Nathan Torno

Senior Director of Sales & Marketing
Friendship Village Senior Living Communities
St. Louis, MO, USA
  • 54-J. Diversifying Revenue in Life Plan Communities

    • Wednesday, November 05, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    54-J. Diversifying Revenue in Life Plan Communities

    Looking to boost revenue by serving older adults before they move to your life plan community? Friendship Village Senior Services in St. Louis, MO, has a few ideas for you. This session will showcase two Friendship Village membership programs that offer prospective residents the opportunity to participate in social events, use community amenities, and access comprehensive campus-based health services. These members also have access to a personal concierge and an exclusive member only app. Discover how these programs shorten the sales cycle, reduce barriers to senior living residency, help fill hard-to-sell small apartments, and increase downstream revenue for ancillary services like home care, private duty, and hospice.

Mark Traphagen

VP of Product Marketing & Training
seoClarity
Buffalo Grove, IL, United States
  • 65-H. How Artificial Intelligence Can Help Consumers Find You Online

    • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    65-H. How Artificial Intelligence Can Help Consumers Find You Online

    At least 30% of moves to life plan communities occur after prospective residents search for retirement options using online search tools. This session will show you how to capitalize on this new trend by paying closer attention to search engine optimization (SEO), a method for presenting website content so search engines like Google can help consumers find you online. Presenters will show you how to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve SEO and boost your online visibility. You’ll also get tips for using AI-driven tools to automate online tasks, enhance the quality of your web content, establish authority in niche topic areas, and achieve significant growth in visibility and user engagement.

Jeffrey Trendel

Deputy Commissioner
North Carolina Department of Insurance
Raleigh, NC, 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.

Shirley Turner

Director of Sales & Marketing
Hillcrest
La Verne, CA, USA
  • 63-F. Reaching Out to Solo Agers to Increase Sales and Diversity

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    63-F. Reaching Out to Solo Agers to Increase Sales and Diversity

    Senior living communities often face two marketing challenges: filling one-bedroom and studio apartments and increasing diversity within their resident populations. This session will explore how communities can achieve both goals by reaching out to solo agers, including those from diverse cultural backgrounds, the LGBTQ+ community, and other historically underrepresented groups. Presenters will examine the unique needs and aspirations of solo agers while sharing effective marketing strategies designed to attract them to senior living communities. You’ll gain tips for hosting marketing events that showcase smaller residential units that have traditionally remained vacant and acquire insights to help you connect with prospective residents from the Black, Latino, Asian, and LGBTQ+ communities.

Kelli Underhill

VP HR, Workforce Solutions
Kintura
Greensboro, NC, USA
  • 144-E. It’s Time to Rethink Your Training Strategies

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    144-E. It’s Time to Rethink Your Training Strategies

    Senior living communities excel at developing “compliance” training programs to meet legal requirements. However, they often overlook the need for “learning and development” training programs that emphasize employee engagement, service excellence, and clinical outcomes. This session will challenge the status quo by recommending that providers adopt a more intentional training strategy. Presenters will share examples of aging services organizations that have used learning and development strategies to redesign an employee orientation program, create an award-winning customer service program, and develop an in-house leadership academy. You’ll gain tools to evaluate your organization’s learning and development offerings and find inspiration to rethink your training approach.

Ben Unkle

President & CEO
Westminster Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay
Virginia Beach, VA, USA
  • 41-A. The ABCs of Credit Ratings: A Guide for Life Plan Communities

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

    41-A. The ABCs of Credit Ratings: A Guide for Life Plan Communities

    Life plan community leaders, financial officers, and strategic planners must have a solid understanding of credit ratings before they can help their organizations secure financing on favorable terms. During this session, Fitch Ratings, along with a diverse panel of providers from multi-site and single-site communities will present an overview of credit ratings, explain how to obtain one, and offer guidance on incorporating credit rating considerations into your strategic planning. You’ll receive tips for aligning capital projects and funding needs with your community’s credit profile, identifying and mitigating risks that could negatively impact your rating, and implementing practices that enhance credit strength. Prepare to improve your community’s credit profile and secure the resources necessary for growth and sustainability.

Gretchen Van Ness

Executive Director
LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc
Roslindale, MA, USA
  • 53-I. Strategic Partnerships for Developing Affordable Senior Housing

    • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    53-I. Strategic Partnerships for Developing Affordable Senior Housing

    Developing affordable housing has become increasingly complex in recent years, particularly for providers aiming to serve older adults with health conditions and unique cultural needs. This session will explore how mission-driven organizations can establish and maintain strong partnerships that can help bring affordable housing projects to life. Presenters will share tips for identifying the best partners, overcoming challenges, leveraging multiple funding sources, and staying focused on your organization’s mission and the well-being of residents. Whether you’re just starting out in the housing field or looking to expand your reach, this session will provide practical insights you can use to move your vision from concept to community.

Steven VanderVelde

Director of Senior Living Partnership
ProviNET Solutions
Tinley Park, IL, USA
  • 2-B. Ask ChatGPT: Can AI Address Senior Living Challenges?

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    2-B. Ask ChatGPT: Can AI Address Senior Living Challenges?

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) will take center stage as an active panelist in this unique session. Join an IT consultant and two senior-level IT specialists from LeadingAge member organizations as they invite ChatGPT, an interactive AI model, to tackle senior living challenges in real time. Human panelists will begin the session by sharing their insights into how AI impacts operational efficiencies, resident engagement, strategic decision-making, and resident care in aging services. Then, attendees and panelists will engage in a lively question-and-answer session with ChatGPT. You’ll discover how AI can respond to your organization’s unique challenges and how to critically evaluate AI tools before implementing them in your organization. Don’t miss this opportunity to see AI in action.

David Vega

Vice President Operations Analysis & Compliance
Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc.
Fort Washington, PA, USA
  • 111-D. Federal Guidance: Compliance Risk for Nursing Homes

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    111-D. Federal Guidance: Compliance Risk for Nursing Homes

    The federal Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its first Compliance Program Guidance for Nursing Homes in 2000. Over the past 25 years, compliance programs for skilled nursing facilities (SNF) have evolved from voluntary to mandatory and are now governed by new OIG guidance released in late 2024. This session will review key compliance risk areas for SNFs outlined in the OIG’s most recent guidance. Presenters will recommend practical strategies for expanding your compliance program to manage and mitigate compliance risks.

Ke’o Velasquez

Cooperate Director of Operations
Forefront Living
Dallas, TX, USA
  • 72-B. Resolving Supply Chain Issues in Senior Living

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    72-B. Resolving Supply Chain Issues in Senior Living

    Senior living organizations often find it challenging to predict how the U.S. business climate will impact their supply chains for products and services. This uncertainty complicates the ability of providers to secure, sustain, and grow their businesses. During this session, you’ll meet representatives from Value First, a LeadingAge Gold Corporate Sponsor owned by LeadingAge and 25 state partners. Presenters will provide an overview of current purchasing issues and processes, and explain how Value First helps senior living organizations address those issues through discounted pricing and rebates on food, supplies, and capital equipment. You’ll learn how other LeadingAge members manage supply chain challenges and how vendor solutions can help resolve those issues.

Joe Velderman

Board Member
Parker Health Group, Inc.
Highland Park, NJ, USA
  • 4-C. How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Aging Services

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    4-C. How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Aging Services

    Three years ago, few people were aware of large language models like ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool capable of understanding, generating, and manipulating human language. This session will explore how far we have progressed in 36 months. Presenters will provide an overview of how AI is reshaping aging services by enhancing efficiency, communication, and workforce support. They will also highlight how providers use AI to streamline operations, improve the resident experience, and empower staff. Whether new to AI or looking to refine your approach, you’ll gain a practical perspective on leveraging these powerful technologies to enhance your operations.

Anna Verbuk

Director of the Resident Technology Program
2Life Communities
Brighton, MA, USA
  • 6-E. Can Technology Foster Meaningful Relationships?

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    6-E. Can Technology Foster Meaningful Relationships?

    Social isolation puts many older adults at risk for declines in physical and mental well-being. In-person communication is the best antidote to this isolation, but it’s not always available to those who need it most. That’s why technology is playing an increasingly vital role in helping older adults connect with others. This session will describe how a Boston-based affordable housing provider and its community partner connected older housing residents with their peers while teaching them how to stay connected through technology. Presenters will share their experiences recruiting university students to teach technology skills to a diverse group of older adults. You’ll gain strategies for creating programming that fosters socialization and community-building by helping older adults use technology with confidence.