Erik Olsen takes over as
new AARP President; Health care reform to be top priority for the
Association in the next two years
BALTIMORE, May 8 /U.S. Newswire/
-- Dr. Erik D. Olsen of Glenbrook, Nev. took over as AARP President
this week at the organization's biennial National Leadership
Conference. Olsen succeeds Marie Smith of Hawaii as the
Association's president.
Dr. Olsen has a wide-ranging
record of accomplishment. After graduating from the University of
Nebraska, he went on to be a Captain in the U.S. Army, a practicing
dentist, the first recipient of the Hillenbrand Fellowship in Dental
Administration form the American Dental Association, and the
executive director and managing editor of the Academy of General
Dentistry.
In 1977, at age 40, Dr. Olsen was
named President and CEO of Delta Dental of California. Delta Dental
of California is one of the nation's oldest and largest dental
health insurers. When Dr. Olsen stepped down after 15 years, one of
every three people in California had Delta Dental benefits.
After leaving Delta Dental, Dr.
Olsen became an active AARP volunteer and was appointed AARP state
president in Arizona in 1996. He was elected to AARP's national
Board of Directors in 2000.
"Erik will be an outstanding
leader as AARP President. He will push the Association to new
heights and build on all that we have achieved over the last two
years," said outgoing president Marie Smith.
Looking ahead to the next two
years, Olsen said, "My passion is health care reform. I will strive
in these next two years to raise health care reform to the top of
the national debate so that it must be a major campaign issue for
both parties in the 2008 election campaign. And following that, I
hope our country will be able to move forward rapidly to achieve
comprehensive health care reform."
Erik and his wife of 47 years,
Jackie, reside in Glenbrook Nev. They have three daughters and three
grandsons.