New Hampshire Senior Leadership Series Announces Class of 2011

New Hampshire is aging. With an aging population come many financial and societal challenges such as long-term care, transportation, housing, and health care. And many of these issues will guide the state’s legislative agenda for years to come.

See Also: Contact your elected officials about important issues that affect your life

Building a state-wide corps of volunteers to advocate on these issues will be critical to the quality of life for all in New Hampshire. And that is why the New Hampshire Senior Leadership Series was founded.

Led by AARP New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Senior Leadership Series is a collaboration among Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Institute for Health Policy and Practice at the University of New Hampshire

After a state-wide search, these three organizations chose 17 activists interested in advocating for older adults in New Hampshire. The class of 2011 –the second in the history of the program – will receive six months of training on a wide variety of topics, such as the history of aging and aging services; creating livable communities for aging populations; the legislative process; and community engagement.

This year’s class includes:

• Susan Albert, Weare
  
• Frank Belfsky, Merrimack
  
• Marilyn Black, Hanover
  
• Marilyn Blodgett, Hanover
  
• Anne Carter, Gorham
  
• Maureen Chamberlain, Londonderry
  
• Victoria Chapman, Manchester
  
• Candace Cole-McCrea, Milton
  
• Betsy Gemmecke, Eaton
  
• Martha LaFleur, Keene
  
• Beverly Lee-Packard, Keene
  
• Elias Muchuma Niva, Nashua
  
• Louis Pare, Holderness
  
• Naomi Preble, Manchester
  
• Doris Sherman, Bedford
  
• Janis Sutherland, Center Sandwich
  
• Isabelle Valmont, Manchester
  

Upon completion of the New Hampshire Senior Leadership Series, this newly-formed network of advocates for aging issues will represent a strong, cohesive voice for the residents of New Hampshire. In the coming years, AARP New Hampshire and collaborating agencies will continue to offer the annual New Hampshire Senior Leadership Series to amplify the voices across the Granite State.

If you are interested in participating in a future session of the New Hampshire Senior Leadership series, please contact Doug McNutt via email at dmcnutt@aarp.org.