St. Louis City Senior Fund’s Board of Directors are pleased to announce that Nicole L. Brueggeman, MSW, LCSW, MA, will serve as the new Executive Director starting December 2, 2024.
Brueggeman brings an extensive background in large-scale project management, cross-sector collaboration, and advocacy, most recently as the inaugural Executive Director of the Missouri Council on Aging. She has championed regional and multi-state initiatives to support and empower older adults and will succeed Jamie Opsal, Senior Fund’s founding Executive Director.
Brueggeman brings to the position experience in social work, healthcare, public health, and aging-focused programs and initiatives. As a project manager for Altarum, she managed a multi-state long-term care training initiative, implementing the Eden Model to promote patient-centered care. Her team’s work with long-term care leaders and staff improved quality at the direct care level, positively impacting older adults and other nursing home residents. Prior to Altarum, Brueggeman managed strategic planning efforts at the Missouri Foundation for Health, overseeing a multi-million-dollar advocacy strategy. While at the foundation, she helped to establish the Exemplary Advocate Cohort, a capacity-building program that underscores strategic leadership, grant management, and program sustainability.
For the past two years, she has collaborated closely with Missouri senior levy boards in her role as Executive Director with Missouri Council on Aging, contributing to a statewide effort to expand and leverage local funding for enhanced programs and services for older adults. Brueggeman played an instrumental role in transforming the Missouri Council on Aging from a concept into a dynamic statewide advocacy and education organization. Her experience connecting local, state, and national policy partners has prepared her to advocate effectively for the evolving needs of older adults in the City of St. Louis.
In her new role as Senior Fund Executive Director, Brueggeman is eager to engage with service providers, city boards and commissions, cross-sector leaders, and other individuals and organizations in the St. Louis community. Committed to fostering an aging-friendly city, she plans to advance the Senior Fund’s mission with a focus on building impactful partnerships and aligning services to best meet the needs of older adults in the City of St. Louis.