Leza Coleman, the former Executive Director for the California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association (CLTCOA), was introduced to the world of elder justice and self-determination as a volunteer Long-Term Care Ombudsman, where she honed her advocacy skills supporting residents and their families in achieving the highest levels of care. Inspired to ensure dignity and respect for all residents, Leza obtained her administrator’s license and joined the leadership team to open an assisted living facility committed to person-centered models of care. Not satisfied to serve seniors in a single community Leza took on the leadership of CLTCOA from 2012-2021, where she supported, resourced, and magnified the work of the 35 local LTC Ombudsman programs in California. She serves as a board member for the California Elder Justice Coalition, the Village Movement California, California Health Advocates, and serves on the policy committee for the California Association for Long-Term Care Medicine and the California Aging and Disability Alliance.

Leza has been active in multiple statewide legislative efforts and is passionate about working on statewide efforts to promote “aging well” in California.

Leza is currently the Legislative Director for the California Commission on Aging.