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A Message from Governor JB Pritzker
Our state now has a Multisector Plan for Aging that will help ensure that in the Land of Lincoln, all of us, at every stage of getting older, can live dignified, engaged, productive, and meaningful lives.
EngAging Illinois embodies this through the engagement and thoughtful input of hundreds of people, a diverse set of voices, representing the best of Illinois. My thanks go out to every one of them.
I would like to extend special appreciation to Department on Aging Director Mary Killough and her team, who took the lead in creating the bold plan that I envisioned when I signed Executive Order 2024-02 to establish a Multisector Plan for Aging. They harnessed the full range of expertise necessary to produce a blueprint reflecting the priorities of the people we serve and the role that state government should play in creating an age-friendly Illinois that other states will admire – and can emulate.
For too long, the conventional wisdom has been that the government’s role in caring for an aging population is simply protecting them from illness and harm. This is important, and we must address persistent economic and health disparities that shorten the life expectancies of people living in some urban and rural areas. This view, however, is incomplete.
The Multisector Plan for Aging sets out a range of policies and actions – in community development, health, housing, financial services, and work, among other areas – that should encourage all of us to continue to contribute for longer than ever as entrepreneurs and educators, civic volunteers and faith leaders, mentors, caregivers, and grandparents. We have much wisdom, experience, and energy to give back to our families, our communities, and our great state.
This Plan depends on, and is enriched by, healthy doses of cross-agency and cross-sector collaboration, harnessing the assets of Illinois’ world class academic institutions, philanthropy, community-based organizations, and businesses. We all want to be part of a thriving, multigenerational society. EngAging Illinois is a smart and strong step in that direction.
JB Pritzker, Governor of Illinois
