AARP Foundation Board of Directors Full Biographies

Judge Patricia Banks (Retired, Chicago, Ill.) received her Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Judge Banks practiced law for over 20 years before her 1994 election to a judgeship for the Circuit Court of Cook County. She served as a trial judge in the Domestic Relations and Law Divisions prior to her appointment as the founding Presiding Judge of the Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies (ELMR) Division from 2010-2017. The ELMR Division is the only division of its kind in the United States and was established to improve access to justice for the elderly.

Judge Banks has served as a consultant on elder abuse for the National Center for State Courts. She is also a former faculty member of the Illinois Supreme Court Judicial Conference, where she lectured on elder abuse and aging. She has given testimony before the Elder Justice Coordinating Council, and most recently participated in a panel discussion at a congressional briefing on the intergenerational, interdisciplinary issue of advance care planning. She is a former board member for the Center for Conflict Resolution and is a certified mediator with advanced certification in Eldercare Mediation.

Judge Banks chaired the 15 member America Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Law & Aging, the Elder Law Committee of the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) and the Elder Abuse Committee of the American Judges Association (AJA). During the course of her legal career she served as a member of the Chicago Bar Association Board of Managers, the Chicago Bar Foundation board of directors and Vice-President of the Cook County Bar Association, chairing its Judicial Evaluation Committee. Judge Banks chaired the Illinois Supreme Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinating Committee and The Judicial Council Division of the National Bar Association (NBA). Judge Banks also served on the Advisory Board of Concordia University-Chicago Center for Gerontology.

Judge Banks established the Circuit Court of Cook County Elder Justice Center. A comprehensive resource center designed to close the access gap for seniors through a free legal clinic, benefits counseling, and educational seminars on a myriad of issues including abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. She currently facilitates workshops, publishes articles and speaks globally on elder law and elder care issues.

 

Robert “Bob” Blancato

Member, AARP Foundation Board of Directors

Robert “Bob” Blancato of Alexandria, Va., is president of Matz, Blancato and Associates, a public and government relations firm.  He spent 17 years on the staff of the U.S. House Select Committee on Aging and has participated in four White House Conferences on Aging, including as the Executive Director of the 1995 White House Conference on Aging.  With over 30 years of deep experience in the field of aging and public service, he is executive director of the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs and the National Coordinator of the Elder Justice Coalition. As a volunteer, Bob serves on the Board of the National Hispanic Council on Aging.  From 2016 to 2018, he chaired the American Society on Aging (ASA).  He is a former volunteer State President of AARP Virginia and served six years on the Board of the National Council on Aging.  He is a former president of the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse. 

In 2019, he was appointed by HHS Secretary Alex Azar to the National Advisory Council on Rural Health and Human Services.  Bob was named to the ASA Hall of Fame in 2020. He was knighted by the Republic of Italy in 2011.

 

Elaine Boltz

Member, AARP Foundation Board of Directors

Elaine Boltz is a transformational leader, recognized for driving impactful, large-scale change for top retail and consumer businesses. She has more than 15 years of growing revenue for companies ranging from $1 billion to $25 billion in global sales. In her most recent role as Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Operations and Transformation Officer for Crocs Inc., she led the revolution of the company’s global supply chain, technology, and inventory planning, enabling revenues to triple during her tenure. Prior, Boltz served as President of TJX Digital, a stand-alone operating division of TJX Companies that launched ecommerce. She also served as SVP, Direct-to-Consumer for Chicos FAS and EVP, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at Ann Inc., where she developed and executed brand differentiation for Loft and Ann Taylor. Elaine was a partner at BCG’s Consumer and Retail practice, where she now serves as a senior advisor. Elaine served on the board of Brinker Int’l, owner of Chili’s restaurants, and was also an independent director for private equity-owned Purpose-Built Brands, a household product company.

Elaine earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Claire Casey

AARP Foundation President

As president of AARP Foundation, Claire Casey leads the organization’s strategic direction and efforts to achieve its vision of a country free of poverty where no older person feels vulnerable.

Casey joined the Foundation from Economist Impact, where she was the global head of policy and insights. Her work focused on driving awareness and action on critical global issues such as food security, global aging, and more. She also founded FP Analytics, the research and analysis division of the FP Group and publisher of Foreign Policy magazine. Casey has more than two decades of experience providing evidence-based strategic advisory services to Fortune 100 corporations, foundations, governments, and international institutions.

She holds a master’s degree in international economics and international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a bachelor’s degree in international politics and economics from Middlebury College.

Sailesh Chutani

Member, AARP Foundation Board of Directors

Sailesh Chutani is a senior executive with over 30 years of experience in technology, health care, and telecommunications in the Fortune 500 companies as well as startups. He has a track record of bringing significant innovations to the market that have served millions of customers and created billions of dollars in value.

Most recently Sailesh was the CTO of Logitech ($5B+ public company) reporting to the CEO.  He helped the company grow from $3B to over $5B in revenue, through the development of new businesses, products, and capabilities. Prior to that he had executive roles at Amazon and Microsoft and was the CEO of a pioneering digital health company Mobisante.

At Amazon, as an EIR, Sailesh developed opportunities in consumer robotics, sustainability, and circular economy-based approach for the clothing industry. As the CEO of Mobisante, he led the company through initial product creation, FDA clearance, financing, GTM, revenues, and sale to private equity. He managed a $220M+ P&L at Microsoft after turning it around, and a $100M investment portfolio focused on early-stage technologies. Sailesh was in the founding team of Transarc (acquired by IBM) that became a multi-billion-dollar business.

Sailesh is currently an independent board director and advisor to several companies in healthcare, sustainability, carbon removal, and AI.

Sailesh and his work have been featured in the New York Times, Economist, CNN, MIT Technology Review, and TEDMED and won global recognition such as the GSMA award for innovation. IBM Figures of Progress and Rainmakers TV have profiled him. His book “Technology at the Margins” received a foreword by the Nobel Laureate Dr. Yunus. He has international experience, having lived, and worked in the US, Switzerland, and India. He is multi-lingual and fluent in English, French and Hindi.

Sailesh has a PhD in Computer Science from the Swiss Federal institute of Technology in Switzerland.

 

Margot James Copeland

Member, AARP Foundation Board of Directors

Margot James Copeland of Cleveland, Ohio is an experienced executive with extensive board and organizational leadership expertise. Since her retirement from KeyBank as Executive Vice President and CEO of the KeyBank Foundation, she now serves on the boards of AARP, The Cleveland Clinic, The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, The Cleveland Foundation and The The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

Margot is the 15th National President of The Links, Incorporated and Trustee of the Thomas White and George Codrington Foundations. Smart Business Magazine named her a “Master Innovator” and she has also received the coveted Community Impact Award from American Banker. She’s the mother of three adult children and has one granddaughter. 

 

Ann G. Daw

Member, AARP Foundation Board of Directors

Ann G. Daw, of Crompond, NY, is currently President of Crepini, LLC, a maker of zero net carb wraps that are low calorie, gluten free and keto and paleo friendly and distributed throughout the U.S. Canada and Japan.  Prior to this position she was President of the not-for-profit Specialty Food Association having held that position since 2006. During her tenure, membership grew by more than 30%, retention exceeded not-for-profit membership norms, and attendance at the two SFA trade shows – in NY and San Francisco - grew exponentially. She established the organization’s first foundation supporting continuing education, research, fighting hunger and food waste, innovation, and outreach, and increased the net assets five-fold. She established strong governance and oversight guidelines while building a culture of accountability and collaboration.

Prior to leading the Specialty Food Association, Ann was Senior Vice President of Business and Marketing Development in the International Division, and VP of Global Marketing Resources and Initiatives of Kraft Foods. Earlier, she headed Strategic Planning for Phillip Morris International, and led Marketing and Sales for the Asia Pacific Division of the company out of Hong Kong.

She currently sits on a number of boards including the Karagheusian Foundation and advises and mentors start-ups and turnarounds. Her husband and she have established a foundation in their son's name, giving cross country camp scholarships to students. She is the proud Mom of two strong daughters and two granddaughters.

 

Gregory J. Dyson 

Member, AARP Foundation Board of Directors

Gregory J. Dyson of Olney, Md., is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), the nation’s leading non-profit promoting a just economy for all through wealth creation, housing opportunities, community development and racial equity. He is a member of NCRC’s Senior Executive Team with oversight of Strategic Planning, Human Resources, Operations and Innovation.

Previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of the ANA Enterprise, the family of organizations composed of the American Nurses Association (ANA), American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and American Nurses Foundation. ANA represents the interests of the nation’s 4+ million registered nurses.

Gregory has 25+ years of experience leading marketing and operations for both the public and non-profit sectors. In addition, Gregory possesses a deep understanding of the needs of and challenges faced by the aging population, having spent 15 years in senior executive-level positions at the ICMA Retirement Corporation (ICMA-RC), a $53 billion plan administrator and retirement services provider to state and municipal employers operating within the U.S. Throughout his career, Gregory has effectively spearheaded efforts to improve member/customer experiences including investing in technology enhancements, partnership development, and brand innovations. Gregory is an experienced Board member; he has served in numerous leadership capacities and has facilitated an organization’s fundraising, leadership transition, and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

 

Noreen Gillen

Member, AARP Foundation Board of Directors

Noreen Gillen is a Wealth Management Advisor and oversees the Wealth Planning experience for a boutique-style banking and investment group inside of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Manhattan, New York. She and her team advise on complex financial issues to help clients achieve their long-term goals. Areas of focus include investment strategy, cash flow analysis, pre-transaction planning, estate and tax planning, risk management, wealth transfer and charitable planning.

She holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. and holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor ™ (CRPC®) designation. Noreen also earned the Certified Exit Planning Advisor® (CEPA®) designation offered by the Exit Planning Institute, which educates and certifies qualified professional advisors in the field of exit planning for privately held business owners. Exit planning is a process that educates the owner on all of the potential exit options available while at the same time addressing the business, personal and financial needs of the owner. This knowledge leaves her with a strong understanding of what is needed in preparation for the transition of an owner's business while also planning for any potential liquidity event as a result of the sale of their business. Noreen's experience in advising entrepreneurs has garnered her a strong understanding of the intricacies of their needs as well as their families.

Prior to Merrill Lynch, Noreen worked at Sony BMG Entertainment where her responsibilities included financial oversight of the royalties for its various record labels, artists, and joint venture deals. She earned her B.S. in Finance from NYU Stern School of Business.

In the community, Noreen has several philanthropic endeavors, with a focus on creating multi-generational wealth in underserved communities. She is a frequent speaker on the topics of financial literacy and business succession planning. Noreen serves as a mentor to the CEO's in the Stanford University Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, a business scaling executive curriculum for Latino/Hispanic CEOs of privately held/family owned companies. Noreen also serves on the board of the Latino Corporate Directors Education Foundation (Board Ready Institute), whose strategic mission is to prepare, position, and grow the supply of Latino C-Suite executives prepared for corporate board service. Additionally, she is a Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) alumnus and an advisory board member of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

 

Betty J. Hudson

Member, AARP Foundation Board of Directors

Betty J. Hudson of Fort Worth, Texas is President, Hudson & Associates and an award-winning communications industry leader with more than four decades of experience in every aspect of corporate and strategic communications including consumer, employee, financial, and cause-related marketing, as well as brand and communications management. Betty’s career was spent in Fortune 500 companies and media conglomerates, including the National Geographic Society, where she was part of the leadership team that transformed the iconic brand from domestic magazine publisher to the world’s largest science, research and education organization with multiple content platforms and consumer services. Betty has consistently been able to contribute deep knowledge in technology transformation to innovate consumer brands and deliver new products. She continues to support major enterprises as a strategic communications consultant.

 

Susan Werth

Member, AARP Foundation Board of Directors

Susan Werth of Miami, Fla., is a career corporate legal executive with extensive experience in hospitality and real estate development and a reputation for collaboration and strategic advocacy. During her twenty years at Starwood Hotels she held a variety of legal and executive roles, the last as SVP & General Counsel for The Americas, Starwood’s largest division with over 650 hotels in 23 countries.

Pre-Starwood, Susan was SVP & General Counsel of Vistana, Inc., a publicly-traded vacation ownership developer and operator acquired by Starwood in 1999. Before joining Vistana, Susan was in private practice as a real estate partner at the Miami office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP specializing in complex real estate, corporate, and securitization transactions.

A member of the Florida Bar and a former President of the Florida Bar Foundation, Susan is on the Board of Directors of the AARP Foundation in Washington, D.C. where she currently chairs the Development Committee.  She is a member of the Miami Committee of Human Rights Watch and of the International Women’s Forum.  She is an active investor in regional start-up companies through angel investing group Miami Angels.

Susan and her husband Bernard Silver live in Miami, Florida.