Sonya Williams

Recreational Therapist
A.G. Rhodes Health & Rehab Cobb
Marietta, GA
  • 114-F. Creative Programs That Connect Generations

    • Monday, October 26, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    114-F. Creative Programs That Connect Generations

    Intergenerational programs and community partnerships can enhance the well-being of older adults across care settings. This session will introduce purpose-driven engagement options that improve residents’ quality of life and enable them to share their wisdom with younger generations. Presenters will describe a summer camp for teens and older adults that offers opportunities for connection and storytelling; a LEGO-based engagement initiative; and a classroom experience that enables college students to conduct research informed by older adults. You’ll learn how to develop and scale these purpose-driven practices by identifying the right community partners, tailoring engagement strategies to residents with diverse cognitive and physical abilities, and integrating engagement into daily life.

Thomas Willis

Partner & Co-Founder
Phoenix Performance Partners
Brighton, MI
  • 20-H. Flip the Script on Accountability

    • Tuesday, October 27, 2026

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    20-H. Flip the Script on Accountability

    Most organizational leaders unknowingly sabotage their teams by treating accountability as punishment. This fear-based approach to managing teams carries hidden costs, including stifled innovation, talent exodus, and decision-making paralysis. This session will introduce you to a growth-oriented alternative called “Supportive Accountability,” which encourages team members to make voluntary commitments to an organization based on intrinsic satisfaction, curiosity, or enjoyment rather than fear of punishment. Presenters will examine why traditional accountability approaches fail and explore the science behind what truly drives responsibility. You’ll return home with a 10-step guide to implementing a supportive accountability system that builds trust, accelerates growth, and creates thriving teams.

Jen Wilson

Vice President of Well-Being
Carol Woods Retirement Community
Chapel Hill, NC
  • 18-F. How Residents and Caregivers Perceive Inclusive Dementia Care

    • Monday, October 26, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    18-F. How Residents and Caregivers Perceive Inclusive Dementia Care

    Aging services providers recognize the benefits and challenges of enabling residents with varying cognitive abilities to live together, rather than segregating residents with dementia in memory care areas. Yet few studies have examined the care delivered in inclusive residential settings. This session will help fill that gap. Presenters will share their research on how residents and team members perceive inclusive living environments; residents’ perceptions of their well-being and experiences of care; and the extent to which professional caregivers feel supported in problem-solving and collaboration. Join this session to see inclusive long-term care settings through the eyes of those who live and work there.

Paul Winkler

Volunteer/Senior Advisor
Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
  • 25-B. A Dose of Inspiration: Servant Leaders Tell Their Stories

    • Sunday, October 25, 2026

    2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    25-B. A Dose of Inspiration: Servant Leaders Tell Their Stories

    Strong leaders persuade, anticipate the future, and guide their organizations toward results. Strong “servant leaders” also build and nurture trust, deepen relationships, and develop team members so they can make a lasting impact. This session will feature servant leaders working to improve the field of aging services and the lives of older adults. Panelists will describe their involvement in a variety of movements, including dementia inclusion, LGBTQ+ affordable housing, and age-friendly cities. They’ll share how they apply their talents and wisdom to promote equity, access, and inclusion within and beyond their organizations. Join this session for a dose of inspiration and leave feeling motivated to consider your own mission and legacy.

Max Winters

Senior Designer
RLPS Architects
Lancaster, PA
  • 127-G. Beyond Memory Care: Designing Brain-Healthy Communities

    • Tuesday, October 27, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    127-G. Beyond Memory Care: Designing Brain-Healthy Communities

    Do current dementia care approaches reinforce separation in senior living communities, or do they position brain health as a unifying priority for all residents? This session will highlight one organization committed to the latter. Organization leaders will describe how their community invited people living with cognitive change to co-design the environments, services, and operational decisions that define its campus. They’ll examine how this approach shifted the community’s design to support autonomy, normalcy, and shared community life while challenging assumptions about risk, elopement, and safety. Join this session to broaden your understanding of how evidence-based brain health practices can inform senior living campus design.

Isa Woods

Regional Operations Manager
CSI Support & Development COOP (California)
Warren, MI
  • 53-J. The Social Benefits of Embracing the Cooperative Housing Model

    • Wednesday, October 28, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    53-J. The Social Benefits of Embracing the Cooperative Housing Model

    Most of us are familiar with “co-ops,” multi-unit residential buildings collectively owned and democratically managed by their occupants. This session will examine how a nonprofit senior living organization adopted this commercial real estate model to empower “resident members” of its housing communities to govern themselves. Leaders of the organization will explain how residents participate in decision-making through councils and committees and volunteer to assist with or lead day-to-day operations in collaboration with the property manager. You’ll take home a structured outline of the cooperative housing management model and a new understanding of how this level of active participation helps resident members take pride in their housing and lead healthier, more enriched lives.

Candice Yagmin

Owner, Chief Strategy Officer
Rally
Kansas City, MO
  • 61-B. Let Current Residents Help You Identify Future Residents

    • Sunday, October 25, 2026

    2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    61-B. Let Current Residents Help You Identify Future Residents

    Life plan communities seeking new feeder markets beyond their local area need look no further than their own residents to identify ideal prospects. In this session, a panel of marketing experts will explain how a multisite senior living organization partnered with a marketing agency to improve outreach to local consumers and reach qualified prospects beyond its immediate area. Presenters will describe how the organization’s marketing team used information about current residents including their affiliations and personal passions to conduct targeted outreach to prospective residents with similar interests. You’ll learn how to boost lead quality by crafting innovative strategies to reach prospects seeking a new home where they genuinely belong.

Clarette Yen

Vice President, Legal Affairs
LeadingAge
Washington, DC
  • 96-C. Are Policy and Legal Requirements Impeding Your Mission?

    • Sunday, October 25, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    96-C. Are Policy and Legal Requirements Impeding Your Mission?

    An aging service provider must ensure it has both the funding and the personnel to fulfill its important mission to serve older adults. Unfortunately, recent policy and legal developments threaten the capacity of provider organizations to employ the workforce needed to carry out their missions, secure federal funds to support their work, and preserve their tax-exempt status. This session will review the new requirements providers must meet and the uncertainties that challenge their operations. Presenters will address how these requirements and uncertainties may impact your organization and what steps you can take to mitigate potential risks.

Amanda Young

Director of Business Development
Edenwald
Towson, MD
  • 48-G. The New Frontier: Inside Continuing Care at Home (CCaH)

    • Tuesday, October 27, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    48-G. The New Frontier: Inside Continuing Care at Home (CCaH)

    As the desire to age in place grows among older adults, Continuing Care at Home (CCaH) programs are emerging as an innovative alternative to traditional senior living. In return for an entrance fee and monthly dues, CCaH members receive comprehensive long-term care services while remaining in their own homes. During this session, three CCaH providers will compare CCaH models, detailing their financial structures, membership designs, and operational approaches. Presenters will help you identify which CCaH model best aligns with your organization’s mission, market, and strategic goals. You’ll discover key factors that contributed to the success of organizations that have launched and grown CCaH programs, as well as the challenges they faced along the way.

Yvette Zelaya

Director of Talent Acquisition
Front Porch
Glendale, CA
  • 143-I. From Fragmented to Focused: Centralizing Talent Acquisition

    • Tuesday, October 27, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    143-I. From Fragmented to Focused: Centralizing Talent Acquisition

    A centralized talent acquisition framework consolidates hiring operations under a single Human Resources (HR) team and helps your organization transform recruitment into a proactive, data-driven strategy. This session will show you how centralized recruitment models enable HR teams to conduct higher-quality candidate assessments and enhance the candidate experience through consistent communication, streamlined touchpoints, and clear expectations. Presenters will share strategies to help you assess and redesign your current recruitment operations, streamline workflows, and leverage technology to drive higher returns on investment. You’ll see how a centralized approach can lower vacancy rates, improve outcomes, strengthen workforce stability, and reduce your organization’s compliance and legal risk.

Sheryl Zimmerman

Associate Dean and Distinguished Professor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
  • 18-F. How Residents and Caregivers Perceive Inclusive Dementia Care

    • Monday, October 26, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    18-F. How Residents and Caregivers Perceive Inclusive Dementia Care

    Aging services providers recognize the benefits and challenges of enabling residents with varying cognitive abilities to live together, rather than segregating residents with dementia in memory care areas. Yet few studies have examined the care delivered in inclusive residential settings. This session will help fill that gap. Presenters will share their research on how residents and team members perceive inclusive living environments; residents’ perceptions of their well-being and experiences of care; and the extent to which professional caregivers feel supported in problem-solving and collaboration. Join this session to see inclusive long-term care settings through the eyes of those who live and work there.

Martin Zorn

Board Chair
Arcadia Family of Companies
Honolulu, HI
  • 33-J. Aligning Executive Compensation with Strategic Priorities

    • Wednesday, October 28, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    33-J. Aligning Executive Compensation with Strategic Priorities

    Today’s nonprofit senior living organizations must balance mission-driven care with financial sustainability, address workforce shortages, and meet evolving resident expectations. Strategic planning can help organizations address these and other challenges, but it is not a standalone solution. Organizations must also align short- and long-term goals with executive compensation so that top leaders are rewarded for achieving desired outcomes. This session will show you how. A senior living executive and board chair will share how they adopted a strategic plan that aligned multiple compensation elements with specific strategic goals. You’ll learn to map goals to compensation levers and develop a pay structure that balances short-term execution with long-term mission impact.