WASHINGTON, December 14, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The
National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) announced today that C.
Grace Whiting, J.D., has stepped
down from her role as President & Chief Executive Officer of
the organization as of December 31,
2021.
"It is with mixed sadness and gratitude that we accept Grace's
resignation," said Janet McUlsky,
NAC's Chair of the Board of Directors. "Grace played an integral
role in institutionalizing NAC's strengths under its founder,
Gail Gibson Hunt, and shepherded the
organization into its current role as a leading voice in national
and global conversations."
"I've been so honored to be a part of the caregiving community
and in various roles at NAC over the last eight years," said Ms.
Whiting. "How invigorating to meet the scientists, innovators,
policymakers, and caregiving advocates who are working to make life
better for the more than 53 million Americans who care for a friend
or family member! NAC is an incredible organization, and I'm
excited to see what comes next."
The organization has identified Patrice
A. Heinz, NAC's Chief Operating Officer, to take the helm as
Interim CEO beginning in January
2022. Ms. Heinz joined NAC in 2017, following previous roles
at Women Enabled International and the Alliance for Strong Families
and Communities. With more than thirty years of experience serving
the nonprofit sector, Ms. Heinz was the proprietor and principal
consultant of Heinz Consultants, a business she founded in 1984.
With expertise in strategic planning, organizational analysis,
program development and evaluation, and board and leadership
development, Ms. Heinz looks forward to assisting NAC during this
next phase.
"It is a privilege to serve in the interim CEO role during this
transition period," said Ms. Heinz. "NAC is well-positioned to
continue the work begun by founder Gail
Gibson Hunt and formalized by Grace. Led by our strategic
plan and with a dedicated, passionate team, we'll continue moving
the needle to empower family caregivers through our partnerships in
research, advocacy, and innovation."
Since the retirement of NAC's founder Gail Gibson Hunt in 2017, the organization has
capitalized on the growing interest in family caregiving in
the United States. Milestone
achievements in the past four years have included:
- Completing a strategic plan for NAC through 2024 that
prioritizes an authentic, genuine commitment to improving the lives
of caregivers at home, work, and life so they can thrive
- Commissioning new original research on family caregivers of
people living with rare disease, inflammatory bowel disease,
sandwich caregivers, and the Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 study
conducted in partnership with AARP
- Supporting the passage of the RAISE Family Caregivers Act and
the initial report to Congress to support a national caregiving
plan, with stories on the diversity of the care experience from NAC
advocates
- Expanding the coalition of groups and organizations fighting
for federal paid family and medical leave, and developing technical
support for family caregiving coalitions across the country through
the 50-state strategy
- Hosting the virtual World Carers Conversation to capture
research and practice insights from caregiving NGOs around the
world, and ongoing engagement with global coalitions such as the
World Dementia Council, Embracing Carers, and the International
Alliance of Carer Organizations
- New projects in caregiving and medical product development,
including a multi-stakeholder whitepaper on caregiver roles in
clinical trials; public comments to the FDA, CDC, and ICER; and new
work on recruiting diverse families to research
- Expansive digital guidebooks created by caregivers, for
caregivers, for medically complex care situations such as IBD, rare
disease and serious illness, and new resources like
TakeCare.Community to help families navigate COVID-19
- Community insights captured in white papers on caregiving as a
public health issue, public-private partnerships in caregiving
research, billing codes/economic incentives to support caregiver
services, and caregiving and career issues during the past year's
pandemic.
About the National Alliance for Caregiving
NAC's mission is to build partnerships in research, advocacy, and
innovation to make life better for family caregivers. As a
501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization based in Washington,
D.C., we envision a society that values, supports, and empowers
family caregivers to thrive at home, work, and life. Learn more at
http://www.caregiving.org.
Media Contact
C. Grace Whiting, National
Alliance for Caregiving, 202-918-1016, grace@caregiving.org
Dexter Allen, National Alliance
for Caregiving, 202-918-1013, dexter@caregiving.org
Twitter
SOURCE National Alliance for Caregiving