Philippe Saad

Principal
DiMella Shaffer
Boston, MA, USA
  • 131-F. Inclusive Planning and Design to Support an Expanded Mission

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    131-F. Inclusive Planning and Design to Support an Expanded Mission

    Goddard House, a 175-year-old single-site assisted living and memory support community in Brookline, MA, embarked on a journey in 2019 to expand a mission that already distinguished it from the competition. This session will showcase the significant physical updates that Goddard House undertook to support programs deemed essential to that expanded mission, which calls for greater engagement with the Boston community, an increased focus on the creative arts, and renewed efforts to foster a sense of belonging for everyone. Presenters will describe the community’s innovative approach to aging and examine the inclusive master plan and evidence-based design process that have enabled the Goddard House campus to create spaces tailored to support current and future residents and programs.

Kevin Salminen

Chief Financial Officer
Pinnacle Living
Glen Allen, VA, USA
  • 34-H. Enhancing Your Board’s Financial Expertise

    • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    34-H. Enhancing Your Board’s Financial Expertise

    Good governance entails more than simply assembling a diverse group of board members with the skills and background necessary to advance your organization’s mission. It also requires organizational leaders to help board members fully grasp their fiduciary responsibilities. During this session, you’ll discover strategies for enhancing the financial acumen of board members, enabling them to develop a thorough understanding of your organization’s financial and operational health. This understanding will allow all board members to engage in strategic planning, participate in nuanced discussions about the ramifications of financial decisions, and make informed decisions. If your board is seeking ways to promote open, informed discussions that foster effective governance and accountability, this session is for you.

Lisa Sanders

Vice President, Communications and Media Relations
LeadingAge
Washington, DC, USA
  • 61-D. Master the Art of Storytelling to Shape the Media Narrative

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    61-D. Master the Art of Storytelling to Shape the Media Narrative

    Public relations professionals in aging services play two roles when sharing stories about their organizations with the media: they communicate relevant facts to reporters and assist those reporters in crafting compelling narratives that bring those facts to life. This session will introduce LeadingAge members to the art of storytelling. A panel of reporters and communications experts will help you understand journalistic concepts and public relations strategies. You’ll learn how to generate story ideas about your organization, pitch those ideas to the media, and engage with reporters. You’ll also gain tools and tactics to help you navigate damaging media storms or ride the exhilarating waves of favorable coverage.

Tom Sanders

Owner | Author
Tom Sanders Photography & Films
  • 60-C. Manage Your Online Images to Minimize Liability

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    60-C. Manage Your Online Images to Minimize Liability

    Standout photography and high-quality graphics can enhance your organization’s brand awareness, especially when prominently displayed on your website. But what happens when your online images don’t reflect the diversity required by Fair Housing regulations or lack proper alternative text or “alt tags” that improve website accessibility? This session will help you minimize liability related to accessibility and compliance. Presenters will outline steps you can take to coordinate an on-location photo shoot, select the right photos for your website and other marketing materials, and understand how individuals with disabilities interact with your brand online. You’ll learn how to create an optimal web experience for all prospective residents.

Katherine Santos

Chief Strategy Officer
Legacy Lifecare
Peabody, MA, United States
  • 56-L. Stronger Together: Securing Your Future through Affiliation

    • Wednesday, November 05, 2025

    11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

    56-L. Stronger Together: Securing Your Future through Affiliation

    Affiliation has become an indispensable tool for nonprofit senior living organizations facing complex challenges. This session will include case studies where organizations enhanced operational efficiency, stabilized finances, improved care quality, and strengthened recruitment and staff development after affiliating with a network of charitable, nonprofit senior care organizations. Presenters will provide practical strategies for examining various collaborative models. You’ll take home a framework for evaluating when affiliation might be beneficial, criteria for identifying and selecting suitable partners, and tips for ensuring that an affiliation aligns with your organization’s mission and goals. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore a strategy that could help secure your organization and its mission.

Richard Scanlon

Managing Director, Senior Living Finance
Ziegler
Saint Petersburg, FL, USA
  • 48-E. Acquisitions and Divestitures: Perspectives on Buying and Selling Assets

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    48-E. Acquisitions and Divestitures: Perspectives on Buying and Selling Assets

    The senior living sector has experienced significant growth in acquisitions and affiliations over the past few years. This session will highlight trends in mergers and acquisitions while exploring how for-profit and nonprofit buyers differ in their approaches to valuing assets and implementing ownership changes. You’ll hear the stories of a Dallas-based senior living organization that acquired a senior living community in Fort Worth and a Florida-based multi-site organization that divested several campuses. Get the guidance you need to navigate the acquisition/disposition process, including steps you should take after concluding that certain components of your organization are not contributing value to the enterprise.

Amy Schectman

Saul and Gitta Kurlat Chief Executive Officer
2Life Communities
Brighton, MA, USA
  • 90-B. Bringing Health and Wellness Programming to Affordable Housing

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    90-B. Bringing Health and Wellness Programming to Affordable Housing

    Older adults living in subsidized housing have a greater risk of hospitalization and costly nursing care utilization compared to their peers in the community. This session will introduce you to three affordable housing communities working to change these outcomes. Presenters will outline their strategies for improving resident health and well-being, which include establishing a multi-physician medical clinic to address the needs of residents and non-residents, aligning housing-based health programs with the eight dimensions of wellness, and using technology to connect healthcare providers and clients of a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). You’ll gain tips for establishing housing-based programs that save healthcare dollars while increasing health equity for older adults wishing to age well and in place.

Laurie Scherrer

DAA Advisory Board Member
Dementia Action Alliance
Oley, PA, USA

Karen Schofield-Leca

Director of Philanthropy
Collington – A Kendal Affiliate
Mitchellville, MD, USA
  • 51-H. Enhance Workforce and Community Impact with Employee Scholarships

    • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    51-H. Enhance Workforce and Community Impact with Employee Scholarships

    Your organization can address workforce challenges and promote employee development by offering scholarships to help employees pursue higher education and improve their professional skills. This session will highlight three organizations that award scholarships to employees and students with support from residents who make donations, review applications, and allocate awards. Presenters will discuss the development, implementation, and outcomes of scholarship initiatives while sharing practical steps for securing funding, engaging stakeholders, and measuring success. Discover how to create scholarship programs that empower employees, attract new talent, and reinforce your organization’s commitment to mission-driven service. You’ll obtain tools to evaluate your scholarship program’s success, ensure its lasting impact, and demonstrate a return on investment for your organization and workforce.

Alison Schroeder

Arts Coordinator
Goodwin House Alexandria
Alexandria, VA, USA
  • 100-I. Supporting the Grieving Process with Creative Arts

    • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    100-I. Supporting the Grieving Process with Creative Arts

    Grief and loss are integral to the human experience. This is particularly true for older adults and their caregivers, who may become vulnerable to social isolation and depression if they don’t process the emotional upheaval of late-life transitions like changes in physical mobility, cognition, or lifelong relationships. This session will explore how the creative arts can help. Presenters will demonstrate how music, art, dance, drama, and poetry can provide emotional support while facilitating self-expression. A music therapist and creative arts coordinator from a Virginia-based life plan community will show you how they engage with the creative arts. You’ll be encouraged to extend your learning by participating in a creative art-making experience.

Jill Schroeder

SAGE President & Market Sector Lead
Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc.
Phoenix, AZ, USA
  • 129-D. The Built Environment: A Tool for Preventing Falls

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    129-D. The Built Environment: A Tool for Preventing Falls

    Senior living providers have an obligation to protect residents and staff from falls while helping them maintain their autonomy and enhancing their quality of life. This session will explore essential, yet often overlooked, tools to help you meet that obligation: the buildings where residents and team members live and work. Presenters will demonstrate how simple modifications to existing structures or new construction in your skilled nursing, transitional care, assisted living, and memory care settings can prevent falls and improve outcomes for residents and staff. Join this session to pinpoint specific elements of your organization’s built environment that can help you prevent, detect, and protect against falls and their adverse outcomes.

Kevin Schwab

Chief Executive Officer
Givens Communities
Asheville, 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.