Meet the team at NCOA’s National Institute of Senior Centers.
Vivian Nava-Schellinger leads the National Council on Aging’s ecosystem of national and community partnerships, external engagement of NCOA’s policy priorities, and programs focused on vulnerable populations of older adults. For over a decade, Nava-Schellinger has used equity as a baseline principle when working on large scale reimbursement programs in the private sector, securing funding for health literacy programs in vulnerable communities, and advocating for greater health and economic security across the lifespan for underrepresented populations.
A proud Tejana, born and raised along the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, Nava-Schellinger has utilized her cultural assets and legal training to efficiently and successfully merge business strategy, development, organizational management, and health policy to ensure that all communities have access to the information they need to make informed decisions about their healthcare and financial well-being.
Before her tenure at the National Council on Aging (NCOA), Nava-Schellinger worked in partnership and fund development within the non-profit sector for an organization aimed at reaching the hard-to-reach and connecting them to insurance under the Affordable Care Act. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, and the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.
Vivian enjoys running, hiking, cooking, and spending time with husband Jake and dogs Fernie, Phil-Chepito, and Nacho.
Abigail Zapote is the Associate Director of Community Partnerships and Network Activation. Abigail is an advocate and community builder, bridging inequality gaps to provide high quality programs and services to older adults across the country, with a focus on diverse communities. She is a Social Security subject matter expert with 10 years of experience in coalition building, creating support structures, and training community leaders to serve their own communities.
Scott Harlow is the Senior Membership Coordinator for the National Institute of Senior Centers. Scott has spent five years at NCOA working support senior centers nationwide as they provide essential services to older adults in their communities. He is often the first point of contact for senior center professionals who are looking to get involved in NISC, and he is passionate about getting senior center professionals the resources they need. Before working at NCOA, Scott worked in nonprofit communications for both local organizations and national foundations.
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