When Illinois released EngAging Illinois in January 2026, it marked more than a policy milestone to address the needs of older adults in the state. It reflected years of organizing and cross-sector relationship building that helped turn an idea into a statewide plan for action—a multisector plan for aging (MPA), as these plans are increasingly called across the country. Among the early forces behind this work was the Illinois Aging Together campaign, led by the Health and Medicine Policy Group with support from the RRF Foundation for Aging. The campaign invited community members and interested parties to pledge their support for aging equity in Illinois, and for the state to develop a strategic plan for aging. This helped to build momentum for Gov. J.B. Pritzker to sign an executive order launching the effort.
For states considering similar work, Illinois offers a useful example of how an MPA can take shape through executive action, partner engagement, and a structure designed to support action.
Launching the MPA Through Executive Action
Michelle Hoersch, chief planning officer for Illinois’ MPA, joined the effort in summer 2025, just months after Gov. Pritzker issued an executive order directing the state to develop an MPA. In Illinois, like in many other states, an executive order offered the fastest path for authorizing the MPA. While legislation may still play a role in the MPA’s future, executive action allowed the state to more quickly respond to the pressing needs of older Illinoisians.
The executive order included several key components: a deadline to develop the plan, an interagency task force, a community advisory council, and a chief planning officer role to oversee the development and implementation. Together, these elements created both urgency and accountability.
“I truly believe it is worth the investment and that the person be in a senior role with access to the Governor’s Office.”
The deadline pushed the work forward quickly, giving MPA leaders just over a year to establish goals, engage interested parties, and finalize the plan. The interagency task force brought together senior leaders from across state government who had decision-making authority and could help align agency priorities. The community advisory council helped ground the plan in the perspectives of community members and subject matter experts, representing a range of perspectives. The chief planning officer provided dedicated leadership and clear ownership over the plan.
Hoersch emphasized the value of having a dedicated leader for the work. “I think it is essential, or at least highly recommended,” she said. “I truly believe it is worth the investment and that the person be in a senior role with access to the Governor’s Office, and [has} the ‘authority’ to propose policy and work across other departments and agencies at the highest level.”
Building the Plan
While Illinois’ executive order accelerated the work, prior support for a statewide plan helped establish a starting point for bringing partners and interested parties together to form the community advisory council and move quickly into plan development. Illinois also participated in the Center for Health Care Strategies’ Multisector Plan for Aging Learning Collaborative, which gave the state an opportunity to connect with other states developing MPAs.
Four focus areas were established based on community and partner priorities. To organize the work, Illinois created four working groups aligned with each focus area:
(1) creating livable and connected communities;
(2) ensuring health for all ages;
(3) investing in caregivers; and
(4) affording aging.
Members of the community advisory council and interagency task force played leadership roles in these groups, helping to guide state decision-making.
The working groups generated many recommendations, which presented a familiar challenge: how to narrow the recommendations to a list that is both meaningful and feasible. The state tackled the challenge in two ways: by organizing the recommendations into short-, medium-, and long-term goals that create a practical roadmap for implementation and by prioritizing recommendations that could be measured to track progress, drive accountability, and demonstrate wins. Illinois also consulted with a health economist during plan development to help make the business case that investing in the MPA and its initiatives could produce a measurable return on investment.
Moving from Plan Development to Implementation
Since EngAging Illinois was published in January 2026, the state has focused on implementing the plan. The original four working groups have expanded into eight groups, each of which supports focused initiatives, like affordable housing and age and dementia-friendly communities. This structure has helped the state move from broad recommendations to specific implementation tasks.
Academic and university partners are helping to track implementation progress, while a communications firm has helped to shape clear messaging around why the plan matters and how to keep communities and partners engaged.
For Illinois, one of the clearest benefits of developing an MPA has been cross-agency collaboration.
Looking ahead, Illinois hopes to create a single, public-facing implementation tracker and data dashboard where communities and partners can easily view plan progress and impact. The state is also working to develop an ambassador program to help more community members become engaged with and promote the plan.
For Illinois, one of the clearest benefits of developing an MPA has been cross-agency collaboration. Developing EngAging Illinois has created stronger partnerships across state agencies—encouraging greater engagement in each other’s work and bringing an aging lens to a wider range of policy topics. This collaboration has become one of the MPA’s most valuable early outcomes.
Valerie Flores, MGS, is a program officer at the Center for Health Care Strategies.
Thank you to Michelle Hoersch, Chief Planning Officer for the Multisector Plan for Aging, Illinois Department on Aging, for her contributions to this blog post.
Photo credit: Shutterstock/PerfectWave
