Greg Tanner takes state staff reins in Georgia

Greg Tanner, North Carolina native and longtime leader on public service issues, has been named AARP Georgia state director, the top staff position for AARP in Georgia, effective Nov. 26.

Tanner replaces Pamela Roshell, who recently left AARP to take a position as regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Tanner has 10 years' experience with AARP and served most recently as associate state director for community outreach for AARP's North Carolina state office. There he led AARP efforts in the fields of consumer protection, utility rate advocacy and multiculturalism. Tanner's work in North Carolina included leadership of the state's utility campaign, helping members fight for affordable utility rates, and work on energy efficiency programs for the state's 50+ population. He also served AARP recently as interim state director for the association's Pennsylvania state office.

Before joining AARP, Tanner:

•  Spent a combined nine years with the North Carolina attorney general’s office and the North Carolina secretary of state’s office working to educate North Carolinians on identity theft, investment fraud and related crimes targeting consumers.
• Served as regional long-term care ombudsman at Lumber River Area Agency on Aging and later at Triangle J Area Agency on Aging.
• Worked as an advocate for residents in long-term care facilities, stopping an increase in improper discharges of long-term care residents through advocacy targeting the North Carolina General Assembly and the North Carolina Division of Facilities.
• Taught earth science, biology and chemistry II and served as head track coach and assistant football coach at Durham High School in Durham, N.C.

Tanner has represented AARP at numerous regional and state conferences, including the North Carolina Governor’s Conference on Aging on Safe Communities, the NAACP State Conference on Medicare Part D, and the North Carolina Black Elected Officials State Conference on Affordable Care Act.  He was also selected to serve on a national committee for AARP to address “How to Leverage Diversity as a Core Business Strategy.”  As part of his multicultural work with AARP in North Carolina, he built relationships in the Latino and Asian American communities through advocacy and educational efforts.

Tanner serves on the boards of the LGBT Center of Raleigh and United Way of the Triangle. He recently received a North Carolina Consumer Fraud Task Force Private Sector Award for outstanding work on consumer protection education in North Carolina. He is a native of Durham and a graduate of North Carolina Central University.