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VOL.29, NO.11
An activist inside government
Having a conversation Newland incorporates that advocacy mindset in directing her staff. She tells them: “District residents drive our programs and services....We’re not telling them what they need. We work to meet the needs they express.” In an attempt to better understand those needs, Newland and her staff have conducted town halls at the DCOA’s Senior Wellness Centers, health-oriented activity centers serving older residents of Wards 1 and 4-8. Since all the programming there is for seniors, it’s Newland’s view that the users should dictate the focus and choose the priorities. At the same time, she admits that “it was kind of scary at first, having to go out and talk to people” and ask for their comments and criticisms. As might be expected, a few outspoken in-
PHOTO BY SELMA DILLARD, D.C. OFFICE ON AGING
By Stuart Rosenthal Before Laura Newland became executive director of the D.C. Office on Aging (DCOA) two years ago, the Georgetown University law graduate had worked in public interest law and nonprofit advocacy, representing victims of domestic violence, consumer fraud and other issues. A project she spearheaded at AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly led to the creation of a new D.C. Ombudsman in 2014, and to legislation reforming the District’s policy regarding foreclosure on homes of residents owing taxes. After years of advocacy in several nonprofit settings, what led Newland to switch sides, as it were, and become director of a D.C. government agency? “In the advocacy community where I worked for years, when you’re on that side, you tend to think of [government] as ‘us vs. them.’ You think, ‘If you guys wanted to do the right thing, you’d be doing it already.’” But Newland had a mentor who helped her see that many government employees are really invested in making things better. “My experience has been that the government is filled with people who are advocates,” Newland discovered. In fact, she’s recruited some of her former coworkers to the D.C. government by inviting them to “come advocate for people and make the change happen within government.”
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LEISURE & TRAVEL
Caribbean sugar, sand — and Alexander Hamilton — in St. Kitts and Nevis; plus, scenic winter train travel, finding good deals for solo travelers, and a Virginia bike trail that’s downhill all the way page 45
ARTS & STYLE
Laura Newland, executive director of the D.C. Office on Aging, poses with pickleball players at a Senior Games event. An attorney with a background in nonprofit advocacy, Newland directs an agency with responsibilities not only for residents 50+ but also for those with disabilities over the age of 18.
dividuals tend to dominate the conversation at town halls, so she also conducted a variety of smaller community listening sessions and “walk-throughs” where individuals could come up and talk with her one-on-one. She describes the feedback they got as “eye-opening,” but declines to specify where it will all lead. She calls it “just the beginning of the conversation.”
Making some changes At the same time, concrete changes are being made to address some of the more common complaints. For example, LGBTQ seniors let the agency know it needed to do better. Rather than smarting from the criticism, Newland said her staff looked at it as a challenge. They instituted sensitivity training for
staff, and brought LGBTQ entertainment into all their centers. Also, they held workshops where people could have an open conversation about sexuality in a safe environment. Another topic about which Newland heard many complaints was the food served at lunch. At one center, she brought the meal provider in for a town hall just about the menus. They took votes on a variety of issues: what menus to keep and which to ditch, how to make the cooked vegetables better (change the seasoning!), and whether to allow seconds for those desiring. Even more significant, the DCOA decided to rebid their catering contract for the See DCOA, page 28
D.C. poet publishes two collections at 79; plus, live shows at movie theaters, George Clooney on late fatherhood and Suburbicon, and Bob Levey, a defiant check writer page 53 TECHNOLOGY 4 k Sites let you try before you buy FITNESS & HEALTH 8 k Medicare open season arrives k The promise of immunotherapy SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors
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LAW & MONEY 32 k Stop being the family ATM k High cost of divorce after 50 ADVERTISER DIRECTORY
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