Staff

The New York State Association of Area Agencies on Aging advocates for expanded community-based services for the elderly and also provides educational conferences and seminars throughout the year:

The "Aging Concerns Unite Us" Conference is held each year in June, visit www.nysaaaa.org/acuu for more information.

An annual Leadership Institute held every Fall provides an opportunity for Directors and Commissioners of the county offices for the aging to set the priorities for the Association. Click here to link to Institute information (members only).

During her tenure as Executive Director, membership has expanded beyond AAAs to include affiliate, corporate, and senior citizen members. A highly successful "Aging Concerns Unite Us" conference was initiated in 1996. This year's ACUU was held June 17-18, 2008, and next year's conference is scheduled for June 2-3, 2009 at the Desmond Hotel & Conference Center. More details at www.nysaaaa.org/acuu . In recognition of this collaborative event, Laura received the "Association Excellence Award" in 1997, along with NYSCA, from the Empire State Society of Association Executives (ESSAE), an organization representing associations in New York State.

Laura was elected as Chair of the Board of the Board of Directors of the Empire State Society of Association Executives (ESSAE) in January 2003. She is a graduate of the 1998-1999 "Capital Leadership" class sponsored by the Albany-Colonie Chamber of Commerce.

JoAnne Martel joins the Association as the Communications and Public Policy Coordinator. JoAnne has 7 years in the Association arena where she was responsible for the overall coordination of an Association’s Statewide Annual Convention, requiring that she keep abreast of all current issues regarding funding, federal and state requirements, and trends in the field. JoAnne comes with several years of experience in marketing events and organizations. She is currently developing a more specific skill set of legislative and policy analysis through her studies toward achieving a Paralegal certification.

JoAnne resides in Clifton Park.