Creating an inclusive board and leadership team is a requirement for any organization striving to foster innovation, adaptability, and alignment with diverse communities. This session will help you create leadership structures that reflect your commitment to inclusivity. Presenters will outline the five-year process that helped Episcopal Retirement Services in Cincinnati, OH, cultivate a “We Can Do Better” culture while striving to become more representative at all levels of the organization. You’ll leave this session equipped with the tools, ideas, and confidence to spearhead inclusivity efforts that foster listening, learning, and growth among all leaders within your organization.

Byron Health Center in Fort Wayne, IN, addresses the needs of individuals with complex medical conditions through a range of Medicaid-funded care and services. This session will highlight how the community has engaged local young people in its volunteer program and enrolled high school students in a work-based learning initiative to help them explore careers in aging services. Two Byron executives will describe how these young volunteers work alongside residents aged 20 to 98 who live with dementia, traumatic brain injuries, severe and chronic mental illnesses, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. They will explain how they train young people, the lessons learned, and their plans for the future.

Addressing everyday stereotypes and biases can create a more respectful and inclusive culture in senior care organizations. This session will provide practical tools and strategies for fostering effective communication and navigating difficult conversations about bias. Presenters will help you identify subtle biases and stereotypes and respond to them constructively. Senior living leaders will share their experiences implementing bias workshops, and you’ll view a video demonstrating workshop best practices and techniques. Explore how culture change can help you challenge stereotypes and build stronger, more respectful relationships among team members and between staff and residents.

The dynamic and high-stakes nature of senior living environments requires robust strategies for crisis and issue management. This session, designed for senior living executives and legal compliance professionals, will explore best practices for navigating scenarios that can threaten operational stability, reputational integrity, and regulatory compliance. Presenters will offer practical insights into managing crises, including data privacy breaches and ransomware attacks. Participants will engage in an interactive game-show-like format to address scenarios involving regulatory scrutiny, media pressure, and internal investigations. Learn how to minimize liability and safeguard organizational trust while preserving confidentiality in privileged communications, managing relationships with third-party vendors, and addressing allegations of workplace misconduct.

The demand for qualified caregivers is rising worldwide, and workforce shortages in aged care are intensifying. Domestic solutions are critical, but the aged care sector must also embrace innovative global partnerships. This session will examine how providers in Minnesota are working with the Kenyan State Department of Diaspora Affairs to create sustainable pipelines for foreign-born workers. Discover how similar initiatives can strengthen the U.S. healthcare workforce, enhance global skillsets, and improve healthcare outcomes. You’ll learn the steps necessary to engage in international recruitment, navigate complex immigration systems, and foster partnerships that prioritize workforce needs and advance global healthcare.

Nursing supervisors in aging services play a critical role in motivating, teaching, and mentoring certified nursing assistants (CNAs) who provide direct care to nursing home residents. A strong, positive relationship between a nurse supervisor and a CNA boosts job satisfaction and reduces turnover. This session will explore actions that nursing supervisors can take to develop the leadership skills they need to work with CNAs so that the entire team can deliver high quality care. Presenters will also emphasize the critical role that a supportive organizational culture, aligned structures and policies, and consistent reinforcement from leadership play so that supervision strategies are effectively integrated into daily practice. Learn about programs that help nursing supervisors create a supportive workplace culture and become effective leaders of CNAs and teams.

Strategic planning is a team sport requiring clear communication, mutual accountability, and a shared vision among all participants. This session will draw on the experiences of Porters Neck Village, a life plan community in Wilmington, NC, to explore essential steps in the strategic planning process. Presenters will outline the roles that the single-site community’s board members, management organization, executive director, staff, and residents played in developing its 10-year growth and campus expansion plan. They will describe how planning decisions were discussed and communicated, how participants held each other accountable, and how retreats, committee meetings, board meetings, and resident gatherings advanced the process. You’ll gain practical strategies that can be applied to your community’s strategic planning process.

Why are many of today’s new hires struggling with traditional definitions of “professionalism” and “work ethic”? This session will explore how the mindset of aging services team members has evolved over the past few years and suggest that it’s time for providers to evolve too. Join a generational expert, retention expert, and provider as they share how to navigate key challenges and opportunities presented by hiring everyone from GenZ to retirees returning to work. They’ll show you how to provide clearer guidance and support for all your staff, foster more successful collaboration, and enhance retention as you explore the “why” behind employees’ unique mindsets. As many employees are no longer responding well to previous expectations and obligations at work, it’s time to rewrite our organizational rules and work together more successfully.

You don’t need a fancy C-suite title to become an effective leader and contribute to organizational culture. Leadership is a choice available to everyone in an organization, regardless of their position. This practical session will show you how to unlock your potential and discover how to use three essential tools to create engaged teams: leadership that inspires purpose, management that creates accountability, and coaching that fosters growth. You’ll learn valuable lessons to help you decide which tool to use and when to apply it. Develop the mental fitness to move beyond behaviors that limit your effectiveness and embrace frameworks that elevate your leadership impact.

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.

Lasell Village in Newton, MA, is implementing a resident-driven, employee-engaged framework called “Every Voice” that fosters inclusion and belonging by integrating voices across generations, backgrounds, and identities. This session will describe how residents and team members of the life plan community worked together to embed belonging into daily life through inclusive policies, respectful dialogue, and change-oriented programming. Presenters will offer guidance to help you build a culture of inclusion that aligns with your organization’s values, engages community members, and measures progress. You’ll return home with the tools you need to ensure that your community reflects the richness of the world while it continues working toward a more diverse future.

Decisions regarding immigration policy have significant implications for the aging services workforce. Join this session to hear a detailed report on recent developments in federal immigration policy and explore how these changes impact the ability of providers to attract and retain essential caregiving talent. An engaging discussion with policy experts will provide a deeper understanding of current federal actions and demonstrate how LeadingAge and its partners are advocating on Capitol Hill to protect and expand the workforce, maintain continuity of care, and support providers as they navigate this complex policy landscape.

Succession planning has long been recognized as an essential tool for maintaining talent continuity in an organization’s C-suite. However, as this session will demonstrate, it also plays a critical role in developing the skills of mid-level managers. Representatives from Acts Retirement-Life Communities will describe their mid-level succession planning program, which features internal leadership initiatives, undergraduate and graduate-level programs offered in partnership with local colleges, and a structured mentorship program. You’ll discover how to identify and assess high-potential managers, create personalized development plans, and align talent development with business objectives. Join this session to acquire the tools you need to identify, develop, and retain high-potential middle managers to help ensure organizational growth and stability.

Are you looking for proven strategies to boost staff retention? Look no further than this session featuring leaders from Chelsea Jewish Lifecare in Chelsea, MA. Chief Executive Officer Barry Berman and Chief Operating Officer Betsy Mullen will discuss their organization’s impressive retention record: 25% of the employees have been with the organization for at least 10 years, nursing staff turnover is among the lowest in the state, and they haven’t relied on staffing agencies for 30 years. Presenters will share their keys to success, including an innovative onboarding process, ongoing communication, and staff appreciation initiatives. Join this session to learn easy-to-implement strategies for reducing vacancies, lowering turnover, and fostering a high-performing culture.

In 2022, LeadingAge Ohio incorporated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals into its strategic plan. It then enlisted volunteers from member organizations to help create meaningful DEI resources within the Buckeye State. In this session, presenters will discuss how a DEI framework can help reduce employee turnover, improve workforce satisfaction, and create more welcoming environments for residents. You’ll learn how current trends and public sentiment about DEI may impact the aging services sector and explore strategies for maintaining and advancing DEI initiatives in a shifting social and political landscape.

Creating a high-performing nonprofit board of directors entails more than simply selecting individuals to serve. Organizations must also strive to enhance the impact of board members once they are recruited. This session will examine the holistic Board Lifecycle Program implemented by Sun Health Communities in Surprise, AZ. Presenters will describe program features, including strategic recruitment aligned with effective board engagement, an onboarding process designed to help new board members contribute and thrive, and a board rotation policy that encourages fresh perspectives while maintaining institutional knowledge. The Board Lifecycle Program also features board compensation to boost recruitment, raise expectations, and enhance engagement. Get ready to access practical tools that will help you develop a high-impact board.

Direct care professionals are essential to long-term care, yet this workforce faces persistent challenges, including high turnover, low wages, and limited career advancement opportunities. This session will introduce a Universal Worker framework that enhances job quality and client outcomes by providing direct care professionals with advanced roles. Representatives from PHI, a national workforce organization, will describe one such role: a Care Integration Senior Aide (CISA) who observes, documents, and reports clients’ clinical conditions to their care team. Home care providers will explain how they partnered with PHI to implement the CISA role. Discover how to use the Universal Worker framework and CISA role to transform workforce challenges into opportunities that ensure sustainable, high-quality care delivery.

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.

Studying the characteristics of senior living communities with healthy organizational cultures can help providers shape thriving workplaces of their own. This session will showcase how a two-year workforce-strengthening initiative at San Francisco’s Sequoia Living reduced turnover and enhanced resident satisfaction. Presenters will detail how the initiative encouraged residents and team members to embrace a growth mindset that respectfully challenges the status quo, foster an inclusive environment where all voices are heard, and exercise accountability and care to increase engagement and outcomes. You’ll discover how the initiative reduced Sequoia Living’s turnover to an all-time low of 17% and improved the “culture score” the organization receives from its employees.

Many organizations struggle to create inclusion and belonging initiatives that are impactful and sustainable. During this session, representatives from Brookhaven at Lexington, a life plan community in Lexington, MA, and Orange Grove Consulting, a talent management consultant, will demonstrate how to enhance inclusion by evaluating your organization’s levels of belonging and measuring its progress in achieving key inclusion goals. Presenters will provide an overview of the data collection process they used to evaluate Brookhaven’s current culture of inclusion and belonging, including its talent management practices. With Brookhaven as your guide, you’ll discover how to launch similar initiatives that will enable your organization to operationalize a culture of inclusion and belonging.

The Leadership Fellowship Pilot Program, a collaboration between LeadingAge and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), aims to raise awareness about careers in aging services by inviting high-potential, mid-level leaders to spend a year working in non-clinical roles at LeadingAge provider organizations. This session will explore the pilot program’s strategic approach to workforce development in aging services, explain how UNCF recruits prospective fellows for provider-specific positions, and review the program’s curriculum, which introduces fellows to the field of aging services. You’ll hear from providers and fellows about their experiences in the program and learn about the mentoring support fellows receive as they prepare to pursue promising careers in aging.

All chief executive officers (CEOs) can benefit from a proactive and supportive transition process that fully engages the board and leadership team to ensure early success in the role. Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge (WCBR), a life plan community in Charlottesville, VA, sought to orchestrate such a comprehensive transition for its new CEO. During this session, the community’s board chair and new CEO will share key elements of that transition plan. They’ll also address common and unexpected obstacles organizations must overcome to ensure a successful transition process. You’ll discover how a leadership transition can represent a strategic opportunity that enables organizations to step confidently into a brighter future.

Are you managing multiple service lines across the continuum, or just curious about the broader policy landscape affecting aging services? This session is designed for you. The LeadingAge advocacy team will be on hand to review this year’s federal policy successes and challenges. You’ll gain a clear understanding of key federal legislative and regulatory changes impacting nursing homes, hospice, affordable housing, home health, adult day services, and Medicaid home and community-based services. You’ll also hear the latest updates on legal matters, workforce development, and Medicare Advantage. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch up on 2025’s policy news and prepare for the advocacy initiatives that are expected to emerge in 2026.

Senior living organizations must cultivate skilled, compassionate, and forward-thinking leaders to meet the growing demand for quality care and innovative solutions. Mentors—seasoned professionals who help mentees navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and grow personally and professionally—are the cornerstone of any initiative aimed at achieving this goal. This session will provide tools for structuring mentorship programs that align with organizational goals and emphasize measurable outcomes like leadership readiness and employee retention. Presenters will explore strategies for establishing sustainable leadership pipelines by identifying and nurturing leadership potential within diverse teams, creating inclusive pathways for growth, and addressing barriers to leadership opportunities.

By 2040, employers worldwide will need an additional 13.5 million professional caregivers to serve a growing population of older adults. Unfortunately, not enough native-born workers are available to fill the required positions. This session will explore global workforce shortages and describe sustainable labor mobility programs aimed at addressing worker scarcity while reducing poverty and enhancing global justice. Learn how two international organizations—Labor Mobility Partnerships and the Global Ageing Network—have joined forces to encourage better public policies and private-sector practices by creating a database containing migrant workers’ priorities and perspectives. Discover how quality overseas jobs in developed economies can provide economic mobility for the globally disadvantaged while benefiting employers, consumers, and economies around the world.

How would senior living communities be transformed if residents and team members genuinely felt they were working together as partners? This session will help you explore that question. Presenters will share how HumanGood transitioned from a traditional “we serve you” model to a progressive “we partner with you” approach that strengthened collaboration among everyone living and working in its life plan communities. You’ll learn how HumanGood’s resident committee structure and comprehensive listening strategy have reshaped the dynamics between residents and team members. Don’t miss this inspiring call to rethink traditional dynamics and embrace a culture where partnership, mutual respect, and shared goals promote a strong sense of belonging, engagement, and agency among residents and team members.