Debbie Toth (she/her) is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Choice in Aging, which creates opportunities for people to learn, grow, and age independently and with dignity. Founded in 1949 by volunteers to serve children disabled by polio, the organization has grown to provide a wide variety of programs and services for people of all ages with disabilities who wish to remain living in the community. These programs include older adult mental health programs, an intergenerational preschool, adult day health care facilities, caregiver services, and more. In 2022, Choice in Aging served over 800 elder and disabled adults at risk of placement in institutions, 40 children, over a thousand caregivers, and lower-income adults with disabilities at-large through their advocacy efforts.
Debbie became the CEO of Choice in Aging in 2012 and was promoted to President of the Board of Directors in 2017. She began working with the aging population at a senior housing facility in high school and continued working there through college. Debbie is an innovator in the aging services space. Her latest project is a groundbreaking and replicable model of elder care called the Aging in Place Campus that will prioritize joy, better health, and longer place-based aging at a lower cost. In Debbie’s words, “I have learned that when you find a way to engage someone in their own life planning and day to day routines, they feel seen and can find joy and purpose and community.” Debbie has won numerous awards for her committed service and advocacy, including Woman of the Year in 2015 in Assembly District 14.
During her sabbatical, Debbie plans to focus on self-care and visit Hungary with her son, where her father heroically survived the Holocaust.