News from New York State Office for the Aging

For more information contact: Reza Mizbani, 518-474-7181

NYSOFA Director to Continue Under Paterson Administration

ALBANY, NY (04/24/2008; 1732)(readMedia)-- Governor David A. Paterson recently confirmed that Michael J. Burgess will remain on as Director of the New York State Office for the Aging during his administration. Mr. Burgess has served as Director of the Office for the Aging since February of 2007.

The State Office for the Aging is the single state agency that oversees the administration of all federal funds granted to New York State under the Older Americans Act. The Office also administers a number of state funded programs that provide services and assistance to the elderly and their family members. There are 59 area offices for the aging, mostly county-based, that the Office for the Aging oversees.

The State Office for the Aging plays a central role in advocating on behalf of the 3.4 million older adults and their families living in New York. Director Burgess has defined the mission of the State Office for the Aging, in partnership with the network of public and private organizations that serve our older population, to assist older New Yorkers to be as independent as possible for as long as possible through delivery of high quality, person- and family- oriented, cost-effective programs and services. The efforts of the State Office for the Aging to address the challenges presented by a growing older population are rooted in the deepest principle of our aging services philosophy: to promote the independence of seniors by serving them – where they want to be served and where it is most cost-effective to serve them – in their homes and communities.

Director Burgess notes, “NYSOFA takes this mission very seriously and will continue to work at the community, county, and state levels to ensure that the voices of our constituents and their families are integral to our program and policy development. I look forward to continuing to work with Governor Paterson to improve the lives and well-being of all New Yorkers, especially the older residents of our great state.”

Prior to joining the Office for Aging, Mr. Burgess was the Executive Director of the New York State Alliance for Retired Americans, and for several years prior to that, was the Executive Director of the New York StateWide Senior Action Council. In those positions, he played a major role in the passage of landmark state legislation, including the EPIC prescription drug program and subsequent expansion of the EPIC program. Earlier in his career, Mr. Burgess served as the Executive Director of the Non-Profit Resource Center, an organization which worked to strengthen the capacity of smaller non-profit agencies so that they could better serve their constituents.

For more information about the New York State Office for the Aging, go to the web site:www.aging.state.ny.us. xxx

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