Welcome and Keynote Speaker, Kevin Briggs

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 75 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.

As an internationally recognized, FBI-trained crisis negotiator and mental health advocate, Kevin Briggs has shared his compelling story and personal experience on some of the world’s most respected platforms. His work has been featured in a TED Talk at the 2014 Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) Conference, as well as on NBC’s Access Live, Yahoo News, The New Yorker, Men’s Health, NPR’s Bob Edwards Radio Show, People Magazine, USA Today, The Jennifer Hudson Show, and numerous other outlets worldwide. His first book, Guardian of the Golden Gate, was released in July 2015. A retired California Highway Patrol sergeant, Briggs spent many years patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge, where he encountered individuals in profound emotional distress who were contemplating suicide. Through compassion, patience, and his philosophy of “Listen to Understand,” he helped guide several hundred people away from taking their lives and toward the possibility of a new beginning. These extraordinary efforts earned him the enduring nickname, “Guardian of the Golden Gate.” Briggs served three years in the United States Army, three years with the California Department of Corrections, and 23 years with the California Highway Patrol. Since retiring from the CHP, he has dedicated his life to promoting mental health awareness, resilience, and hope worldwide. His personal journey includes surviving child abuse, battling cancer at age 20, undergoing heart surgery, and coping as a suicide loss survivor. He openly shares how faith, resilience, and post-traumatic growth have played a vital role in navigating life’s most difficult challenges

Thomas Engels (Tom) is the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, he oversees HRSA’s extensive portfolio of health care services, focusing on improving healthcare for people in underserved and rural communities.

Mr. Engels previously led the agency from 2019 to 2021 and brings a wealth of experience, including his work on the White House COVID-19 Task Force and the implementation of the Provider Relief Fund, providing critical support to hospitals and other healthcare professionals on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. During his initial tenure, Tom managed programs addressing the opioid epidemic by integrating behavioral health into primary care and HIV care settings. He returns to HRSA from his recent role as Sergeant at Arms at the Wisconsin Senate.

Prior to joining HRSA in 2019, Mr. Engels served as the Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, where he managed a department with over 6,000 employees and a budget of $12 billion. His leadership led to the expansion of state mental health services, and the establishment of a statewide electronic health record system.

Mary Lazare was sworn in as ACL’s principal deputy administrator on March 3, 2025, returning to the role she held from 2017-2021.

Throughout a career focused on improving the health and well-being of people with disabilities and older adults, Mary has led social services and health care systems in building partnerships across industries and all levels of government, modernizing system infrastructure and leveraging new technology, and creating opportunities for innovation in order to better meet the needs of the people they serve.

During her prior tenure at ACL, Mary led the agency’s overall day-to-day operations and spearheaded several key initiatives, including an interagency task force focused on expanding employment opportunities for people with disabilities; a public-private partnership to prevent social isolation; and cross-sector collaboration to align health care and aging and disability services to improve health outcomes and reduce costs.

Before joining ACL, she served as Vice President for Home and Community-Based Services for Lutheran Senior Services, overseeing the operations of home health, hospice, and private duty services to improve patient outcomes and developed partnerships among aging services, health care systems and providers to better meet the individual needs of older adults. In earlier roles, she served as Vice President of Senior Care Facilities and Community Health Ministries at Ascension Health, Vice-President of Senior Services and Home Care Services at BJC Health Care, and Executive Director for the Jewish Center for the Aged. She also has served on the board of the Mid-East Area Agency on Aging Foundation of St Louis, the Continuum of Care Committee of the Catholic Health Association, the American Hospital Association Governing Council for Post-Acute Care Services, and a number of other civic and professional organizations.
Mary received her undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri, a master’s degree in gerontology from Lindenwood University, and a Master of Business Administration and Management from Maryville University of Saint Louis.