Myechia Minter-Jordan, M.D., MBA, is the new chief executive officer of AARP, the nation’s largest nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older. She replaces Jo Ann Jenkins who this past March announced she was stepping down.
Minter-Jordan joins AARP from the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health in Boston, Massachusetts where she was president and CEO. CareQuest Institute had revenue of $1.2 billion and assets of $2 billion during 2022, according to data on the organization’s federal Form 990.
Compensation details were not announced. She earned $1.17 million at CareQuest Institute during 2022 and Jenkins’ base was $2.38 million, according to the most recent Form 990 from both organizations.
CareQuest Institute collaborates with a wide range of partners to achieve its mission of improving the oral health of all through work in grantmaking, research, health improvement programs, policy and advocacy, and education, as well as leadership in dental benefits, care delivery, and innovation advancements.
In 2020, Myechia joined 18 other Black and Brown executives in Massachusetts as a founding leader of The New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund (NCF) to provide philanthropic support to community groups and coalitions fighting systemic racism and racial inequity in the Commonwealth. Originally seeded with $20 million, the goal for NCF is to raise $100 million.
Before joining CareQuest Institute, Myechia was chief medical officer and CEO of the Dimock Center, one of the largest community health centers in Massachusetts. During Myechia’s tenure, Dimock was recognized as a national model for comprehensive, integrated health and human services. Myechia formed partnerships to advance person-centered care, including with Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Partners HealthCare. Prior to Dimock, Myechia worked for Johns Hopkins Medicine as an attending physician and instructor of medicine.
“This is a pivotal moment for AARP and the nation. For more than 65 years, AARP has been instrumental in improving the lives of older Americans helping people age on their own terms and live their lives to the fullest,” Minter-Jordan said via a statement. “As AARP looks ahead, we have exciting opportunities to empower, uplift and make a positive impact on the health, wealth and wellness of the more than 110 million Americans ages 50 and older and the entire country.”
Myechia serves on several boards and committees, including BlueShield of California, The Boston Foundation, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Previously, she held appointed positions including the Massachusetts Health Planning Council Advisory Committee and the City of Boston Public Health Commission.
Myechia earned her doctor of medicine degree from Brown University School of Medicine and a master of business administration degree from the Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business. She also received honorary doctorates from Northeastern University and Newbury College.
Jenkins joined AARP in 2010 as president of AARP Foundation, the organization’s affiliated charity. She focused the foundation on four areas of work affecting Americans 50 and older: income insecurity, housing, isolation and hunger. Jenkins was appointed CEO in 2014 after one year as chief operating officer. She was selected 11 times to the annual The NonProfit Times Power & Influence Top 50.
On Jenkins’ watch, AARP evolved from an organization traditionally focused on advocating for retirees to one with a more expansive mission that includes serving as an advocate and job training resource for the nearly 1 in 5 Americans past the age of 65 still in the workforce. AARP is also a resource and advocate for the estimated 100 million Americans older than age 50 who choose to maintain an active lifestyle through work, volunteerism, and other activities.
Jenkins has served AARP in various capacities for 20 years, beginning when she joined the board of AARP Services in 2004 and later when she chaired that board during 2009-10.
Jenkins became AARP’s executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2013, a role she held for 18 months before being appointed CEO in September 2014. Annual revenue under her leadership grew from just less than $1.4 billion in 2014 to more than $2 billion in 2021 before declining to $1.8 billion in 2022, according to AARP’s most recently available federal Form 990.
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