters comes from 18 years as coordinator then director of an AmeriCorps Senior RSVP program. Dan currently chairs the Older Vermonter Legislative Caucus that brings together legislators and advocates from across Vermont. He also serves on the Vermont Commission on Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders and on the board of Copley Hospital. He was the lead sponsor of the Older Vermonters Act that led to AgeStrong VT, Vermont’s 10-year plan for aging well. Dan lives in Wolcott VT with his wife Amy and when not at work you can find him skiing, fishing or driving around in a 100-year-old car.