Conference Program | Monday, May 19

8:30-9:15am | Registration & Breakfast

8:30-9:30am | Exhibitors & Networking

9:15-10:00am | General Session 
*More information coming soon 

10:40-11:40am | General Session 
*More information coming soon

11:45-1:15am | Lunch & Keynote Speaker
*More information coming soon 

1:45-2:30pm | Breakout Sessions:
 

• What is Pace?
  
  Jennifer Boyd, MBA, RN
  Centra PACE Senior Director​
   

• The Invisible Arlingtonians: Examining Community Discrepancies using the ACSM American Fitness Index​
  
  Erin Staker, BS
  Research Coordinator, Center for Optimal Aging, Marymount University
  
  . Aging in Community: Fostering and facilitating difficult, yet critical conversations on aging, through education, reflection, synthesis, and personal growth
  
  J. Shannon Hammons, M.S.
  Assistant Director, Cornerstone Alumni Relations and Engagement
  
  E. Carlisle Shealy, Ph.D., MPH
  Assistant Director, Virginia Tech Center for Gerontology
  
  Pamela B. Teaster, Ph.D., M.A., M.S., NREMT
  Professor and Director, Virginia Tech Center for Gerontology
  ​

• Understanding Income & Poverty Statistics

                 

                 Julie Northcott-Wilson, MS, MCP

                  Statistician, Bay Aging

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​1:45 -4:00pm | Deep Dive: Discussions of Dementia Related Topics 

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          George Worthington, MS

          Dementia Services Director, DARS

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         Annie Rhodes, PhD

         Assistant Professor: Virginia Center on Aging -Virginia College of                           Health Professions 

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         Virginia Gallagher, PhD

         Assistant Professor, Neuropsychologist, UVA School of Medicine

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         Shannon Reilly, PhD

         Assistant Professor, UVA Department of Neurology 

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         Christy Jensen, PhD

          Director, Health Services Research, Martha W. Goodson Center,                              Riverside Health

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         Rachel Coney 

          Brain Health Coordinator, Virginia Dept of Health

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         Diane Hartley

         Vice President Care Coordination, Peninsula Area on Aging

​

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2:30 - 3:00pm | Networking & Snack Break

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3:00 - 4:00pm | Breakout Sessions:

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• How Scammers are Using AI to Defraud Seniors

         

           Shawn L. Smith

           Senior Medicare Patrol, Virginia

 

• From Hidden to Healthy: How Virginia Beats Food Insecurity Among Older Adults

           

          Hollie Lutz, MA

          Director of Development and Communications, Federation of                                  Virginia Food Banks

 

         Jennifer Ayers, MPA

          Executive Director, ALIVE! Alexandria

 

         Teri Zurfluh

         Western Tidewater Community Hub Manager, Foodbank of Southeast                 Virginia & the Eastern Shore

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• NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE  Documentary-A Case Study in Leveraging Film Media to Advocate for Better Care for Aging Populations

   

         Rick Mountcastle, Retired United States Attorney (WDVA)

           Producer, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE​

​

           Susie Singer Carter, Filmmaker, Writer, Director, Producer

           Owner, GoGirl Media

 

• Elder Justice Shelter Innovation: Lessons in Communication, Collaboration, and Cooperation

 

          ​Gigi Amateau, PhD​

          Assistant Professor & Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed Care Lab                    Director; Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of                                       Gerontology & Virginia Center on Aging

 

          ​​Kelly King Horne, MA
          Executive Director, Homeward

 

4:15 - 5:00pm | Breakout Sessions:

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• Wisdom & Innovation 

 

            Bettina Mason MSEd., SHRM-CP, SWAM-VA, AI Certified Consultant

            Founder/Principal-Mason Education Solutions Group

​​​

• Food Justice for Older Adults

 

            Emily Varvil, MPH

            Project Manager, PositiveAge (a LeadingAge Virginia Foundation)

           

             Missi Boyer

             Vice President of Nutrition, Wellness and Transportation, SPAN Center               

            Kristin Cummings, LCSW

            St Thomas Episcopal Church Richmond Food Pantry Director

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• Drilling Down on Guardianship in Virginia: What do New Studies Show?

          

         Pamela B. Teaster, Ph.D., M.A., M.S. , NREMT

           Professor and Director, Virginia Tech Center for Gerontology

​

           Erica F. Wood, J.D.

           Former Assistant Director of the American Bar Association                                       Commission on Law and Aging

​

          Sally Balch Hurme, J.D.

          Virginia Elder Law Attorney and retired AARP Attorney

​

         Denise McDonald, M.A.

         Guardianship Navigator

 

         Onyinye Mbanefo

         Graduate Research Assistant

         Center for Gerontology, Virginia Tech

​

• The Difference Value-Based Care is making in the lives of the Senior Population in Virginia and Around the Country

​

          Sheila Turbides Minaya, MD

          CenterWell Area Medical Director, Virginia Market

 

         Nick Judd

         CenterWell Market President, Kentucky & India

​

5:00 - 6:30pm | Evening Reception

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Conference Program | Tuesday, May 20

 

8:00-9:00am | Registration, Breakfast, & Exhibitors

 

9:00-10:00am | Breakout Sessions:

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• GUIDE Model

          More information coming soon!​

​

• Team Building 101 

 

        Wayne Damron

          Director of  Aging Services at Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens

        

         Katie Justus

         Team Lead, Care Coordination at Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens​

 

         Lynna Mitchell

         Grant Writer at Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens

​

• Sharing Across Communities: A PCTI (Person-Centered Trauma-Informed) Approach to Caregiving

 

​          Lily Liu, Family Caregiver

 

          Leah Bergen Miller
          Director, Programs and Training, Jewish Federations of North                                 America’s Center for Aging, Trauma, and Holocaust Survivor Care

 

• Statewide Initiatives Addressing the Shortage of Qualified Workers in the Aging Services Arena

 

       Leland "Bert" Waters, PhD​

        Director, Virginia Geriatric Education Center, VCU

 

• Dementia and Elder Abuse: Best Practices for Supporting Survivors with Cognitive Impairments

 

        Sydney Palinkas, LMSW, CDP

        RAFT Dementia Education and Outreach Coordinator, RAFT Dementia                Support Program ​

       

       Carol Cooper Driskill

       Advocate, disAbility Law Center of Virginia

​

10:15-11:00am | Breakout Sessions:

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• "Delivery With A Ring" Doorbell Program

​

           Nikki Dean, B.A. in Economics

           Nutrition Program Coordinator, Piedmont Senior Resources Area                           Agency on Aging

• Opening Minds Through Art

   

         Dana Parsons

           Vice President and Legislative Counsel, LeadingAge Virginia

      

          Jamie Wigginton

          COO, Art for the Journey 

  

         Stephanie Shanks

         Director of OMA Training Center and Volunteers 

​

• Aging in Place & Overcoming Housing Barriers

 

       More information coming soon!

 

• Older Workers, Digital Literacy, and the Future of Employment​

 

          Megan Grey

          Older Worker Programs Director, Virginia Department for Aging and                      Rehabilitative Services

 

• Addressing Dental Care Access Barriers Faced By Aging Virginians

 

          Patricia "Trish" Bonwell, RDH, PhD

             Assistant Professor, Virginia Center on Aging, Virginia Geriatric                               Education Center, VCU

 

11:00-11:30am | Networking & Snack Break

​

11:30-12:15pm | Breakout Sessions:

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• Creating a Culture of Connection: More than a Volunteer Ride

 

         Emily Braley, RN, MSN

          Manager Volunteer Services, Pozez JCC 

     

       Elena Alergant, MS

          Manager, NV Rides

​

• Cooking Up Connections: Intergenerational Culinary Programs as a Recipe for Healthy Aging in Virginia

            Duane Brown, M.A., Organizational Leadership

            Chef/Owner, Culinary Coach LLC

​

• Village Sponsorship: Collaborations to Reduce Social Isolation of Older Virginians​

 

           Carol Paquette, J.D.

          Convenor, Virginia Villages Collective​

 

           Mary-Jane Atwater, M.A.
          Steering Committee, Virginia Villages Collective​

 

          Ray Parks

          Executive Director, New River Valley Agency on Aging

 

• Adapting to Changing Workplace Demographics and Sustaining the Workforce

           

         Tiffany L. Speas

         Chief Financial Officer, Peninsula Agency on Aging, Inc.

​

          La-Netta Davis

          Human Resource Manager, Peninsula Agency on Aging, Inc.

 

• The APS Final Rule: Is Virginia Ready?

 

          Paige McCleary, MSW

          APS Division Director, Department for Aging and Rehabilitative                                Services 

 

12:15-1:15pm | Lunch & General Session 

​

1:15-1:30pm | Exhibitors & Networking

​

1:30-2:30pm | Breakout Sessions:

​

• Public Libraries: The Third Place for Older Adults

   

         Barry Trott, M.L.S.

        Adult Services Consultant, Library of Virginia

​

• Why We Sing: How Community Choirs Support Healthy and Creative Aging

​

        Mary Ann East, DMA, CDP

        Arts and Aging Research Director, Encore Creativity for Older Adults

 

• Trauma Informed Work Places: The What, Why and How

​

            Annette Clark, MSG, CDP, CADDCT

            Dementia & Geriatric Specialist - Department of Behavioral Health and                Developmental Services 

​​

• Dementia Friends: Harnessing Community Collaborations to Raise Awareness

 

        George Worthington, MS Clinical Psychology

        Dementia Services Director, DARS 

 

       Joyce Nussbaum

       Program Director, Valley Program for Aging Services (VPAS) 

 

       Allegra Joffe

       Supervisor of the Caregiver & Support Services Unit, Fairfax Area Agency         on Aging

​

2:45-3:45pm | Breakout Sessions:

​

• Stuck Inside: The Extraordinary Barriers to Discharge List and How it Relates to Older Virginians

​

Carol Cooper Driskill, MHSA

Disability Rights Advocate, disAbility Law Center of Virginia

​

Virginia Pharis, MSW

Data and Incident Review Unit Manager, disability Law Center of Virginia

 

• A Drink of Courage "Being Bold Enough to Problem Solve with Intergenerational Approaches"

 

       Gregory Ford, Social Worker

        Director of Program Development and Partnerships - Beacon.                                  Communities LLC

​

• Senior Living Communities: A Strategically Planned Housing Solution​​

 

         Brian Beck, MBA

         Chief Executive Officer at Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens​

    

         Caleb Perkins

         Executive Assistant at Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens​

​

• Co-Creating a Roadmap to a Stronger Aging Services Workforce

​

        Jennifer Yanez Pryor, MS

        Gerontology Program Director, Virginia Commonwealth University

​

      Jenny Inker, PhD

      Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University

​

​

• Beyond Memory Loss: Reframing Dementia as Neurodivergence to Embrace Strengths and Abilities

           Jessica Fredericksen, MSW, CADDCT, CMDP

           Director of Brain Health, Goodwin Living

 

           Theresa Mandela, RN, BSN, QCP, CDP

            StrongerMemory Outreach Coordinator, Goodwin Living