Mary Lazare currently serves as ACL’s Principal Deputy Administrator, serving as the senior official performing the duties of the ACL Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging. She was sworn in as ACL’s Principal Deputy Administrator on March 3, 2025, returning to the role she held from 2017-2021.
During her prior tenure at ACL, Mary led the agency’s overall day-to-day operations and spearheaded several key initiatives, including an interagency task force focused on expanding employment opportunities for people with disabilities; a public-private partnership to prevent social isolation; and cross-sector collaboration to align health care and aging and disability services to improve health outcomes and reduce costs.
Before joining ACL, Mary spent over 40 years as an executive in health and long-term care. This included serving 20 years at the Jewish Center for the Aged as Executive Director; 10 years at BJC HealthCare in St. Louis; and 8 years at Ascension Health.
She also served on boards of the Mid-East Area Agency on Aging Foundation of St Louis, the Continuum of Care Committee of the Catholic Health Association, the American Hospital Association Governing Council for Post-Acute Care Services, and a number of other civic and professional organizations.
Mary received her undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri, a master’s degree in gerontology from Lindenwood University, and a Master of Business Administration and Management from Maryville University of Saint Louis.