Laura Feldman could be termed a “Washington Insider.” As a long-term organizer for the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, the leading nonpartisan advocacy group in the country for Social Security and Medicare, she has expert knowledge on the issue of health care reform, how it will impact seniors, social security and Medicare and what is really happening on Capitol Hill right now.

Ms. Feldman brings her skills as a teacher to educating senior groups and activists across the country. She is a native Washingtonian where politics is a local sport. Demystifying politics, personalizing it and making it fun is one of her goals.

She has been a grassroots organizer for the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare for the past 18 years. The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare is a nonpartisan advocacy organization supported by membership. Prior to coming to the National Committee, she organized national programming for the National Science Foundation under a special education grant, which propelled her out of the classroom and into the public arena.

She brings her observations and perspective from “inside the beltway” on the politics of the new 111th Congress and the issues involving Social Security, Medicare and Aging.

Ms. Feldman graduated from American University. She is the past president of the Southern Gerontological Society, on the Board of Trustees for the Florida Silver Haired Legislature, was the first policy chair for GROWS, The (Grassroots Organization For The Well Being of Seniors) was a board member of the Maryland Gerontological Association, the Virginia Council on Aging and NANASP (the National Association of Nutrition and Service Providers.) She was appointed to the first Seniors Cabinet of the Montgomery County Council of Maryland and is a long-time member and moderator for the United Seniors of Maryland. She is the proud grandmother of eight-year-old twins.

Ms. Feldman spoke at the Wednesday September 9, 2009 meeting of the The Senior Statesmen of Virginia held at The Charlottesville Senior Center. Following the presentation questions were taken from the audience. The program was moderated by SSV Secretary Bill Davis.