National Council on the Aging (NCOA)

James P. Firman. For more than 30 years, James Firman has been a leading force for innovation in services, programs, and public policies for older persons. Under his leadership, NCOA has developed many nationally acclaimed programs to improve the health, independence, and economic security of older adults. NCOA has also developed world-class core competencies in collaborative leadership, fostering and scaling evidence-based innovations, and advocacy.

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Story: In December 2006, Walter Langford suffered a near fatal hemorrhagic stroke at just 57 years old. He had hypertension without even knowing it, and his lifestyle had not helped. “I was a junk food junkie,” Langford says. “Three to four Dr. Peppers a day, candy bars, and fried food for lunch. I never exercised, so I was approximately 60 pounds overweight.” The devastating stroke and a local chronic disease workshop led him to 
a radical transformation. “A few months post-stroke, I was very angry about it all,” Langford recalls. “I was floundering in self-doubt and self-pity.” Then he heard about the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) being offered at the Central Texas Area Agency on Aging. CDSMP is a proven, six-week program that empowers older adults with chronic disease to better manage their own health. Under a grant from the Administration on Aging, NCOA is providing technical assistance to 46 states, DC, and Puerto Rico in their efforts to make CDSMP available to tens of thousands of older adults across the country. The small-group workshops are led by trained facilitators, at least one of whom is also coping with a chronic condition. Participants learn how to eat well, exercise, and communicate with their doctors, so they can reduce their symptoms and live better. Langford says he learned all this and more. “Through proper nutrition and regular exercise, I’ve lost 60 pounds and have managed to keep it off for over three years. I eat to live rather than live to eat. I go to a local health club three times a week and work out on average for an hour and a half each time. Junk food is a thing of the past for me.” Making these lifestyle changes has allowed him to cut back on his hypertension medication.

Evidence of Impact Summary:

The National Council on the Aging has been touted as a powerful leader in the field of aging. It has been commended for its well-run and effective programs, its political advocacy efforts, and its outreach to other organizations in the field.
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Organization Strengths Summary:

Experts agree that the leadership guiding the National Council on the Aging is a primary reason why the organization has had such a strong impact on its community
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Areas for Improvement Summary:

According to experts, NCOA could improve by diversifying their funding opportunities and by reaching out to more aging populations.
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For more than 30 years, James Firman has been a leading force for innovation in services, programs, and public policies for older persons. Under his leadership, NCOA has developed many nationally acclaimed programs to improve the health, independence, and economic security of older adults. NCOA has also developed world-class core competencies in collaborative leadership, fostering and scaling evidence-based innovations, and advocacy.

Prior to joining NCOA as president and CEO in 1995, Firman was, for 10 years, founder and CEO of the United Seniors Health Cooperative (USHC), a nonprofit consumer organization. At USHC, he directed the development of the early versions of BenefitsCheckUp®, now one of NCOA’s core bodies of work. He oversaw the development of one of the nation’s first insurance counseling programs for older adults, which helped lead to the development of the national HICAP program. As an advocate, he significantly influenced the development of federal Medigap legislation and long-term care insurance regulations throughout the United States.

From 1981 to 1984, Firman served as a senior program officer at The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, where he helped develop initiatives in aging and health care finance, as well as the model Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers program. He is a co-founder of Grantmakers in Aging.

Firman has served in several national leadership roles, including Chair of the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (three times), and Chair of the Access to Benefits Coalition. He currently serves as Board Chair of the National Human Services Assembly and Chair of the Independent Sector’s National Advisory Committee on Charting Social Impact.
  
Firman earned his MBA and his EdD from Columbia University.

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