April 10, 2015
Dr. Wesley Lum Selected as New NAPCA CEO & President
By: Diverse Elders

The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) is one of the five Diverse Elders Coalition members.  NAPCA recently selected a new CEO, Dr. Wesley Lum.  Below is the announcement from NAPCA about Dr. Lum’s appointment.  We at the DEC are looking forward to working with Dr. Lum to continue to make positive change for AAPI elders.

After an extensive nationwide search, the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) Board of Directors has selected Dr. Wesley Lum to be the organization’s President and Chief Executive Officer effective April 1.

“We’re very excited to have someone with Dr. Lum’s impressive credentials to lead NAPCA,” said David Cohen, chairman of NAPCA’s Board of Directors. “He has the vision and talent to continue to make NAPCA highly successful and effective in its mission to serve Asian American and Pacific Islander elders.”

Dr. Lum brings with him 20 years of experience in the field of aging, health, social services, policy, and advocacy. He most recently served as the Director of the Hawaii Executive Office on Aging, appointed by then-Governor Neil Abercrombie. He has extensive leadership experience, having served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD), the Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society, and the Hawaii Public Health Association.

He is a recipient of several awards, including from the Hawaii Senate for Outstanding Advocate for Hawaii’s Elders and Family Caregivers, and the Hawaii State Legislature for Outstanding Leadership in Creating Programs and Restructuring Services and Policies to More Effectively Serve the Kupuna of Hawaii. Dr. Lum is widely published on topics relating to caregiving and factors impacting quality of life among AAPI older adults.

Cohen, selected earlier this month as NAPCA’s first Board Chairman of Pacific Islander descent, also thanked outgoing President and CEO Christine Takada. “We’re grateful for all she did to lead NAPCA through a very challenging transition period.”

NAPCA is the leading advocacy and service organization committed to the dignity, well-being, and quality of life of Asian American and Pacific Islander elders as they age.

See the original announcement here: http://napca.org/press-releases/

 

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Diverse Elders Coalition.