The California Association of Area Agencies on Aging (C4A) is proud to announce the appointment of Christina N. Mills, a nationally respected advocate for disability and aging rights, as its new Executive Director, effective January 1, 2025.
Mills will makes history as the first woman and the first woman with a disability to lead C4A, succeeding Michael Costa, who will retire at the end of the year. “Christina brings extensive expertise and an unwavering commitment to advancing the lives of older adults and people with disabilities across California. She is the right leader to advance C4A into an impactful future,” shared Aneliza Del Pinal, C4A Board President.
C4A proudly represents California's 33 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). These agencies provide vital services that enable older adults and people with disabilities to live independently and thrive in their communities. Under Mills’ leadership, C4A will continue to be the leading voice on aging issues in California, advocating for the needs of older adults with disabilities and championing programs and policies that allow all Californians to age well, with the respect they deserve and the support they need in the communities they call home.
“I am honored and excited to work alongside California's dedicated Area Agencies on Aging leaders,” said Mills. “There has never been a more pivotal time to partner, advance, and advocate for the well-being of older adults and people with disabilities. I am committed to furthering the success of the Master Plan for Aging and actively contributing to the goals of the California 2030 Recommendations for a Future-Ready California Aging Network. I am especially eager to collaborate with the AAA network to strategically implement SB 1249, which enhances California’s approach to aging and ensures that as our population grows and diversifies, everyone can age with dignity, independence, and the resources they need close to home.”
Mills joins C4A with an extensive background in disability rights and healthcare inclusion. Her career spans roles from frontline service provider at the Dayle McIntosh Center in Orange County and Program Manager at Access to Independence in San Diego to statewide leadership as Community Organizer and Executive Director at the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC) and, most recently, as Senior Director of Inclusive Policy and Advocacy at Elevance Health. Mills has also contributed her expertise to numerous advisory and advocacy roles, including the national Aging and Disability Business Institute and Independent Living Research Utilization Workgroup, the California Master Plan for Aging Advisory Committee, UCLA LTSS Advisory Committee, and the State Independent Living Council, a governor-appointed position, among others. She has been twice honored as Advocate of the Year by the National Council on Independent Living.
Christina's commitment to inclusion and equity for older adults and people with disabilities is unwavering. Her personal, professional, and educational journey uniquely equip her to lead C4A in its mission to organize and support AAAs in advancing quality-of-life opportunities for Californians, their families, and caregivers.