A Forsyth County resident was elected to head the Georgia Council on Aging last month.

Vicki Johnson, of Cumming, was first appointed to the council in January 2010 by Georgia House of Representatives Speaker David Ralston and has served in various capacities for the group for the last six years.

She was reappointed in April and elected to the new position July 13.

The council, created in 1977, is an advocacy group working on behalf of senior citizens and their families to improve elderly Georgians’ quality of life.

The 20-person council also serves in an advisory capacity on aging issues to the governor, general assembly, Department of Human Services and other state agencies.

Its bylaws require officers to serve in two-year terms; however, they cannot serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office.

Johnson previously served as legislative chair, treasurer and chair of the Bylaws Committee.

Last year, Johnson also was elected as the 2015 Consumer Champion by Georgia Watch in recognition of her advocacy work on elder abuse legislation.

The council will take four requests to the 2017 session of the General Assembly: funding for home and community-based services, funding for transportation services, legislation to improve oral health care to seniors residing in nursing homes and the Family Care Act to allow employees to use their earned sick leave to care for family members who are ill.

The 2017 session starts in January.