AUGUSTA — A longtime lawyer with the state attorney general’s office has taken the top position with an association that advocates for older Mainers.

Jessica Maurer has been hired as executive director of the Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging, which represents the state’s five area agencies.

Maurer worked for the attorney general’s office for nearly 20 years. In the past seven years, she worked extensively on issues affecting Maine’s senior population, including prescription drug pricing, end-of-life care and elder abuse.