President Trump appointed Lance Robertson to serve as Assistant Secretary for Aging and ACL’s Administrator on August 11, 2017.
ACL was initially established in April 2012, bringing together federal advocacy for older adults and people with disabilities, along with most federal human services programs for older adults and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, missions previously housed in multiple organizations across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ACL was created around the fundamental principle that all people, regardless of age or disability, should be able to live where they choose, with the people they choose, and fully participate in their communities.
In 2007, Mr. Lance Robertson became Oklahoma’s Director of the Aging Services, Oklahoma Department of Human Services. As Director of Aging Services, he was responsible for an annual budget of $325 million dollars (Medicaid/federal & state) and supervised 19 major programs, including the Older Americans Act program and the state’s Home & Community Based Services Medicaid Waiver (ADvantage). He led a statewide team of 225 staff members.
Prior to that, he was at Oklahoma State University for 12 years, where he co-founded the Gerontology Institute and contractually served as Executive Director of PartnerShips for Aging, the largest regional gerontology association in the United States.
Mr. Robertson was the recipient of the Oklahoma Aging Professional of the Year Award, the Salute to Leaders in Aging National Award, the National CareHeroes Professional Award, and the 2015 National Association of States United for Aging & Disabilities (NASUAD) President’s Award. He was given 2013 Honorary Alumni Award status for the College of Human Sciences at Oklahoma State University.
Mr. Robertson is a graduate of the 2010 Governor’s Executive Development Program for State Officials, and a proud graduate of the first class (1997) of the Oklahoma Aging Advocacy Leadership Academy. His undergraduate degree is from Oklahoma State University and he has a Master in Public Administration degree from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Mr. Robertson is past president of NASUAD, a chief national authority on aging and disability issues. He is a trustee for the Oklahoma Public Employees Association Political Action Committee (PAC) and a council member of the Edmond YMCA. He speaks at many local and national events, most recently at Montana’s 48th annual Governor’s Conference on Aging. Mr. Robertson is also a veteran of the U.S. Army.