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Assistant Secretary for Aging Nominee Announced
This week the Biden administration nominated Rita Landgraf to serve as Assistant Secretary for Aging, a position that also comes with the job of Administrator of the U.S. Administration for Community Living. Langraf will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before beginning work, however; that process typically takes several months.The White House's announcement included the following biographical information for the nominee.
“Rita Landgraf joined the University of Delaware's College of Health Sciences in 2017 as Professor of Practice and Distinguished Health and Social Services Administrator in Residence. She also serves as Director of the UD Partnership for Healthy Communities, a cross-college, cross-state initiative. Landgraf serves as a leader within the Dean's Office and supports a variety of activities including community engagement and outreach, development of a Master's level degree in public health, and the college's pipeline program. Landgraf's focus is concentrated on the social, economic, and environmental conditions that support and sustain healthy communities and the relationship of these conditions to promote equity in health, a cost-effective health system, and the advancement of policy.
From 2009 to 2017, Landgraf served as Cabinet Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services under Governor Jack Markell. As Secretary, she led the principal agency charged with keeping Delawareans healthy, ensuring they get the health care they need, and providing children, families, individuals with disabilities and seniors with the essential services. She managed one of the largest departments in Delaware's government that included Medicaid, aging and disability services, with an annual budget of over $2 billion. Under Landgraf's leadership, Delaware expanded community-based services to help older adults age in place, and people with disabilities live, work and participate in their communities. Landgraf is the former President of AARP Delaware, the former Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Delaware, and the former Executive Director of the Arc of Delaware.”