Ms. Vafiadis, MS, oversees strategic program operations for the National Council on Aging’s (NCOA) health portfolio. She directs a team of 16 staff members who engage community-based organizations nationwide to support older adults through services and evidence-based programming. Under her leadership, the team manages numerous grants to promote the organization’s mission of improving quality of life and positively impacting the health and financial security of older adults. Additionally, Ms. Vafiadis builds business alliances and leads collaborative initiatives that focus on educating and raising awareness about chronic diseases, advocating for policies that protect the rights of older adults, promoting nutrition security, addressing social isolation, and enhancing behavioral health.
Ms. Vafiadis brings over 25 years of experience in public health, government, and non-profit sectors to her work, designing and developing national demonstration projects in partnership with community organizations and aligned sponsors across the country.
Before joining NCOA, Ms. Vafiadis worked at the American Heart Association (AHA), where she directed a Healthy Living strategy and cardiovascular disease prevention programs to raise awareness that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women. At AHA, she also led an industry nutrition advisory panel and established relationships with multiple multinational food companies to improve the food environment. Prior to her role at AHA, Ms. Vafiadis served as a senior nutritionist at the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
She is a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Food Forum, an advisory panel member for Cecelia Health, and co-chair of the National Obesity Care Advocacy Network (OCAN).