President

Elissa Sherman is President of LeadingAge Massachusetts, a position she has held since 2000. Dr. Sherman has worked in aging policy for over 30 years, beginning her career in state government as an analyst for the Massachusetts state legislature’s Joint Committee on Human Services and Elderly Affairs and later working at the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Elder Affairs where she was involved in the development and implementation of regulations governing assisted living. She joined LeadingAge Massachusetts (then called MassAging) in 1998 as Director of Public Policy and has overseen the Association’s public policy and government relations work since that time.
As an association exclusively representing not-for-profit providers of aging services in Massachusetts, the mission of LeadingAge Massachusetts is to expand the world of possibilities for aging. During her tenure at LeadingAge Massachusetts, Dr. Sherman has brought the voice of not-for-profit aging service providers to the development of state policy through her work leading the Association’s advocacy activities, and through her involvement on numerous state advisory boards. In addition to working with the Association’s Board of Trustees and directing the activities of LeadingAge Massachusetts, she is active in numerous work groups and coalitions aimed at enhancing options for housing and services for older adults in Massachusetts and is a frequent speaker on various topics related to aging services.
Dr. Sherman completed her PhD in Social Policy at the Heller School at Brandeis University and received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont.