08/01/2018

Richard Browdie Announces Retirement as President and CEO of Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging

Richard Browdie Announces Retirement as President and CEO
of Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging

Contact: Jeanne Hoban, 216.373.1686, jhoban@benrose.org 

July 26, 2018

(Cleveland, OH) —Following a successful 16-year tenure as President and CEO of Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, Richard Browdie has announced his retirement from his leadership role. Browdie has been a dedicated leader of the 110-year-old Cleveland-based nonprofit organization since 2002.

Browdie will remain in his role through December 31, 2018. He will be working with the Benjamin Rose senior leadership team to accomplish the elements of the Benjamin Rose strategic direction that benefit most from his direct participation, while preparing for a smooth leadership transition. There will be no interruption or impact on the daily operations of the organization, and the Benjamin Rose senior leadership team will continue to effectively manage operations of the organization in coordination with Browdie.

Browdie has been a dedicated leader at the helm of the nationally recognized organization. He has served in a leadership capacity on many national-level boards in the aging field, including: National Council on Aging, American Society on Aging, International Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing, and most recently, the American Bar Association's Commission on Law and Aging. He was recognized recently as an Influencer in Aging by Next Avenue. Because of his recognized expertise in the field, Browdie has been a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences and has been interviewed by many news and information outlets, including a recent interview with the New York Times.

Under Browdie's leadership, Benjamin Rose has continued to grow and serve as a thought leader and a driver of innovation in the delivery of services to older adults and caregivers. In recent years, The Golden Age Centers of Greater Cleveland joined Benjamin Rose as a subsidiary and was rebranded the Rose Centers for Aging Well, and in 2017, ESOP (Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People) also became a subsidiary of Benjamin Rose.

"All of us involved in serving older people in our community know that resources have continued to shrink against rising costs and rising demand for years," said Browdie. "Using Benjamin Rose's very capable infrastructure to support additional activities through the Rose Centers and ESOP mergers made good 'business sense', saved the struggling agencies a lot of money, and because of the compatibility of their missions, enabled the talented professionals in each of the organizations to create opportunities to serve in new ways and attract new kinds of support, all in a more efficient way.'

The Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging Board of Directors, whose role is to effectively hire the President & CEO, has established a search committee and is interviewing executive search firms to identify the new President & CEO of Benjamin Rose.

"During his tenure, Rich's contributions have been many and meaningful; the most significant being leading through change that's reinforced the financial strength of the organization", said Emily Drake, current Board Chair for the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. "Rich has also directed the implementation of a strategic plan that's not only been a roadmap for change, but also allowed Benjamin Rose to capitalize on its strengths, while finding increasingly meaningful ways of positively impacting the lives of older adults. We're grateful for his leadership and passion, and enthusiastically wish him success as he embarks on this next chapter."

Browdie's national reputation and leadership presence in the field of aging will have a lasting effect on the future of the field. "I am grateful to the Benjamin Rose Board for the opportunity to lead this historic and nationally important institution in the field of Aging Services,' said Browdie. "It has been a great honor to serve with the talented staff at all levels of the organization, and to help the Benjamin Rose Institute prepare for its second century of service to older people in Cleveland and beyond."

About Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging: Founded in 1908, Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging (www.benrose.org) is a Cleveland-based nonprofit whose mission is to advance support for older adults and caregivers. Our work is accomplished by deepening the understanding of their evolving needs in a changing society; developing and delivering innovative, high-quality solutions; and promoting effective public policies.