UMBC NEWS

Read More UMBC News Blog Stories

June 6, 2005

ERICKSON SCHOOL OF AGING STUDIES ANNOUNCES ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS

Contact Chip Rose
UMBC News
410-455-5793
crose@umbc.edu

or

Renee Tilton
410-626-0805

The Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) announced today the members of its newly created Advisory Council. The council members are comprised of top executives in the aging services arena, who will support the School in identifying, developing, connecting and providing resources for the advancement of educational, applied research and policy activities.

Members of the council include: Jo Anne Barnhart, commissioner, Social Security Administration; Dan Baty, CEO, Emeritus Assisted Living; William E. Colson, CEO, Holiday Retirement Corporation; John C. Erickson, chairman and CEO, Erickson; John Hurson, President, NCSL, Delegate, Maryland Legislature; Thomas J. Hutchinson III, CEO, CNL Retirement Properties, Inc.; Paul Klaassen, founder, chairman and CEO, Sunrise Senior Living; and Robert G. Kramer, president, National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industries (NIC).

Other council members are: Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); Larry Minnix, president and CEO, American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA); John J. Mulherin, CEO, Ziegler and Company; Tom Nelson, COO, AARP; Arnie Richman, CEO, The Shelter Group, LLP; William B. Sims, CEO, Herbert J. Sims and Co.; and Michael S. Steele, lieutenant governor, State of Maryland.

“We are delighted by the participation of this distinguished group of high-profile leaders who have agreed to be a part of this important council,” said J. Kevin Eckert, Ph.D., dean, Erickson School of Aging Studies. “As the Erickson School of Aging Studies continues to grow, their guidance will be invaluable in helping to define the needs of those who serve America’s aging population.”

The Advisory Council held its first meeting in early June at the UMBC campus. John C. Erickson, chairman and CEO of Erickson, opened the meeting by talking about the relevance and importance of the school to the aging industry. “The School of Aging Studies will touch every phase of post-retirement aging in America – from health care and housing to finance and development,” he said.

Eckert then led a discussion about the vision for the school – to become the preeminent resource for education, research and public policy on aging and services for the mid-life and older population. UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, followed by affirming the Erickson School’s complementary role to the University’s strengths and mission.

“We are a public research university with a strong emphasis on public policy and we are home to one of the largest doctoral programs in gerontology,” Hrabowski said. “This School makes sense for our campus and our region.”

For more information about the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC, visit www.umbc.edu/erickson or call (410) 455-3361.

About The Erickson School of Aging Studies

The Erickson School of Aging Studies was established in April 2004 with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder, of Erickson. The school focuses on credit and non-credit professional education, research and policy in aging services and care. An Executive Development program designed for seniors housing and care professionals is offered throughout the year with courses ranging from management and operations to sales and marketing. Plans include the creation of specialty degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. For more information, visit http://www.umbc.edu/erickson.

UMBC, an Honors University in Maryland, is a four-year, public research university that is home to leading experts on aging who are active in research, education and service in the field of gerontology. It is one of a handful of universities in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in gerontology.

Posted by crose at June 6, 2005 3:51 PM