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Lauren Pongan

Diverse Elders Coalition


Lauren Pongan [she/her] is the National Director of the Diverse Elders Coalition (DEC), which advocates for policies and programs that improve aging in our communities as racially and ethnically diverse people; American Indians and Alaska Natives; and LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning and other self-identifying members of the community) people. The coalition is comprised of six national organizations: National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA), National Caucus and Center on Black Aging (NCBA), National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA), National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA), SAGE (advocacy and services for LGBT elders), and Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC).

Before coming to the DEC, Lauren worked to support and build a network of leaders of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community-based organizations at the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum.  There she co-designed, developed, and facilitated signature federal advocacy and lobbying trainings. Her past experience includes managing direct service programs for Asian American immigrants, refugees, and elders, and Pennsylvania’s only Asian American focused domestic violence services program at SEAMAAC, Inc. She has also managed a coalition of bilingual Asian American Affordable Care Act navigators from several community-based organizations around Philadelphia.

Lauren identifies as a mixed race second-generation Filipina American.  She holds a Master of Arts in Southeast Asian Studies from the University of Washington, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Colby College.

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About Us

The Reframing Aging Initiative is a long-term social change endeavor designed to improve the public’s understanding of what aging means and the many ways that older people contribute to our society. This greater understanding will counter ageism and guide our nation’s approach to ensuring supportive policies and programs for us all as we move through the life course.

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Contact Us: reframingaging@geron.org

Follow us on Twitter: @ReframingAging

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About Us

The Reframing Aging Initiative is led by The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) on behalf of the Leaders of Aging Organizations and is currently funded by Archstone Foundation, The John A. Hartford Foundation, RRF Foundation for Aging, and The SCAN Foundation, with additional support from New Hampshire Endowment for Health, NextFifty Initiative, Rose Community Foundation, San Antonio Area Foundation, and Tufts Health Plan Foundation.)

Get In Touch

Contact Us: reframingaging@geron.org

Follow us on Twitter: @ReframingAging