Jenny Carlson serves as State Director for AARP Ohio. Carlson most recently was the assistant director of the Ohio Department of Aging, where she managed operations and developed and oversaw innovative policy and programs to improve the health, wellness and safety of older Ohioans.

Prior to that, she was associate vice president for government affairs at The Ohio State University Office of Health Sciences. In this role, she managed policy and government relations for the health system, including Wexner Medical Center, the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and the Richard J. Solove Research Institute, seven health science colleges, and health-related research centers.

Early in her career, Carlson was chief of staff to former Ohio Lt. Gov. Maureen O’Connor. In this role, she also served as executive assistant over five cabinet agencies for former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft. She was executive director of Ohio’s first Blue Ribbon Commission to Reform Medicaid, and she was director of Federal Relations and Health Policy for former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery. Further, she worked for former state Sen. Karen Gillmor and Congressman Paul Gillmor.

A graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in business, Carlson serves on multiple nonprofit boards. She resides in Blacklick, Ohio, with her husband and mother, and has two adult children.