John G. McGough, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Region One, visited the City of Lawrence to learn about aging programs for community elders. His visit included a meeting at Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and the Lawrence Council on Aging. Appointed by President Trump in January 2018, Director McGough provides executive leadership as the primary representative for the Secretary of Health and Human Services. In his role, Mr. McGough is responsible for the six New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, as well as the region’s 10 federally recognized tribes.
Director McGough’s focus for this visit to Lawrence was to learn more about the elder network, the impact of health care issues like high cost of prescription drugs, the opioid crisis and the long term care needs of older consumers. Joan Hatem-Roy, Chief Executive Officer at Elder Services thanked Director McGough for taking time out of his busy schedule to come and meet with staff to discuss important issues for older Americans. “I was very pleased to meet with Director McGough to showcase our agency and the work we do on behalf of older adults and persons with disabilities. It was also a great opportunity to represent the Merrimack Valley and talk directly to someone from the leadership team of the federal government about the needs of our oldest consumers. We hope Director McGough will take the opportunity to visit again and continue our discussion about services and partnering for better care, states Hatem-Roy.”
Prior to his appointment with HHS, McGough served as Chief of Staff for Maine’s Republican Governor Paul R. LePage for seven years. During the 2010 gubernatorial campaign, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Policy Director. Prior to joining the campaign, McGough was the Director of Human Resources for the City of South Portland, Maine. McGough previously served as Assistant City Administrator/Human Resources Officer for the City of Waterville, Maine. He is also the former Chief of Staff for the House Republican Leader of the Maine House of Representatives.
