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Michelle Hoersch to Lead the
Multi-Sector Plan for Aging
[June 28, 2025]
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Today, the
Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) announced that Michelle Hoersch
will serve as the agency’s Chief Planning Officer (CPO), leading the
development and implementation of the multi-year Multi-Sector Plan
for Aging (MPA). Since late 2024, Serena Worthington of RRF
Foundation for Aging has served as the interim MPA Ambassador,
spearheading the initial planning phases and working with the
Inter-Agency Task Force as well as the Community Advisory Council,
which is co-chaired by Mary O’Donnell, President and CEO of RRF
Foundation for Aging, until IDoA could identify and hire a full-time
CPO and Community Advisory Council co-chair.
“Michelle Hoersch is a wonderful fit to lead our efforts to
transform the circumstances in which Illinois residents live and
age,” said IDoA Director Mary Killough. “While welcoming Michelle, I
extend my deepest gratitude to Serena Worthington and RRF Foundation
for Aging for partnering with IDoA and allocating significant staff
time and resources to support the initial planning stages of the MPA.”
Hoersch joins IDoA with over three
decades of experience in public health and social justice advocacy.
Previously, she served as a public health advisor and led the Region
5 Office on Women’s Health within the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, working to improve the health and well-being of
women across the lifespan. Trauma-informed and gender-responsive
principles guided her work at the intersection of physical and
behavioral health, including attention to the impact of climate
change on health.
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The Chief Planning
Officer position was created by Executive Order 2024-02, which
also established two working groups and set a timeline to
develop a state-led MPA. The MPA will outline comprehensive,
long-term strategies to reshape infrastructure, services, and
public policy for a growing number of older Illinoisans.
While collaborators are already considering what should be
included the state’s MPA, the planning process will include
additional opportunities for public feedback. Following the
release of a draft MPA later this summer, IDoA will host a
series of in-person and virtual public engagement sessions in
late summer and early fall.
A final draft of the MPA must be submitted to the Governor and
General Assembly on or before December 31, 2025, and an
implementation status report is due one year later on December
31, 2026.
About IDoA: IDoA serves and advocates for older Illinoisans and
their caregivers by administering quality and culturally
appropriate programs that promote partnerships and encourage
independence, dignity, and quality of life. For information
about the Department’s programs and services for older adults
and persons with disabilities, visit
https://ilaging.illinois.gov/ or contact the Senior HelpLine
toll-free at 1-800-252-8966, Monday through Friday between 8:30
a.m. and 5 p.m.
[Illinois Dept. of Aging] |
