Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania State Senate today unanimously confirmed Governor Josh Shapiro's nomination of Jason Kavulich as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging.
Secretary Kavulich brings 24 years of experience within the human services field to the mission of serving and advocating for Pennsylvania's 3.4 million older adults aged 60 and over. Prior to his nomination, Kavulich served as director of the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging since 2016.
"To be nominated by Governor Shapiro to serve as Secretary of Aging is the honor of my life, and it is tremendously gratifying to receive the full support of our state senate membership through this confirmation," said Secretary Kavulich. "I deeply appreciate all of the aging network support for my confirmation, and I have enjoyed the process, which gave me the opportunity to meet with each state senator and discuss our policy priorities in the aging arena. I look forward to working with the General Assembly and all of our elected officials and stakeholders to effect meaningful change that empowers older adults to live in safety and dignity."
As Secretary Kavulich assumed office in January, the federal Public Health Emergency was drawing to a close and his first order of business was to be responsive to older adults enrolled in Medicaid and/or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) who would be facing reductions to their benefits. Working in collaboration with the Department of Human Services, Aging quickly developed user-friendly materials for the 52-agency aging network to help their consumers understand the changes and access other food and health insurance resources.
Secretary Kavulich is advocating for Governor Shapiro's proposed budget investments in older Pennsylvanians, including the expansion of the Senior Center Community grant program, and expansion of the OPTIONS program, which will bolster the aging services workforce and help reduce the waitlist for services.
Under Secretary Kavulich's leadership, the Department is developing a Master Plan for Aging and Disabilities. This will be a 10-year, state-led strategic planning engagement designed to help Pennsylvania transform the infrastructure and coordination of services for older adults and people living with disabilities. Governor Shapiro, as part of his first budget address, promoted the idea of making the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as age- and disability-friendly as possible.
You can read more of Secretary Kavulich's bio by visiting the Department of Aging's website.