Jeannine English

Jeannine English of Sacramento, Calif., was elected by the board as president-elect in 2012.

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Life Perspectives

"Working with AARP has really been an evolution for me. I was involved in state government in California for a number of years, working on a lot of good-government issues. Once I decided to retire, I went to some of the people I knew in the California AARP office, and we decided that we would work together on issues such as redistricting that really engaged people in the democratic process.

"In doing so, I got more involved with California AARP. I became the state president of California AARP, working with the multitude of volunteers there. I became even more passionate about the issues that AARP is involved in.

"I was then selected for the National Policy Council, which is an AARP policy body, and continued to work as the state president. The National Policy Council looks at policy issues that each of the states is concerned with, things that are going to affect our members, whether it's high utility rates or social issues or transportation, livable communities, Social Security — you name it.

"We focus on looking at the array of solutions and what would be best for our members and the citizens. That isn't done in a vacuum. We reach out to the entire member community to ask them about their recommendations and their concerns and fold those issues into the work of the policy council. Ultimately, that is proposed to the national board and that's how AARP policy is adopted.

"The Board of Directors, like many of the volunteers throughout AARP, has a real commitment to making the world and the country a better place. And that commitment is a commitment to use the resources that we have, the gifts that all of us have been given, to work together to make change.

Expertise

State government, government operations, legislative initiatives, redistricting, campaign finance, political reform.

Education

M.B.A., Golden Gate University; B.S.,, California State University, Sacramento.

Certified Public Accountant

Experience

Previously, founding partner, Lehman English Kelly and O'Keefe;  executive director, Little Hoover Commission (Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy);

Volunteer experience

Boards: Serves on the AARP Board's Governance and Compensation Committee and the Compensation Subcommittee, and as a trustee of the AARP Insurance Trust. Current board member of Pride Industries, one of the nation's largest employers of people with disabilities. Member of the Board of Governors, California State Bar .

Other:  Formerly, co-chair, California's No on Proposition 27 Campaign. Formerly, co-chair, Open Primary Initiative (Proposition 14), co-chair, initiative establishing independent citizen's commission to redraw legislative districts; Chairman's Task Force on the Political Reform Act on campaign finance.

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