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President/CEO

Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida

Maricela Morado is the president and CEO of the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida, a nonprofit serving older adults and adults with disabilities in the area. Before joining AAASWFL, she worked with local nonprofits including Abuse Counseling and Treatment Inc. and Healthy Start Coalition of Southwest Florida. Beyond her previous experience, Morado said determination has driven her career success.

“One of the most important things I have learned throughout my career is the power of faith and perseverance. It is crucial to stay determined and resilient in the face of challenges and setbacks and never lose faith,” she says. “As the oldest in my extended and immediate family, the first to become fluent in English and a first-generation graduate, I have achieved personal growth and various opportunities through hard work, dedication and perseverance, even in challenging times.”

Outside of her work with AAASWFL, Morado is a member of the Omega Nu Lambda National Honor Society and the Collier Dementia Care & Cure Initiative Steering Committee. She also serves as a board member of the Transportation Disadvantaged Programs for Charlotte, Hendry, Glades, Sarasota and Collier counties, and volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida.