As AARP’s chief advocacy and engagement officer, Nancy LeaMond has responsibility for driving the organization’s social mission on behalf of Americans 50-plus and their families. Nancy leads government affairs and legislative campaigns for AARP, widely seen as one of the most powerful advocacy organizations in the country. She also manages public education, volunteerism, and multicultural outreach and engagement. Nancy’s team includes 650 staff and more than 17,000 volunteers across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Nancy directs major AARP initiatives, including leading work on behalf of family caregivers, to build and enhance Livable Communities, and several landmark campaigns. AARP’s caregiving work aims to support family caregivers in finding the help they need when they need it, using advocacy, education, outreach to employers, and innovative programs to provide social support, and connecting caregivers to services and advocates in their own communities. The Livable Communities initiative is helping residents and local leaders turn their communities into great places to live for people of all ages, and sharing great ideas through AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly Communities, an award-winning e-newsletter, and an annual edition of Where We Live: Communities for All Ages. Nancy has also led nationwide campaigns to protect the health and financial security of Americans age 50+, including the successful 2017 effort to maintain the promise of Medicare and protect older Americans and their families from higher out of pocket costs or reduced coverage. Other campaigns demanded that candidates for national office commit to addressing challenges facing Social Security and Medicare, fought major home energy cost increases, and put health care and financial security at the top of the country’s agenda. Nancy has been named by The Hill as one of the “Top Lobbyists” every year since 2011. In 2016 she received the What’s Next Boomer Business Innovation Award for Vision, Leadership and Integrity, and she was named one of Next Avenue’s 2017 Influencers In Aging.
Nancy is a nationally recognized leader on health, retirement security and other issues important to older Americans. Prior to coming to AARP, Nancy served as the chief of staff and assistant U.S. trade representative for congressional affairs at the Office of the United States Trade Representative. She worked extensively on health care and pension issues before entering the trade field, beginning her career in the Public Health Service, the Medicaid program and the Department of Commerce. She also served in the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Education, and on Capitol Hill as chief of staff to a senior member of Congress. Nancy holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College and a master’s degree in public policy and city planning from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.