AARP Chief Executive Officer Jo Ann Jenkins will step down at the end of this year after a decade of leading the nonprofit membership organization for individuals aged 50 and older.
The board of directors confirmed in a statement that it will immediately begin the search for the next CEO. Jenkins’ contract expires at the end of December. The board has big shoes to fill given Jenkins’ various initiatives that collectively have transformed the organization of 38 million members and harnessed its 60,000-strong army of volunteers into a lobbying powerhouse on Capitol Hill.
On Jenkins’ watch, AARP continued its evolution from an organization traditionally focused on advocating for retirees to one with a more expansive mission that today includes serving as an advocate and job training resource for the nearly 1 in 5 Americans past the age of 65 still in the workforce. More broadly, the organization is also a resource and advocate for the estimated 100 million Americans older than age 50 who choose to maintain an active lifestyle through work, volunteerism, and other activities.
Jenkins has served AARP in various capacities for 20 years, starting from the time she joined the board of its product marketing division AARP Services in 2004 and later when she chaired that board during 2009-10. She subsequently served three years as president of the AARP Foundation from 2010 through 2013, during which time she substantially grew the donor base of AARP’s charitable 501(c)(3) affiliate.
Jenkins became AARP’s executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2013, a role she held for 18 months before being appointed CEO in September 2014. Annual revenue under her leadership grew from just under $1.4 billion in 2014 to more than $2 billion in 2021 before falling off a bit to $1.8 billion in 2022, according to AARP’s most recently available Form 990 filing with the Internal Revenue Service.
New initiatives launched during Jenkins’ decade at the helm included AARP’s AgeTech collaborative. It serves as an incubator of sorts for all manner of educational, fintech, gaming and mobility products powered by artificial intelligence and robotics designed to meet the needs of an older population.
Jenkins is also a bestselling author. Her 2018 book, Disrupt Aging: A Bold New Path to Living Your Best Life at Every Age, became a rallying cry for rethinking traditional views about aging. Jenkins has also twice been recognized by Fortune magazine as “One of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” and was included 11 times since 2013 in The NonProfit Times’ “Power and Influence Top 50” of nonprofit sector leaders.
Jenkins was unavailable for comment and did not issue a formal written statement, nor did she appear to have mentioned her plans to step down anywhere on social media. However, the board paid homage to her service via a statement from its chairman.
“On behalf of the entire board, I want to thank Jo Ann for her impressive record of accomplishments in advancing AARP’s mission and serving our members,” said AARP Board Chair Lloyd Johnson. “Jo Ann has led AARP on a transformational journey to redefine the organization’s vision, challenge outdated attitudes and stereotypes about aging, and spark innovative solutions that empower people to choose how they live as they age.”
Under Jenkins’ leadership, AARP received the 2020 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for performance excellence in the nonprofit sector and was selected by the Scottsdale, Arizona-based Ethisphere Institute as one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies.” AARP was also recognized by Fast Company magazine as one of the “Best Workplaces for Innovators” and has made the Washington Post’s “Best Workplaces” list during each of the last seven years.
Prior to joining AARP, Jenkins served 16 years as chief operating officer of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Her total 2022 compensation from AARP was slightly less than $1.6 million, according to AARP’s federal Form 990 filing for that year.
AARP’s board will engage executive search firm Heidrick and Struggles, in Chicago, to assist it in finding the next CEO. “The AARP board will move diligently to find the right person to lead AARP on the next leg of its journey,” said Johnson, the board chair.
