Former College of Human Sciences administrator to be considered for US Assistant Secretary for Aging

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

United States President Donald J. Trump will nominate Oklahoma State University alumnus Lance Allen Robertson to be Assistant Secretary for Aging for the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Robertson has been Oklahoma Department of Human Services’ Director of Aging Services for the past decade, overseeing a range of programs that included the Older Americans Act and the State’s Home & Community Based Services Medicaid Waiver (ADvantage). He leads a statewide team of 225 staff members.

As an administrator for 12 years in the College of Human Sciences at OSU, he co-founded and served as assistant director of the OSU Gerontology Institute and as director of the college’s University Extension. During this time, Robertson was also executive director of PartnerShips for Aging, the largest regional gerontology association in the nation.

He is a former president of the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) and has served on numerous boards and commissions.

After serving in the U.S. Army, Robertson earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from OSU in 1993 and a master’s degree with honors in public administration from the University of Central Oklahoma.

Robertson graduated from the 2010 Governor’s Executive Development Program for State Officials and the first class of the Oklahoma Aging Advocacy Leadership Academy in 1997. 

He has received the Oklahoma Aging Professional of the Year Award, the Salute to Leaders in Aging National Award, the National CareHeroes Professional Award, and the 2015 NASUAD President’s Award. 

In 2013, the College of Human Sciences named Robertson an honorary alumnus to honor his partnership with its gerontology program.