Seattle Resident, Brenda Charles-Edwards, Appointed to AARP Washington Executive Council

AARP Washington is pleased to announce the appointment of Seattle resident Brenda Charles-Edwards to its statewide Executive Council. The AARP Washington Executive Council is a volunteer leadership committee that helps set the Association’s strategic direction and activities on behalf of nearly 900,000 members in the state.

“We’re excited that Brenda has agreed to serve on our Executive Council,” said Jim Ko, AARP Washington State President. “Her extensive background and expertise in planning for aging will be a tremendous asset as we seek to assure that Washington’s older adults and their families have the services and resources they need.”

Charles-Edwards is well-known in the Seattle area as the creator and host of Seniors Matter! on Rainer Avenue Radio, which features interviews with folks who provide services or have valuable information for seniors and the community. She has spent her time as an AARP volunteer leading the Seattle AARP Chapter #4588, working on fraud prevention, and serving as a community speaker.

A passionate advocate for helping others, Charles-Edwards has spent decades serving her community in various ways. She is a former chairperson for the Seattle Mayor’s Council on African American Elders and a member of Washington’s Long-Term Care Trust Commission. She is also an End-of-Life Planning Facilitator who helps people deepen their understanding and perspectives on death and dying.

"It is truly an honor to have been appointed to serve on the AARP Washington Executive Council. I look forward to the opportunity of having a positive impact on the nearly 900,000 AARP members in our state."

"Brenda is a proven advocate and leader with an impressive record of achievement. Her thoughtfulness in helping individuals plan ahead and her experience and ability to reach diverse populations will be huge assets to AARP Washington," said Marguerite Ro, AARP Washington State Director. "I am thrilled she has accepted our invitation to join the AARP Washington Executive Council.”

As an expert Notary and Notary Signing Agent since 1992, Charles-Edwards mentors new notaries and was awarded Notary of the Year Special Honoree by the National Notary Association Ambassador for Washington state. A lifelong Washingtonian, Brenda lives in Seattle with her husband, Rev. Paul R. Edwards.

As Brenda joins the Washington Executive Council, we celebrate the contributions of outgoing members Stu Seibel from Yakima, Jean Matheson from Whidbey Island, and Alan Burke, Executive Director of the Washington State School Retirees’ Association from Olympia.