NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 11, 2016 – The Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee is pleased to announce Grace Smith as its new executive director. Smith officially moved into the position Feb. 8.
Smith has more than two decades of experience in senior advocacy and is a long-time volunteer of COA. She served as chair of the COA Leadership Council and was most recently vice president of the board.
“I’m honored to help support older adults and caregivers in our community,” said Smith. “This is an exciting time of growth in the greater Nashville area and the COA will continue to be a trusted leader and catalyst for addressing the unmet needs of seniors and caregivers, including transportation and easily accessible resource information.”
Smith is a Licensed Master Social Worker and was a program manager for the Meharry Consortium Geriatric Education Center. She sat on the board of the National Association for Geriatric Education and led the Mental Health Association’s geriatric outreach and caregiver support programs.
The transition comes as former COA executive director Maribeth Farringer retires this month after 26 years of service to the organization. During her tenure, Farringer expanded the organization’s budget to more than $350,000. Under her leadership, the COA produced resources for caregiving, consumer fraud, elder abuse, healthcare and more, including the Directory of Services for Seniors – a comprehensive print and online listing of the area’s resources for seniors and their caregivers.
“It has been a true pleasure to serve the COA and especially the city’s seniors,” said Farringer. “Through the organization I was able to touch not only the lives of Nashville’s elder residents, but also their families and caregivers in a way that supported positive change.”