FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 9, 2018
Contact: Ty Ma’ae, (206) 624-1221
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging Announces CEO Leadership Change
[Seattle, WA] – The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) announces key staff leadership changes effective immediately.
Wesley Lum, PhD, NAPCA President and Chief Executive Officer, departed last week after three years at the helm of America’s only nationwide organization working to serve Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) as they age. He made important changes to grow the organization, and his leadership will be missed.
“Together, we’ve been able to move the needle forward toward a better life for vulnerable AAPI older adults, systems and professionals to be more culturally and linguistically competent, stronger policies and practices that reflect the needs of our diverse populations, and to be the voice of AAPI older adults and their families,” said Lum. Last year, he was named an Influencer in Aging by Next Avenue for pushing beyond traditional boundaries and working to change the understanding of what it means to grow older.
Under Lum’s leadership, NAPCA was awarded eight new grants for almost $1.9 million. As a result, for the first time NAPCA’s annual operating budget surpassed $20 million. Recently, NAPCA received the Gloria Cavanaugh Award for Excellence in Training and Education in addition to the Award for Excellence in Multicultural Aging of The American Society on Aging (ASA).
NAPCA’s Board of Directors has engaged Commongood Careers of Boston, MA, to conduct a nationwide search for the next CEO. Details of the search will be published in the near future.
In the meantime, Joan Eads (pictured below) has been engaged as Interim NAPCA CEO. During the past decade, Eads has served as an interim CEO for a number of nonprofits throughout the Puget Sound region. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, is a founder of a national organization, and has provided training and technical assistance to nonprofits through the U.S. in team building, board development, capacity building and organizational culture.
“We are grateful for Lum’s dedicated service to NAPCA in the past three years, especially for his thoughtful and thorough work in formulating a strategic direction for the organization,” said Ms. Anna Crosslin, NAPCA Board Chair. “Now we look to capitalize on that work by facilitating a strong transition under the interim leadership of Ms. Eads – meanwhile recruiting our next CEO.”
Since 1979, NAPCA’s mission has been to preserve and promote the dignity, well-being, and quality of life of Asian American and Pacific Islanders as they age. The organization does so through provision of a variety of direct and subcontracted services, both at its headquarters in Seattle and throughout the nation. Increasingly, its leadership is being called on to advocate for AAPI, who lack a national voice to create awareness and appreciation for the linguistic, economic and cultural challenges that this population faces.
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Interim NAPCA CEO: Joan Eads: joan@napca.org