#USAgingHere4You: Sara Maloney
Sara Maloney joined USAging in May 2022 as Program Manager, Commit to Connect and currently serves as Director of the Aging and Disability Vaccination Collaborative (ADVC). In her role, Sara manages the work of the ADVC, a national effort funded by the U.S. Administration for Community Living that focuses on flu and COVID-19 vaccine uptake among older adults and people with disabilities.
“I have over 14 years of experience in the Aging Network and have always been a dedicated advocate for older adults. Growing up with multiple grandparents, great-grandparents and other older adult family members, I was drawn to a career in gerontology. This was solidified after a summer of serving meals in a Continuing Care Retirement Community dining room. Developing relationships with older adults and learning their stories is what I enjoyed during my early years of direct-service work.”
Prior to joining USAging, Sara managed programs and services at Centralina Area Agency on Aging (AAA) in Charlotte, NC, including the Family Caregiver Support Program and Dementia Friends/Dementia Friendly Initiatives. She was drawn to the work that AAAs do during her Aging Programs and Services class in graduate school. While completing her Master's in Gerontology, she worked in many areas of direct service, including long-term care, adult day care and care management.
“USAging has provided a broader platform for me to continue working closely with AAAs and leading national programs. I have enjoyed learning more about the wide variety of creative services and programs offered by AAAs across the country.”
As Director of the ADVC, Sara hopes to increase vaccine equity among older adults and people with disabilities while providing support to those organizations doing the work in communities. Hearing the stories of ingenuity and resiliency following the pandemic has fueled her motivation to help vaccination efforts become a new line of service of AAAs and CILs.
Sara resides in North Carolina with her husband and two daughters, ages six and eight, where she enjoys traveling to the beach or the mountains on long weekends. She also enjoys reading, rewatching movie classics and fried green tomatoes.
To learn more about the ADVC visit USAging's website or email advc@usaging.org.
USAging's Aging and Disability Vaccination Collaborative Team
- Deb Stone-Walls, Chief, Programs and Services
- Sara Maloney, Director
- Jennifer Hammer, Assistant Director
- Jessica Machler, Senior Program Manager
- Natalie Turnbull, Program Manager
- Katie Ballard, Program Manager
- Christian Flores, Program Manager
- Janice Powers, Program Manager