The Alzheimer’s Association Minnesota-North Dakota Chapter announces the appointment of Mollie O’Brien to chief strategy officer (CSO). In this role, O’Brien will direct the operations of education and outreach, clinical services, health systems, diversity and inclusion and advocacy.
O’Brien replaces former CSO Linda Lorentzen, who retired in December. Most recently, O’Brien served as system director for health equity at Allina Health where she focused on reducing health disparities among underserved communities who were at risk for poor health outcomes.
“Mollie’s experience and skills align wonderfully with our strategic objectives,” said Sue Spalding, Alzheimer’s Association Minnesota-North Dakota Chapter CEO. “Her leadership in reducing health inequities will help us advance our services and programs into more clinical and community settings in need of resources for those impacted by dementia and Alzheimer’s.”
O’Brien has more than 20 years of leadership experience in nonprofit, consulting and corporate sectors within the industries of cultural/historic preservation, integrative/holistic health and health equity. She earned her undergraduate degree in archaeology from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, her graduate degree in interdisciplinary archaeological studies from the University of Minnesota, and her mini-MBA in nonprofit leadership from the University of St. Thomas. O’Brien is also a graduate of the Disparities Leadership Program – a program of the Disparities Solutions Center of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
“I’m especially excited to bring my background in health equity to help the Alzheimer’s Association partner with populations experiencing disparities to improve care and support of individuals and families who are at higher risk of living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia,”0 said O’Brien.
