Hillary Owen

Principal, Studio Practice Leader
HKS, Inc.
Chicago, IL, USA
  • 35-H. Breaking Barriers: The Journey of Women to C-Suite Success
  • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    35-H. Breaking Barriers: The Journey of Women to C-Suite Success

    During this must-attend session, women executives in aging services will discuss their professional journeys, challenges, and career-defining moments. Chief executive officers, chief operating officers, and vice presidents will share their stories of perseverance and innovation, offering lessons to help other women leaders navigate career transitions, overcome obstacles, and build resilience. Discover the leadership qualities that fueled their success and gain practical strategies for finding mentors, building professional networks, and cultivating confidence. Whether you’re an emerging leader, a mid-career professional, or a seasoned executive, you’ll leave this session with actionable insights to guide your career journey and create work environments that empower and support the advancement of women leaders.

Corri Page

Public Policy Manager
National Church Residences
Columbus, OH, USA
  • 25-J. Bridging the Digital Divide to Unlock Residents’ Public Benefits
  • Wednesday, November 05, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    25-J. Bridging the Digital Divide to Unlock Residents’ Public Benefits

    Gaps in digital literacy and technology access can create economic barriers for affordable housing residents as they navigate public benefits enrollment services that are transitioning to digital platforms. This session will explore how National Church Residences has helped over 3,000 older adults access more than $11 million in public benefits through its Benefits Enrollment Center. You’ll learn how to make benefits enrollment processes more inclusive and accessible to all residents through interventions that provide alternative enrollment methods or offer digital literacy support. Don’t miss this opportunity to ensure that residents of your housing community receive the benefits they’re entitled to, regardless of their technology proficiency or access to digital tools.

Frankie Pane

President
Transforming Age
Bellevue, WA, USA
  • 126-B. Innovative Designs for Active Adult and Independent Living Communities
  • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    126-B. Innovative Designs for Active Adult and Independent Living Communities

    The next generation of senior living residents will seek aesthetically pleasing homes and apartments that support their independence, adapt to their evolving needs, and preserve their dignity. This session will explore innovative designs for active-adult and independent living that will help you meet the preferences of current and future consumers. Presenters will draw on insights from design, marketing, sales, and therapy experts to help you envision life plan community homes and apartments that quickly adapt to residents’ needs, balance safety and autonomy, and maintain a non-institutional feel. They’ll also examine the latest in-home technology, including voice-activated controls, automated lighting, and fall detection sensors. Discover how to design your community’s dwellings to support aging and choice while discreetly addressing residents’ changing needs.

JinHwa Paradowicz

Principal
Perkins Eastman Architects PC
Chicago, IL, USA
  • 133-G. Integrating Intergenerational Principles into Your Projects
  • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    133-G. Integrating Intergenerational Principles into Your Projects

    Intergenerational connections can enhance both the design and operation of senior living environments. This session will offer practical strategies to help you create meaningful and sustainable multigenerational environments that give owners, developers, and designers a competitive edge in today’s evolving market. Presenters will share a roadmap developed by the Joint Intergenerational Task Force convened by SAGE, AIA Design for Aging, and the Center for Health Design. They will unveil the task force’s new findings, case studies, and actionable strategies. You’ll gain valuable insights into the challenges you may encounter as you integrate intergenerational principles into your projects and operations. You’ll also gain strategies that can lead to successful outcomes.

Kevin Parries

Executive Director
Carolina Village
Hendersonville, NC, USA
  • 27-A. Leading in a Crisis: Lessons from Hurricane Helene
  • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

    27-A. Leading in a Crisis: Lessons from Hurricane Helene

    On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene brought unprecedented challenges to western North Carolina as it destroyed homes, caused severe flooding, and left thousands without electricity, cell service, or water. During this session, a panel of CEOs from three senior living organizations in the storm’s path will reflect on their experiences during and after the storm and share the essential leadership lessons they learned. Listen as they recount how they supported one another, how they adapted or rewrote their emergency plans in real-time to address the storm’s catastrophic impacts, and how assistance from other LeadingAge members helped them navigate the crisis. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into the critical role leaders play in guiding their organizations through natural disasters.

Susie Parsons

Associate, Interior Designer
Rice Fergus Miller Architecture & Planning
Bremerton, WA, USA
  • 23-H. Inclusiveu00a0by Design: Addressing Isolation and Loneliness in Senior Living
  • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    23-H. Inclusiveu00a0by Design: Addressing Isolation and Loneliness in Senior Living

    The serious health risks associated with loneliness among individuals living alone are well-documented. However, less is known about addressing isolation that persists even when people reside in a community with their peers. This session will explore the difference between genuine human connection and mere physical proximity. Presenters will identify ways in which isolation and loneliness can persist within communities and examine the additional challenges that LGBTQ+ older adults face when accessing care, shelter, and community support. You’ll discover new opportunities to promote inclusion and connection among older adults and team members, ranging from small cultural shifts to more significant changes in the design of the built environment.

Nick Patel

President
ThriveWell Tech
Frederick, MD, USA
  • 1-A. Smart Living Showcase: Bringing Technology to Senior Living
  • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

    1-A. Smart Living Showcase: Bringing Technology to Senior Living

    Imagine owning a television that uses artificial intelligence to provide social connection. You might want eyeglasses that provide real-time captions of your conversations, or a scale that assesses your risk of falling. These and other technology solutions are displayed in a Smart Living Showcase, developed by Asbury Communities in collaboration with the AgeTech Collaborativeu2122 from AARP. Attend this session for an eye-opening overview of how the showcase is helping Asbury investigate emerging technologies and understand older adults’ preferences and readiness to embrace technology. Presenters will guide you through the showcase’s collection, offer tips for implementing technology solutions in senior living, and discuss the impact of technology innovation on market perception and sales.

Benazir Patil

CEO
Society of Community Health Oriented Operations Links
New Delhi, India
  • 88-A. International Perspectives: Creating Individual Care Plans for Community-Dwelling Adults
  • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

    88-A. International Perspectives: Creating Individual Care Plans for Community-Dwelling Adults

    In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty, tackle inequalities, and protect the environment. This session will highlight how a community-based organization in western India is striving to achieve one UN goal, which calls for “good health and well-being.” Presenters will showcase the Vriddha Mitra program, which helps older adults live safely and independently at home, regardless of age, income, or ability level. You’ll learn about a tool that “community officers” in the program use to assess participants’ needs and develop tailored individual care plans to guide caregiving strategies. Discover how community officers provide this assistance while offering warmth, empathy, and genuine friendship that enrich the lives of older people.

Dee Pekruhn

Senior Director, Life Plan Communities and CCaH
LeadingAge
Washington, DC, USA
  • 120-I. Can State Statutes Protect Life Plan Communities from Bankruptcy?
  • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    120-I. Can State Statutes Protect Life Plan Communities from Bankruptcy?

    *Closed to Press* The rare occurrences of bankruptcy among life plan communities in recent years have raised a compelling and provocative question: What role should state laws play in protecting these communities from insolvency? This session will explore that question. Presenters will provide an overview of the bankruptcy protections that certain states extend to life plan communities through existing statutes. They will also discuss the effects of state actions that either prevent a life plan community’s bankruptcy or worsen a community’s fragile financial position. Don’t miss this opportunity to join experts in the field as they delve into thought-provoking questions about the financial health of life plan communities.

Ricardo Pena

Vice President of Life Enrichment & Therapeutic Activities
Marquis Health Consulting Services
Brick, NJ, United States

Nathan Perez

Regional Director of Sales
Springpoint Senior Living
Wall Township, NJ, USA
  • 124-A. Up Your Game: Join the Dining Revolution
  • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

    124-A. Up Your Game: Join the Dining Revolution

    Senior living providers recognize the need for dining programs that offer enjoyable, social experiences in sophisticated environments. Yet, an attractive dining room or a casual cafu00e9 are no longer enough to distinguish your dining program from the competition. Instead, it’s time to consider introducing restaurant styles typically found in urban downtown areas and designing eating spaces where innovative elements and distinctive themes are reflected in menus, artwork, and dining accessories. If this feels a bit overwhelming, you’ll want to attend this session. Presenters will help you understand the latest trends in senior living dining, explore renovation projects currently underway in life plan communities, and review the outcomes of multiple resident and prospective resident focus groups.

Robert Peterson

Senior Associate
Noelker and Hull Associates, Inc.
Chambersburg, PA, USA
  • 137-K. Develop a Strategic Repositioning Plan for Your Community
  • Wednesday, November 05, 2025

    10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

    137-K. Develop a Strategic Repositioning Plan for Your Community

    Are you seeking ways to transform the challenges facing your senior living campus into opportunities to address local service gaps and shape a brighter future for your organization? This session will provide a roadmap to help you make that happen. Presenters will demonstrate how strategic design, financial planning, and market analysis can ensure your community’s long-term sustainability while creating a vibrant and welcoming environment that exceeds the expectations of older consumers. You’ll gain actionable strategies for exploring current trends and opportunities in senior living, aligning your existing spaces with emerging trends, and developing a strategic repositioning plan that balances resident needs, financial goals, and operational priorities.