FORT MYERS — The board of directors of the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida (AAASWFL), a nonprofit serving older adults and adults with disabilities, announced four appointments and welcomed three new board members. Dr. Lesley Clack will serve as chair, Daniel I. Katz as vice chair, Garrett Anderson as treasurer and Pamela D. Keller as secretary. The new board members are Jaha Cummings, Dr. Denise McNulty, and Victoria Staryk.

“We are pleased to welcome our three new board members,” said Maricela Morado. “They will bring valuable insights and will add to the strategic direction our new board leadership are following.”

Dr. Clack has served as a board member since October 2022 and has extensive experience and expertise with the aging population. She is currently an associate professor and chair of the Department of Health Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University. She also serves as program director for the Bachelor of Science in health administration and Master of Science in health sciences programs. Dr. Clack has been funded by the Department of Health and Human Services to provide evidence-based wellness services to senior adults for the past five years. She regularly presents her work at regional and national conferences on aging.

Dr. Clack holds a Doctor of Science degree in health systems management from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, a Master of Science degree in counseling psychology from the University of West Alabama, and a Bachelor of Science degree in biological science from the University of Georgia. She is also Certified in Public Health (CPH) by the National Board of Public Health Examiners.

Katz has served as a board member since February 2021. Most recently he was CEO of Jewish Senior Life (JSL) in Rochester, New York, which provides a continuum of health care and senior living from independent and assisted-living apartments to transitional and long-term care. Prior to JSL, he served as vice president of post-acute services at Stamford Health System (SHS) in Stamford, Connecticut serving in various executive positions in long-term care and senior services.

He has served on numerous boards and as chair in both New York and Connecticut related to senior health, Alzheimer’s, aging and long-term care. He earned a bachelor’s in Geography from Syracuse University, and a bachelor’s degree in health services administration from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.

Anderson has served as a board member since October 2021. Currently, he is practice director at NCH Healthcare System, a not-for-profit health care system located in Naples, Florida. Before joining NCH, Anderson had a career as a professional baseball player with the Tampa Bay Rays.

He earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in health care administration management from Florida Gulf Coast University.

Keller has served as a board member since August 2016.She is president of Keller Law Office, P.A. in Punta Gorda, Florida and has more than 30 years of experience focusing on elderly law and civil litigation in both Florida and New York. As former chair of the Florida Council for Public Policy representing Florida’s chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association, and as chair of the Legislative Committee for Florida State Guardianship Association, she has lobbied on the state and federal levels on behalf of those affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive impairments.

As a member of the Board of the Arts & Humanities Council of Charlotte County, she chaired the Council’s Advocacy Committee and founded the Art Therapy Training Program, Expressions from Beautiful Minds. She was also named OCEAN’s 2013, Sunflower Award Recipient which recognizes people who have made a significant contribution as an advocate for the elderly in Charlotte County.

She obtained her JD from St. John’s University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin.

New Members

Cummings is the founder of Blanchard House Institute, an organization established to operate in conjunction with the Blachard House Museum’s educational, research and outreach. He also founded the Black Wall Street Trail that celebrates the legacy of the golden age of historic African America Business district impacted by urban renewal and the Seminole Maroon Freedom Trail, a national public-private-philanthropic partnership across industries to build an economic and cultural trail honoring Seminole Maroon quest for freedom. He lived in Asia for 20 years and was a consultant to governmental and high-level executives on market analysis for international health care companies.

He served three terms as a Punta Gorda City Councilman and completed all levels of certification from the Florida League of Cities University’s Institute of Elected Municipal Officials. He is a member of Leadership Florida and serves on numerous boards. Cummings has been involved in various committees and councils, including the Florida Freight Advisory Committee and the Governor’s Taskforce on Abandoned African American Cemeteries. He has also served as Treasurer for the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council and Vice-Chair of the Charlotte County Tourism Development Council. In addition, he is the President of the Cultural Heritage Center of Southwest Florida. He is a commercial real estate practitioner and investment banker.

Cummings earned his degree in Asian studies from Dartmouth College.

McNulty has 30 years of experience in health care, serving in various administrative, clinical, and teaching roles. Originally from Philadelphia, she relocated to Southwest Florida in 2000.

Currently she is the administrator/CEO of Willough at Naples, a behavioral health hospital specializing in the treatment of dual diagnosis disorders and mental health illnesses in Lely, Florida. She also maintains a private practice in Naples, where she provides therapy for individuals, couples, and families as an advanced practice registered nurse. She is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a psychiatric and mental health nurse.

She most recently served as the Director of Behavioral Health for the NCH Healthcare System, Clinical Education Specialist and Mental Health/Addictions Subject Matter Expert for Lee Health, and Chief Clinical Officer for the Baker Senior Center Naples.

She earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Duquesne University and a Master of Science in Nursing Degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Holy Family University in Philadelphia. In December 2016 she graduated from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Nursing Leaders Program.

Staryk is currently the Central District’s Crime Prevention Practitioner in the Community Response Unit at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. In her role, she keeps Lee County residents informed of important community news.

She is currently pursuing a degree in business management from Florida SouthWestern State College.