Our guest today is Greg Olsen, Acting Director of the New York State Office for the Aging. He joins us to talk about a range of issues affecting older adults, including social isolation and resources available to help older adults address them. We’ll also learn about the state’s Master Plan for Aging, which is a roadmap being developed at all levels of state government to ensure that older adults and individuals of all ages can live healthy, fulfilling lives while aging with dignity and independence. The number to call at show time is 800-348-2551. Ray Graf hosts.
Greg Olsen is the Acting Director of the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), where he oversees the agency’s day-to-day operations and the administration of federal and state-funded programs designed to assist the more than 4.6 million older adult residents in the state, as well as programs that assist family members and others involved with helping older adults needing greater levels of assistance. NYSOFA assists older New Yorkers to be as independent as possible, for as long as possible, through advocacy and the development and delivery of programs and services that support and empower older New Yorkers and their families, in partnership with the network of public and private organizations that serve them. Greg has served in a variety of executive management positions within the agency.
Prior to joining NYSOFA, he served as chief of staff and legislative and policy director for Assemblyman Steve Englebright, former chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Aging.
Greg Olsen was executive director of the New York State Alliance for Retired Americans, a union supported organization representing hundreds of thousands of union retirees. He also served as executive director of the New York State Coalition for the Aging, a nonprofit membership organization representing over 200 community-based organizations providing non-medical long-term care to the state’s older adult population.
He received his master’s degree in social work with a specialty in gerontology from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School.
