Kathy J. Greenlee
The John A. Hartford Foundation
The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF) announced Kathy J. Greenlee, JD, as this year’s recipient of The John A. Hartford Foundation Trustees Award for her decades of government service and advocacy on behalf of older adults and people with disabilities, especially those who need long-term services and supports, are at risk of elder abuse, are LGBTQ+ and who live in rural America.
Ms. Greenlee was appointed to the role of U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging by President Obama in 2009. During her seven years in that position, Ms. Greenlee orchestrated groundbreaking initiatives that reshaped the landscape of elder rights, disability services, and health care access. One of her enduring legacies is the creation of the Administration for Community Living (ACL) in 2012. The ACL’s creation brought together the federal government’s agencies focused on both older adults and people with disabilities, with a goal of promoting independent living and full community engagement.
During her tenure, Ms. Greenlee also worked closely with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other federal agencies to implement the Affordable Care Act. She chaired the Elder Justice Coordinating Committee on behalf of the White House, created a federal home for state Adult Protective Services programs, and developed the National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System. She also chaired the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services LGBT Issues Coordinating Committee, which advanced policy and program development on behalf of LGBTQ+ individuals.
Currently, Ms. Greenlee is Senior Director of Elder Justice Initiatives at ADvancing States, which represents the nation’s 56 state and territorial agencies on aging and disabilities and long-term services and supports directors. She serves as a volunteer on a number of advisory bodies and is chair of the National Council on Aging’s Board of Directors. Prior to her federal term, Ms. Greenlee served 18 years in state government. She was Secretary of Aging in Kansas, and before that, she was the state’s Long Term Care Ombudsman, General Counsel for the Kansas Insurance Department, and Assistant Attorney General.
The John A. Hartford Foundation and its programs have benefited from Ms. Greenlee’s expertise and guidance. She was a thought leader and champion who helped support the launch of the Aging and Disability Business Institute at USAging, which builds the capacity of community-based organizations and the aging services network to partner with health care organizations. She served as a guide, mentor, and strategic advisor to the National Collaboratory to Address Elder Mistreatment. She is currently facilitating an interest group for the National Rural Health Association’s Age-Friendly Rural Initiative. She recently helped organize a summit for the National Center to Reframe Aging, which counters ageism by promoting evidence-based strategies for communicating about aging and older adults.
Ms. Greenlee has also had experience as a consultant, launching Greenlee Global, LLC, which focused on aging-related projects regionally, nationally, and internationally. She was a consulting principal with PYA and Senior Health Policy Advisor of the Center for Practical Bioethics.