Maine Council on Aging announces new chairman of board

AUGUSTA — The Maine Council on Aging has welcomed a chairman of its board of directors effective Oct. 19. Leah Graham, PhD, manager of External and Government Affairs for The Jackson Laboratory, assumed the role after a unanimous vote of her peers during the October MCOA Board meeting.
Graham was a postdoctoral fellow at The Jackson Laboratory, focusing on immune response and vascular remodeling in aging and dementias, before assuming her current position as Manager of Government Affairs. She holds a Ph.D. in genetics from Tufts University and a B.S. from Ithaca College. Ms. Graham has served on the MCOA Board of Directors since 2018 and will remain in her role as Board Chair for two years.
“As a scientist and researcher who focuses on communicating the importance of science and research related to healthy aging to policy makers and the public, Leah is an outstanding advocate for older Mainers, and an excellent choice to help lead the MCOA into its’ exciting next phase,” said Jess Maurer, executive director of the Maine Council on Aging. “Whether it is responding to the current COVID-19 crisis or finding a cure for Alzheimer’s and dementia, partners like Leah and The Jackson Laboratory are pivotal in making sure we can all live healthy lives as we age in Maine.”
Graham will succeed Mary Jane Richards, chief operating officer for North Country Associates, who will remain in leadership of the board as immediate past chair. “It has been an honor to serve as Chair and to be a part of the MCOA’s transformation into a trusted multi-sector network that has so effectively responded to Maine’s COVID-19 crisis,” said Richards. “As we make this leadership transition, I know Leah will bring her same level of enthusiasm and commitment that she has already brought to the board as a director.”
“It’s critical that researchers and scientists be a part of the collaborative processes that are building stronger Maine communities and changing systems to support healthy aging,” said Leah Graham about why she’s taking on a leadership role of a policy organization focused on healthy aging. “Our engagement with organizations like the MCOA informs and strengthens our work and helps to build broader support for the MCOA’s vision.”
The Maine Council on Aging is a broad, multidisciplinary network of more than 100 organizations, businesses, municipalities and older community members. The council draws upon its collective wisdom, experience and hard data to influence policy, educate stakeholders, and advance initiatives that move toward a vision of Maine where its citizens can live healthy, engaged and secure lives with choices and opportunities as they age in their homes and communities.