News & Media

SOUTHERN MAINE AGENCY ON AGING ANNOUNCES NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

APRIL 24, 2019 (Scarborough, ME) – The Southern Maine Agency on Aging (SMAA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the hiring of Megan M. Walton as SMAA’s new Chief Executive Officer effective August 5, 2019.  Ms. Walton’s hiring was the result of an extensive search that attracted candidates from across the country.  “Megan is a creative, talented and extremely knowledgeable leader whose background in social services and mission-driven philosophy make her a great fit as the next CEO of the Southern Maine Agency on Aging,” said Mary Jane Krebs, president of SMAA’s Board of Directors.   Walton will succeed Laurence W. Gross who is retiring from SMAA after a 41 year career at the Agency.  “I know that Megan is well aware of the huge shoes she will be filling but we are very confident that she will be a great leader for SMAA’s next chapter,” said Terry Bagley, chair of the Search Committee. 

Walton, originally from Massachusetts, received a B.A. in Economics from Middlebury College and an MBA from the Albers School of Business at Seattle University.  Most recently, she served as Chief Operating Officer at Amara, a Seattle non-profit that works with children in foster care and their families.  Walton began her tenure at Amara in 2009, starting as a development coordinator and rapidly advancing into a senior leadership role at the Agency. She was instrumental in helping the organization grow from a 20-person staff with a $1 million budget to a 75-person staff with a $5 million budget. 

Upon accepting the position as the next CEO of SMAA, Walton remarked, “I am thrilled to be joining the SMAA community and look forward to working with the talented staff and esteemed board to further the organization's mission. I am so impressed by SMAA's expertise, innovation, and community-oriented partnerships. I look forward to supporting this important work moving forward as we continue to provide resources and programming for older adults and adults with disabilities, as well as those who care for them.”

Walton and her husband Sean have two children.  “We can't wait to be back in New England and be closer to family. Maine is near and dear to my heart as I grew up spending weekends at the Biddeford Pool beach, and attending summer camp on Sebago Lake for 11 years.”  

ABOUT SOUTHERN MAINE AGENCY ON AGING (SMAA)
Since 1973, the Southern Maine Agency on Aging has provided residents of York and Cumberland counties with resources and assistance to address the issues and concerns of aging.  The Agency serves people ages 60 and older, family caregivers, and people under 60 with a disability.  Agency services are devoted to fulfilling its mission to improve the quality of life for older adults, adults with disabilities, and the people who care for them. For more information, visit www.smaaa.org.