A Look Back: What We’ve Accomplished Together at AARP

On Sept. 5, 2014, I walked onstage at AARP's national member event at the San Diego Convention Center to deliver my first speech as the organization's chief executive officer.

That day I made a promise to AARP's members: "As your CEO, I will be unapologetic in fighting for the wants and needs of people 50-plus."

As AARP's new CEO, I wanted to change the conversation about what it means to grow older. I said we need to "disrupt aging"-to challenge outdated stereotypes and attitudes about getting older and spark new solutions that help people live better as they age. I challenged our staff, our volunteers, and our members to help me do that.?

Now, as I prepare to say farewell to AARP, I look back and ask, "How did we do?"

And I feel we can take pride in what we were able to accomplish together.

We are now better prepared to shape the future so people will be empowered to choose how they live as they age.

We have fought for people 50 and over in the halls of Congress, at the White House, and in state capitals and communities across the country. We brought relief from the high cost of prescription drugs, helped ease the burden of caregiving, opposed age discrimination in the workplace, protected Social Security and Medicare, made it easier for people to save for retirement, made communities more age-friendly, and ensured that older Americans have affordable access to technology.

We elevated the importance of brain health and made a significant contribution to the battle against Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. We promoted AARP's role in global aging. And we tackled the tough is sues related to the emerging five-generation workforce.

We changed not just the conversation about aging but also what it means to grow older.

Today, more people are embracing age as a period of continued growth and finding purpose in their lives. So we're beginning to see a new type of experienced, accomplished workforce. We're witnessing an exploding consumer market that is bolstering our economy. And instead of seeing a growing pool of dependents, we're seeing the growth of intergenerational communities with new and different strengths.

AARP and its members have been at the forefront of these changes. Recognizing the increasingly important role technology plays in our lives, we focused on innovation as a key driver of change. Through our AARP Innovation Labs and the AgeTech Collaborative, we have worked with entrepreneurs and businesses to develop new products and services that make aging easier.

We provided new opportunities for people 50 and over to become more adept at navigating our increasingly digital environment by bringing Older Adults Technology Services into the AARP family to offer a wide array of training programs to AARP members. And we stepped up efforts to help members protect their digital assets from fraud.

We have excelled as a wise friend and fierce defender of people 50 and older and their interests. Never was this more apparent than during the COVID-19 pandemic. We provided relevant, unbiased information to help people navigate uncharted waters, created solutions to help older people stay connected with their families, and spoke out on issues ranging from stimulus checks to vaccines to nursing home reforms.

We have come a long way in helping to em power people to choose how they live as they age. And much of the credit goes to you, our members.

But AARP's work is not finished.

As I wind up my tenure as the steward of the legacy of our founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, I'm proud that we have lived up to the motto she gave us more than 65 years ago: "To serve; not to be served." I leave confident that AARP is well positioned to continue building on that legacy.

Serving as CEO has been a tremendous privilege and extraordinary experience. What I will miss the most are the members and volunteers, and the exceptional staff whose passion for our mission and commitment to service is second to none. And although I am leaving AARP, rest assured that I will continue to be unapologetic in fighting for the wants and needs of people 50-plus.