AARP Illinois Names New State Director

AARP Illinois, the state’s largest outreach and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the lives of those 50+, has a new State Director.

Philippe Largent, who has spent the last 25 years advocating for greater access to quality, affordable health care and other issues central to the well-being of Illinois residents, joins AARP Illinois on March 7.

“AARP is thrilled to welcome such a dynamic, distinguished leader to oversee the outreach, advocacy and communications work on behalf of our 1.7 million members in Illinois and all those 50+ across the state,” said Sarah Jennings, Regional Vice President for AARP.

“Philippe’s management experience, policy background, creative ideas, and leadership style will provide great support to our ongoing mission of making sure all older adults in Illinois are empowered to choose how they live as they age.”  

Largent began his career as a budget and policy analyst for the Illinois House of Representatives.  He provided counsel to members of the Illinois General Assembly on a variety of issues including healthcare, housing, state government operations and other matters.

From 1997 to 2010 Largent served as Director of Legislative Affairs and then Vice President for Government Affairs for the Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA), a statewide trade association representing the network of Community Health Centers (CHC) providing healthcare services to low income, uninsured Illinois residents.

He was IPHCA’s lead strategist and advocate for legislative and regulatory matters before the executive branches of federal and state government, the United States Congress, the Illinois General Assembly and federal and state agencies.  During his tenure, Philippe built an extensive network of connections across Illinois and he helped double the number of federal CHC program sites across the state, thereby growing the number of patients cared for from 411,000 in 2000 to 1.2 million in 2010. 

In 2010, Philippe founded Largent Government Solutions, LLC (LGS), an Illinois-based lobbying and consulting firm.  LGS specialized in state-based lobbying and health care consulting with an emphasis on primary care network development, Medicaid policy, managed care issues, and community health center development/compliance.  

As AARP Illinois State Director, Largent will be the lead spokesperson for AARP Illinois, while also filling the top executive role with a team of 15 staff members in two offices (Springfield and Chicago).

“I’m thrilled to be joining AARP Illinois and leading its efforts to ensure that older adults across Illinois experience the health, financial security and livable communities they deserve,” Largent said. “Older adults have worked hard their entire lives to be able to age with dignity. It will be my honor to give them voice, whether it’s in the halls of the Capitol, at tables with influencers or in the communities and homes where they live.”    

Philippe is a graduate of Middlebury College with a degree in Political Science and a concentration in Russian Literature.  He and his wife reside in Chicago.