Richard Moore

Richard T. Moore of Uxbridge, MA, is the new president of the Massachusetts Assisted Living Facilities Association.

“As Massachusetts’ aging population increases and more older adults are looking to assisted living to fill their need for a supportive living environment that is based on dignity, independence, and choice, Richard’s expertise on healthcare policy issues, as well as his record of service to older adults, makes him the ideal candidate for this role,” Sharon Ricardi, Mass-ALFA board chair and senior vice president of Burlington-based Northbridge Companies, said in a statement.

Moore, a former legislator, most recently served as president pro tempore of the Massachusetts senate. During his legislative career, he was among the lead authors of the landmark 2006 Massachusetts health reform law that succeeded in gaining near universal health insurance coverage for Massachusetts residents. Moore also was the lead senate author of the state’s first-in-the-nation 2012 healthcare cost containment law. Additionally, he was instrumental in passing legislation for Senior Care Options, the state’s program to care for seniors enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid, as well as legislation to establish the state’s falls prevention program, Prescription Advantage drug assistance program, and Mass Med Line, now known as Pharmacy Outreach.

Moore also was an associate director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency during the Clinton administration, served as associate dean of students at Assumption College in Worcester, MA, and was an assistant to the president of Bentley University in Waltham, MA.

“The senior living industry is at an historic crossroads,” Moore said in a statement. “As the ‘baby-boomer’ generation moves into American senior living communities, we have a new list of responsibilities to uphold, challenges to overcome and opportunities upon which to build. It’s an exciting time to be part of the leadership in this period of significant change.”

Moore said that in leading Mass-ALFA, he hopes to build the 25-year-old trade group into the premier state organization advocating for the needs of senior citizens, especially with regard to safe, high-quality assisted living communities.