Q: How long have you been a GSA member?
A: I have been a GSA member for three years. While I've spent more than 25 years working in the community to improve the health and well-being of older adults, joining GSA gave me an opportunity to engage more deeply with the broader gerontology community. I was especially drawn to GSA's advocacy efforts and the opportunity to provide a community organization perspective while partnering with researchers, clinicians, and policy leaders to advance issues affecting older adults. Becoming involved with Hill advocacy has been particularly rewarding, allowing me to bring a community implementation lens to conversations that are often shaped by research, while learning from some of the leading scientists in the field.
Q: Do you have a GSA resource that has been your “go-to” for keeping you engaged with the Society?
A: I have found tremendous value in GSA's advocacy efforts and practical resources. The Reframing Aging initiative has been especially impactful in helping me think about how we communicate about aging in ways that reduce bias and promote more productive conversations. I regularly share lessons from that work with colleagues and partners. I have also appreciated resources such as the Obesity and Brain Health toolkits, which translate research into actionable insights and support evidence-based approaches to improving health outcomes for older adults. Through these resources and the broader GSA network, I have been able to stay informed, engaged, and connected to emerging issues in the field.
Q: In what ways has membership in GSA benefitted you?
A: GSA has helped me broaden my perspective on aging by connecting me with professionals across research, healthcare, policy, and community-based services. The interdisciplinary nature of the Society has challenged me to think holistically about healthy aging and has provided opportunities to build meaningful professional relationships that have influenced my work and leadership approach.
Q: How did you get interested in the field of aging?
A: My interest in the field of aging began through my work promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles among older adults as a Fitness Coach on a University of Washington research study. Early in my career, I saw firsthand how movement and exercise could do far more than improve physical function. Staying active helped older adults maintain independence, build confidence, strengthen social connections, and improve their overall quality of life.
Those experiences reinforced my belief that aging is not defined by limitations, but by opportunities to support health, connection, and continued engagement in the activities that matter most to people. Working alongside older adults and seeing the positive impact of evidence-based programs inspired me to focus on expanding access to programs and services that help people stay active, connected, and independent as they age.
A key mentor in this journey has been Dr. Nancy Whitelaw, former director of NCOA’s Center for Healthy Aging and a past president of GSA. Her leadership in advancing evidence-based programs helped shape my commitment to translating proven approaches into community settings, and her encouragement ultimately inspired me to join GSA and become more engaged in the Society.
Q: What do you love most about your line of work?
A: What I love most is knowing that the work makes a real difference in people's lives. Whether it is helping shape programs, supporting teams, or building partnerships, I find it rewarding to contribute to efforts that improve health, independence, and social connection for older adults and their caregivers. It is especially meaningful to see research move beyond academic settings and become programs that people can access in their own communities.
Q: What projects are you working on in your current position?
A: A significant focus of my work is integrating and expanding access to evidence-based programs that help older adults maintain their health, independence, and quality of life. At Sound Generations, I oversee EnhanceFitness and EnhanceWellness, nationally recognized programs developed in partnership with the University of Washington and healthcare organizations that support older adults through physical activity, behavior change, and self-management strategies. Together, these programs help older adults stay active, manage chronic conditions, and remain engaged in their communities, with a particular focus on reaching people who may face barriers to accessing health promotion programs and services.
I am also actively engaged in advancing ACSM's Exercise is Medicine® Active Aging initiative, which promotes the integration of physical activity into healthcare and community settings as an important part of healthy aging. These efforts align closely with many of the priorities discussed within GSA, including prevention and bringing research-based approaches into community settings where people live, learn, and receive services.
What excites me most about these projects is helping proven programs reach more people, especially older adults who have historically faced barriers to participation because of income, language, geography, transportation, or limited access to services. Through partnerships across healthcare, research, and community organizations, I am working to make evidence-based physical activity programs more available, affordable, and welcoming so that all older adults have the opportunity to benefit from them.
Q: What was the best piece of advice you got early on in your career you’d like to pass on to emerging gerontologists?
A: The best advice I received was to stay curious. The field of aging is constantly evolving, and some of the most important advances happen when we listen, collaborate across disciplines, and remain open to new perspectives. For emerging gerontologists, I would encourage you to build relationships, seek mentors, and spend time listening to older adults themselves. They are the experts on their own lives, and some of the best ideas come from understanding their experiences and priorities.