Getting to know Tom Briody
Posted by David Dye
In May 2012, shortly after coming to San Francisco as the newly selected CEO for the Institute on Aging, Tom Briody joined the Rotary Club of San Francisco. Tom grew up in Buffalo, New York with his parents and three sisters. After high school, Tom earned an undergraduate degree at Xavier University in Cincinnati and then went on to the University of Toronto, where he graduated with a Master’s degree in health services.
His involvement in elder care is a result of following in the footsteps of his grandmother Edna Briody and his parents. In 1946, his grandmother started a “home for the aged”. She bought a mansion and hired nurses and other support staff. The business became a success. His parents took over the business in 1960 and ran it until 1990, when his sister assumed control. Because of the comfort level he developed in working with seniors, he naturally pursued a career in elder care services. For over 25 years he has made a name for himself as a leader and innovator in the area of strategic elder care.
After his daughter Elizabeth graduated from college, he and his wife, Greta, decided to move out of Buffalo. Tom considered several cities, including Boston and San Francisco. The Institute on Aging, a 30-year-old organization based in San Francisco selected him as the best choice to lead the organization’s 450 employees operating under a $38 million budget. The organization’s mission is to serve older adults and help them continue to live in their homes. The organization currently serves over 8,000 people.
Once he arrived in San Francisco, it was only natural for Tom to seek out a Rotary club to join. Following in his father’s footsteps, Tom initially joined Rotary in the mid-1980s. One of his major Rotary involvements in Buffalo was managing its Rotary Youth Exchange program.
Tom and Greta have two children, Patrick and Elizabeth. Greta works for Sutter Health. Patrick, following in the family tradition, received a graduate degree in health administration and is now working for a large health system in Chicago.
In his leisure, Tom is an avid cyclist, and self-described gym fanatic. Tom likes to take 30- to 40-mile cycling trips and goes to the gym several times a week. He and his wife enjoy taking advantage of the wonderful dining choices available in San Francisco.
Tom and Greta have begun to take advantage of the sites and environments of California. Additionally, they like to travel internationally. On three separate trips they have toured Austria, visited Amsterdam, and gone on safari in Tanzania.