March of Dimes President Dr. Jennifer Howse recognized Mr. Bill Novelli with the President's Award for Excellence, given annually to an individual for exemplifying the spirit of the Foundation's founder, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who believed in the collective power of volunteers to affect change.
Mr. Novelli, CEO of AARP since 2000, has made immeasurable creative professional contributions to address some of the nation's most difficult challenges, including increasing access to health coverage and making prescription drugs more affordable. His leading of volunteers in nonpartisan advocacy has resulted in transformative legislative and programmatic achievements consistently during both Republican and Democratic Administrations.
The March of Dimes recently joined AARP, the Business Roundtable, the Service Employees International Union and the National Federation of Independent Business as a supporting organization in Divided We Fail, which was formed to ensure that all citizens have affordable, quality health care and long-term financial security. The March of Dimes supports the effort believing everyone – individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and government – has a role and a responsibility to make needed changes.