AARP Expands Volunteer Leadership Team

AARP New Hampshire has added four individuals to its volunteer leadership team: Shawn LaFrance of Concord; Alan Cohen of Nashua; Rich Crocker of Plymouth; and Jane Rothwell of Manchester.

In their new volunteer roles, these community leaders will collaborate with state leadership to ensure the achievement of AARP’s strategic priorities and objectives and work to build partnerships with leaders in business, government and nonprofits.

“We are pleased to engage the expertise of Shawn, Alan, Rich and Jane,” said AARP New Hampshire State Director Kelly Clark. “Their knowledge, experience, and passion will help AARP in leading positive social change and delivering value to our nearly 230,000 members in all corners of the state.”

Highlights of the skills and backgrounds of the newest volunteer leaders follow:

Shawn LaFrance, of Concord, currently serves as Executive Director of the Foundation for Healthy Communities, a nonprofit organization focused on improving health status and the delivery of health care services in New Hampshire. He won a Chapter Award from the Northern New England Association of Healthcare Executives, Hospice Hero Award from New Hampshire Hospice Organization, and Barney Rabinow Award from the New York City Department of City Planning. LaFrance earned his BS in Health Administration and Planning from University of New Hampshire and MPH and MS from Columbia University.

Alan Cohen, of Nashua, serves on AARP’s Capital City Task Force and is a graduate of the New Hampshire Senior Leadership Class of 2010. With a strong interest in transportation, he sits on the Regional Coordinating Council for Transportation and is leading an effort to bring a nonprofit senior transportation service to Greater Nashua. Cohen worked for Digital Equipment Corporation and, since the mid 1990s, has worked in the staffing industry as a retained executive search consultant and corporate technical recruiter. He earned a BS, MEd and MBA from Suffolk University and did advanced graduate study at the University of Ottawa.

Rich Crocker, of Plymouth, is an active retiree interested in what’s happening in long-term care, both nationally and in New Hampshire. He has served in state government in a variety of positions including Director of the Division of Elderly and Adult Services, Director of the Division of Development Services, and Superintendent of Laconia State School and Training Center. A member of the State Committee on Aging, he has a BA in Government from University of Massachusetts and MEd from University of New Hampshire.

Jane Rothwell, of Manchester, is the founder and owner of ProCare Senior Services, a licensed home health care agency that serves southern New Hampshire, Lakes Region and Seacoast. A registered nurse licensed to practice in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, Rothwell consults with law firms, reviewing and researching medical cases. Rothwell graduated from The New York Foundling Hospital, and earned Associate degrees in nursing from Tennessee State University and paralegal studies from Hesser College.

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