Executive Director
California Commission on Aging
Karol Swartzlander has served as the Executive Director of the California Commission on Aging since August 2019. Her 19 years of state service also include tenures with the Departments of Aging, Social Services and Health Care Services. From 2007-2014, Karol provided leadership on multiple federal grant initiatives (Systems Transformation, Real Choice Systems Change, Aging and Disability Resource Connection) for the California Health and Human Services Agency. Prior to state service, Karol worked over seven years in the fields of international aging and education in the U.S., Thailand and Japan. During that time, she worked for HelpAge International in the Asia/Pacific Regional Office, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering and improving the lives of older adults. Karol holds a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Arts in International-Intercultural Studies from the University of Montevallo.