Michael Burgess was appointed by Governor Eliot Spitzer, and confirmed by the New York State Senate, to serve as the Director of the New York State Office for the Aging in February 2007. His appointment was reaffirmed by Governor Paterson in 2008. As Director of the State Office for the Aging, Mr. Burgess oversees the administration of federal and state funded programs designed to assist the more than 3.2 million elderly residents in the state, as well as programs that assist family members and others involved with helping elderly residents that are in need of greater levels of assistance. The Office for the Aging assists older New Yorkers to be as independent as possible, for as long as possible, through advocacy, and the development and delivery of programs and services which support and empower the elderly and their families, in partnership with the network of public and private organizations which serve them.
Prior to joining the Office for Aging, Mr. Burgess was the Executive Director of the New York State Alliance for Retired Americans, and for several years prior to that, was the Executive Director of the New York StateWide Senior Action Council. In those positions, he played a major role in the passage of landmark state legislation, including the EPIC prescription drug program and subsequent expansion of the EPIC program. Earlier in his career, Mr. Burgess founded and served as the Executive Director of the Non-Profit Resource Center, an organization which worked to strengthen the capacity of smaller non-profit agencies so that they could better serve their constituents. He also served as Executive Director for the Statewide Emergency Network for Social and Economic Security.
He is the author of "To the Last Breath," a book that chronicles the life and times of Rose Kryzak, a leader and role model who was involved in the Senior Action Movement for many years.
Mr. Burgess began his career in Watertown, NY, his childhood home, working for the local anti-poverty community assistance program as Director of the Energy and Weatherization Program.
Mr. Burgess was born in Massena, New York and is a graduate of St. Lawrence University. He resides in Albany, with his wife Kathleen and they have two children.
