Grace Cheng Braun, MSPH

In July 2022, Grace Cheng Braun completed 17 years as president and CEO of WISE & Healthy Aging, a community-based, nonprofit social services organization headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., with a more than 50-year mission to advance the dignity and quality of life of older adults through leadership, advocacy and innovative services. Annually, the organization serves more than 20,000 seniors and caregivers. Under her leadership, WISE & Healthy Aging earned consecutive national designations as a “Great Place to Work.”  Since its start, she has been teaching graduate-level business and leadership courses in the International Public Policy and Management Program (IPPAM) as a member of the adjunct faculty at USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy.

Prior to joining WISE & Healthy Aging, Ms. Cheng Braun has held a number of executive-level positions in health care, including a six-year term as Vice President for Marketing and Public Relations at Cedars-Sinai Health System in Los Angeles. She also served as Associate Director of Business and Organizational Development at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center.  While at Santa Monica Hospital, her areas of responsibility were rated as best practice departments and earned the highest score of any areas in the organization for overall satisfaction in a management survey.

Ms. Cheng Braun also works as an executive business coach assisting individuals in setting measurable goals that lead to improved attitudes and behaviors and stronger business and communication skills. She has volunteered her training and development expertise with several organizations, including LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics), a nonprofit organization established to enhance and develop community and corporate leadership skills in the Asian Pacific community. Through LEAP, she has conducted workshops for Microsoft, Xerox and Corning.