NCAL Staff

As Vice President of Operations for NCAL, Preede ensures the efficient operation of NCAL, coordinating workflow, strategic planning and internal processes. In addition, Preede is responsible for membership growth, retention, and satisfaction. ​

Prior to joining NCAL in December 2012, Preede was on the Corporate Marketing & Communications team at Sunrise Senior Living where she managed marketing and communication initiatives. Previously, she served for more than four years as a public affairs manager for AHCA. In this role, she represented the association and its members with local, state and national media outlets as well as assisted state affiliate public relations professionals on numerous projects and special events. 

Preede also has worked for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and in Congressional offices on Capitol Hill. Preede is a graduate of American University’s School of Public Affairs with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government. ​

​As Associate Vice President of Workforce and Quality Improvement, Dr. Schwartz develops and implements quality improvement initiatives, including quality measurement development and data collection. She also oversees workforce initiatives for the organization.

Dr. Schwartz earned her Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of Health Policy and Management. During graduate school she worked as a research assistant for the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and completed a Health Fellowship in the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Aging and Retirement. Prior to attending graduate school, Dr. Schwartz worked in home and community-based services in different roles including as direct care staff and as a case manager for an Area Agency on Aging.

She serves as current Chair of the Center for Excellence in Assisted Living (CEAL) Board of Directors, Co-Convener for the Gerontological Society of America’s (GSA) Assisted Living Interest Group, and as a mentor for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Policy Research Scholars program.

In 2019, Dr. Schwartz was named a Fellow of GSA, the highest class of membership, as an acknowledgement of outstanding and continued work in the field of gerontology. Dr. Schwartz earned her B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Business from Indiana University.