News

Council on Aging names new executive director

Melissa Witmeier is the new exective director of the Council on Aging.

By Lightning Reports, Published: March 15, 2022

Melissa Witmeier, a grant strategies officer with the Girl Scouts in the Jacksonville, Florida, region, has been named executive director for the Council on Aging for Henderson County, COA Chair Jill Hart, announced today.

“We are fortunate to have Melissa lead COA, and we welcome her and her family to Henderson County,” Hart said. “She is organized, articulate, and outgoing. “She is organized, articulate, and outgoing. She is excited about our mission, and we look forward to working with Melissa in leading COA to even greater heights of success."


Witmeier comes to the Hendersonville post from Girl Scouts of Gateway Council, where she was vice president for grant strategies. Prior to that, she was the director of grant initiatives with the same organization. In that role, she oversaw grant-funded Community Development Programs, implementing evidence-based strategies to reach and serve youth in underserved communities. 

"I am passionate about linking people to services, resources and supports, especially now when there are so many factors impacting families and our older adults that our beyond their control," she said. "It is an honor to be named Executive Director and lead the team at the COA as we work to support the system of care in Henderson County and provide critical services to our clients. As a change agent in the behavioral health field of suicide prevention and intervention, I look forward to enhancing the framework of our community.”

In previous positions, she served as the director of operations at EPIC Behavioral Healthcare in St. Johns County, Florida, where she was the quality assurance officer and director of training and community engagement for several federal Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants through the Florida Council for Community Mental Health and the University of Central Florida. She is a certified trainer in behavioral health prevention and intervention workshops including Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid.

Melissa and her husband, Ben, have been together for almost 25 years. They have two children and two dogs.  They enjoy the outdoors, gardening, cooking, home and yard projects.  Both have travelled to the North Carolina mountains for many years, and they look forward to making it their home.

Established in 1969 to provide and coordinate services to engage, connect, and support adults in our community as we age, the Council on Aging currently serves meals to more than 400 homebound clients each week throughout Henderson County. In addition, the agency hosts congregate meals at the Sammy Williams Center, provides liquid nutrition to seniors who cannot get sufficient nutrition from solid food (many of whom are getting cancer treatment), and counsels aging adults and their families on helpful resources to navigate the aging process.

COAHC’s vision is, “No One Ages Alone.” For more information on the Council on Aging, including how you can volunteer or contribute, visit coahc.org.