Debra Whitman, PhD
Executive Vice President & Chief Public Policy Officer
Debra Whitman, PhD, is the author of The Second Fifty: Answers to the 7 Big Questions of Midlife and Beyond. She is an economist and expert on aging issues with an extensive background in policymaking and research. She is a strategic thinker whose life’s work has been devoted to solving problems and improving the systems that impact us throughout our lives.
As Chief Public Policy Officer for AARP, Debra leads a team of more than 100 experts in policy development, analysis, research, and global thought leadership to produce policy and research insights and solutions that help communities, lawmakers, and the private sector improve our lives as we age.
Debra serves as an AARP spokesperson on a diverse set of issues including health and longevity, long-term care and caregiving, financial security, and engaging a multi-generational workforce. She connects with a range of stakeholders such as the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Forbes, and the Aspen Institute.
Previously, as staff director for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, Debra worked across the aisle to increase retirement security, lower health care costs, make the pharmaceutical industry more transparent, and improve our long-term care system.
Before that, she worked for the Congressional Research Service as a specialist in the economics of aging and served as a Brookings LEGIS Fellow to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Debra is a public speaker, mom, and an advocate for those whose voices need to be heard. She holds a doctorate in economics from Syracuse University and a bachelor of arts in economics from Gonzaga University.
Follow her at @DrDebWhitman and on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/debra-whitman). www.aarp.org/secondfifty