A day-long educational forum will be held at Paul Smith’s College on Thursday, November 9 from 9:30 am to 3 pm, focusing on livability and the economic benefits of aging friendly communities.

Hosted by Mercy Care for the Adirondacks, with support from Adirondack Foundation and Eastern Adirondack Health Care Network, the forums feature two nationally recognized experts on aging: Dr. John Feather and Greg Olsen.

“Our board has a goal to raise awareness about the contributions elders make in our Adirondack communities—socially, intellectually, and economically,” said Jerry Hayes, president of Mercy Care’s Board of Directors in a statement to the press. “Creating aging friendly communities helps our elder neighbors age in place more successfully, enhances the fullness of their lives, and results in stronger communities for people of all ages.”

Feathers is CEO of Grantmakers in Aging, a national philanthropic organization dedicated to improving the experience of aging. He previously held the position of executive director and CEO of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, director of the AARP Andrus Foundation, the research and education charity of AARP, and he has held several positions at the State University of New York at Buffalo including clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology.  Dr. Feather is past chair of the Board of Directors of the American Society on Aging and treasurer of the National Hispanic Council on Aging. He was selected as one of the “50 Influencers in Aging” by Next Avenue, PBS’ national information source on aging.

An Expert Economic Development Panel discussion follows Dr. Feather’s presentation and includes: Garry Douglas, president & CEO, North Country Chamber; William Farber, chairman, Hamilton County Board of Supervisors; James McKenna, CEO, Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism; and Matt Simpson, chairman, Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages.

Greg Olsen is acting director of the New York State Office for the Aging. He is expected to discuss New York State demographics, change drivers, the social, intellectual and economic capital of New York State’s older population and discuss the state’s direction to develop and implement a health across all policies approach.

As acting director of the NYS Office for the Aging, Olsen oversees the day-to-day operations of the office and the administration of federal and state-funded programs designed to assist the more than 3.7 million older adult residents in the state. He served previously as executive director for the NYS Alliance for Retired Americans and as executive director of the NYS Coalition for the Aging.

To register for the forum, contact Jenn Grisi, office coordinator for Mercy Care for the Adirondacks, at (518) 523-5583 or by e-mail at jgrisi@adkmercy.org. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

The forum will be held in the Stirling Tomkins Pine Room, Joan Weill Student Center, Paul Smith’s College, 7777 NY-30, Paul Smiths.