AARP Connecticut Announces New Associate State Director, Advocacy & Community Outreach

AARP Connecticut today announced the addition of Natalie Shurtleff as Associate State Director, Advocacy and Community Outreach. Shurtleff will be responsible for developing and executing state, federal, and local advocacy activities on behalf of the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization’s nearly 600,000 members in Connecticut. She will have a particular focus areas involving livable communities, health care, and long-term services and supports issues.

At AARP our mission is to empower people to choose how they live as they age. Through local lifestyle discounts, learning opportunities, community service and advocacy, AARP strengthens communities and fights for the issues that impact people such as healthcare, financial security, consumer protections and fraud prevention.

As part of the role, Shurtleff will develop and execute AARP advocacy and community engagement campaigns that include grassroots mobilization, lobbying, media, community resources and organization, policy expertise, and political knowledge in support of AARP legislative and policy goals at the local and state level.

Prior to joining AARP, Shurtleff worked for the American Cancer Society/American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network since 2013, most recently serving as a Senior Grassroots Manager for Connecticut and Rhode Island. While there she successfully led advocacy efforts to ensure access to quality health care for patients from their cancer diagnosis through survivorship, achieving legislative victories across multiple states. She also managed volunteers to effectively engage with lawmakers and public officials on important policies and developed and leveraged relationships with key coalition partners.

Shurtleff has also worked at Community Executive Income Development, Higher Heights Youth Empowerment Programs, Inc., and Connecticut Working Families.

Shurtleff graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Minor in Women’s Studies.

About AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence – including offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands – AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health and financial security, and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest-circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.