Speakers:
- Jerry Cohen, AARP’s first State Director since 1996
- Christine Lundberg, Springfield’s 37th mayor
Moderator: Brenda Wilson, Executive Director, Lane Council of Governments
Coordinator: Sandra Ericson
What do Baby Boomers and Millennials have in common? More than you think! The movement toward age-friendly communities is growing, in large part because Baby Boomers and Millennials all want a community that is a great place to grow up, raise children and grow old. This City Club of Eugene Friday Forum program on March 3rd will bring new insights and common denominators to very different generations creating a successful society. Friday Forums are held each Friday at the UO Baker Center on 10th and High Sts. at 12 noon.
The key impetus for the effort was the “aging” of America. In the U.S. in 1900, 4.1 percent of the population was 65 or older. In 2015, this figure was 14.5 percent. By 2020, it is expected to increase to 16.1 percent, and by 2050, to 20 percent-one in five Americans. Medical, public health, and technological advancements have led to increased longevity, with the years added extending middle age — the period when people are most productive and creative — rather than lengthening extreme old age.
The movement to create communities that are age friendly focuses on how the economic, physical, and social environments can be improved to address not only the needs but also maximize the assets of an aging population, for the benefit of all. Panelists, Jerry Cohen and Mayor Christine Lundberg will highlight creative ways communities across the country are working to benefit people of all ages and abilities.
Jerry Cohen has been AARP’s first State Director since 1996. He previously managed legislative and regulatory advocacy for AARP in five mid-west states. He holds a BA degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a JD degree from Washington University-St. Louis, and a MPA degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, with concentration in gerontology and health administration.
Christine Lundberg became Springfield’s 37th mayor when she was sworn in on December 6, 2010. She was elected to the Springfield City Council in 1999 and served Ward 1, the Gateway Area, for more than a decade. Mayor Lundberg attended the University of Oregon as well as Lane and San Diego Community Colleges. In 2015, the City of Springfield joined AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly Communities.
copyright, KLCC 2017
