Welcome Noël Bonam, New State Director of AARP Maine

JULY 12, 2021: AARP Maine is pleased to announce that Noël Bonam joins the organization today as the new State Director. He succeeds Lori Parham, who served in the role for nearly ten years and accepted a new position in AARP’s national Government Affairs office in May.

Noël Bonam brings extensive experience in leadership development, stakeholder engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion practice and civic leadership. Before joining AARP, Bonam had been the head of The Global Institute, a public benefit organization (with operational hubs in Denmark, India and the US), specializing in social equity, leadership development and organizational sustainability.

“I am thrilled to join AARP and look forward to being a forceful voice on behalf of its 200,000 members in the state and all Mainers 50 and older,” said Bonam. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime to advance the quality of life of older people in our state and cultivate appreciation of the important contributions that we make to our community. I look forward to leading AARP's vital work to build livable, age-friendly communities and to fostering social connection and inclusion. Together, our team will confront ageism and age discrimination, and promote AARP's robust policy agenda to ensure the health, safety and economic security of all Mainers as we grow older."

Bonam has worked extensively with diverse partners from across the world, particularly in the public and not-for-profit sectors. Formerly, he was the Director for the Bureau of Multicultural Affairs for the State of Maine. In that role, he oversaw systemic changes through diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by working closely with inter-departmental stakeholders and with key community partners from across the state. He practices collaborative facilitative leadership and is committed to stakeholder engagement and empowerment, long-term sustainability and dialogue for action.

“Noël’s impressive background and experience matches AARP’s mission and our work perfectly at the local, state and national levels,” said AARP East and Caribbean Regional Vice-President Kelly A. Clark. “We are excited to welcome him as the leader of our talented and dedicated Maine state staff and the scores of volunteers who make our work possible.”

“I am very pleased with the selection of Noël as our next State Director and I know he will be a great asset to the AARP Maine team,” added AARP State President, Pat Pinto. “Noel’s extensive expertise leading mission-driven organizations and multicultural efforts, both in Maine and globally, provides a great base for him to continue Lori’s distinguished advocacy work for people 50-plus to live and work in Maine.”  

Bonam holds a Master’s in Public Personnel Management from Osmania University (India) and a certification in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Human Resources from Cornell University. He is also a graduate of the Senior Executive in State and Local Government mid-career program at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Association for World Education, an international NGO specializing in lifelong learning with consultative status at the United Nations.

To learn more about AARP and our work in Maine, visit www.aarp.org/me and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @aarpmaine.