Houston’s Mari Okabayashi Appointed to AARP Texas Executive Council

Though retired from a business management consulting career, Mari Okabayashi stays active as a champion for older persons and volunteer for AARP in Houston. This month, Okabayashi accepted a two-year appointment to serve on the AARP Texas Executive Council.

Executive Council members are appointed volunteers who work with AARP Texas staff and volunteers throughout the state to provide strategic guidance in support of AARP’s national strategies.

For more than seven years, Okabayashi has been an AARP Texas volunteer. She’s been involved in AARP’s efforts to improve Houston’s street walkability and has been an effective advocate for the association’s positions on Medicare and Social Security, as well as other state and local issues.

In recent years, she’s helped AARP at the Texas Capitol on state legislative matters, including advocating for legislation to protect consumers from surprise medical bills and against certain harmful practices of payday lenders. She’s also been involved in bringing AARP’s interest to the awareness of Houston-area members of Congress and to numerous local officials in Houston.

A Japanese-American who was raised in Texas, Okabayashi has spoken at town hall meetings held by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Initiative was reestablished by President Obama in 2009 to work to improve the quality of life for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States through increased access to and participation in federal programs. Okabayashi also has served on a planning council for the Harris County Area Agency on Aging.

During World War II, Okabayashi’s father’s family was held in internment camps in southwestern Arizona. Her father-in-law and uncles served in the 442 ^nd Regimental Combat Team, a famed U.S. Army infantry regiment that was composed almost entirely of American soldiers of Japanese ancestry and who fought in World War II.

Okabayashi enjoys gardening, painting with watercolors, and making wreaths. She and her husband, who still works, also enjoy spending time with grandchildren, travel, and fishing.

-- By Amber Binford