Arizona LeadingAge - 2026 Conference Schedule at a Glance

2026 ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXPO

Conference Schedule at a Glance

Tracks

Policy, Compliance, & Legal Issues	Home & Community Based Services
Clinical	Human Resources
Operations	Technology
Alzheimer's & Dementia	Sales & Marketing

Day 1: Wednesday, May 27, 2026 Day 1 Session Descriptions

7:00am - 5:00pm

Registration; Conference Foyer

Sponsored By: Nevvon

12:00pm - 3:45pm

Expo Hall | Trade Shows Hours

7:30am - 10:00am

General Session

(2 CEUs)

1) Welcome Day 1: 2026 LeadingAge Priorities & Awards Breakfast | Jaime Roberts

2) General Session | Recognizing Arizona LeadingAge's 2026 Change Makers | Jaime Roberts

10:30am - 12:00pm

Breakout Sessions

(1.5 CEUs)

3) Emergency Readiness: Integrating Technology and Training in Senior Living | Jim Staed

4) Marketing Humanity in the Age of AI | Nathalie Warner, & Michelle Young Hubacher

5) Smart, Secure, Measurable: Driving Health Outcomes through Responsible AI and Data Analysis | Dr. Eric Luster

6) AI Made Simple: Practical, Hands-On Learning for Long-Term Care Teams | Chris Blomquist

7) Integrating Alzheimer’s Precision Medicine with Human Connection: The Future of High-Tech, High-Touch Care | Dani Cabral

8) Workforce Resilience in Senior Care: Strategies to Tackle the Staffing Crisis and Build Long-Term Solutions | Shan Fiske

12:00pm - 1:30pm

Exhibit Hall Lunch / Trade Show

1:45pm - 2:45pm

Breakout Sessions

(1 CEU)

9) Board Leadership Lab | TBD

10) The Impact of Movement and Exercise on the Brain | Lorrie Karn

11) Leadership Fatigue: The Hidden Threat to Employee Engagement and Retention | Ronny Morris

12) SNF Star Power: Proven Strategies to Improve Quality Outcomes and CMS Star Ratings | Deborah Koval, Kelly Hamilton, & Bryan Ahearn

13) Attorney General's Office | Shane Ham

14) AHCCCS - & Home and Community Based-Services Update | Dara Johnson

2:45pm - 3:45pm

Break | Trade Show Hall

4:00pm - 5:00pm

Breakout Sessions

(1 CEU)

15) Board Leadership Lab | TBD

16) Respite In Student Engagement (RISE): A Pilot Program for ASU Students Providing Paid Respite to Hospice of the Valley’s Supportive Care for Dementia Patients | Kylee Volk & Nour Hassan

17) Stop Chasing Overtime: A Practical Playbook to Keep Communities Fully Staffed | Matt Strange

18) From Reactive to Proactive: How AI Makes the Shift Possible in Senior Living| Sandro Cilurzo, Tawnya Williams-Christensen, & Paul Sheston

19) Skilled Nursing Facilities - To IDR or Not to IDR: That is the Question | Robert Lightfoot

20) Leading Through Turnover: Operational Strategies to Strengthen Dining Performance and Resident Satisfaction | Uwe Rudnick & Andrew Leech

Day 2: Thursday, May 28, 2026 Day 2 Session Descriptions

7:30am - 8:30am	Continental Breakfast
7:00am - 3:45pm	Registration; Conference Foyer Sponsored By: Nevvon
7:30am - 3:45pm	Expo Hall / Trade Show Hours
8:30am - 9:00am (.5 CEUs)	21) Welcome - Day 2 \| Jaime Roberts
9:00am - 10:00am General Session (1 CEU)	21) General Session \| It’s Not the Table—It’s the People Who Sat There \| Matt Paxton
10:00am - 11:00am	Break \| Trade Show Hall
11:15am - 12:15am Breakout Sessions (1 CEU)	22) Hear from the Arizona Health Department - SNF Edition \| Estrella Gies 23) Intergenerational Programming: It's Not Just About the Kids \| John Thorhauer & Tommy Medina 24) Bridging Home and Health: Redefining Dementia Care Through the CMS GUIDE Model -- Lessons Learned to Date \| James Cohen & Jenna Morgenstern-Gaines 25) Healthcare Financial Metrics & Analysis: Using Data to Drive Strategic Decision-Making \| Jaime Rapps & Nicolette Donovan 26) Are You Wasting Money on Marketing? Assess Your Blind Spots \| Derek Dujardin 27) Trends in Senior Living Design \| Neil Terry
12:15am - 1:15pm	Exhibit Hall Lunch / Trade Show Open until 3:45pm
1:30pm - 2:30pm Breakout Sessions (1 CEU)	28) Hear from the Arizona Health Department - BHRF \| Tiffany Slater 29) Lifestyle Interventions: The Standard of Care to Prevent Alzheimer's Disease \| Paul E. Bendheim, MD 30) Gamification of Culture: Unlocking the Secret to Retention \| Molly Greenwald 31) The Hidden Costs of Wheels: Why Managing an In-House Fleet Is a Bad Investment for Senior Living Operators and Investors \| K. C. Kanaan 32) Change from Within: Changing How We Think to Transform How We Care \| Andrew Moore
2:45pm - 3:45pm Breakout Sessions (1 CEU)	33) Assisted Living DHS \| Tiffany Slater 34) Update from NCIA \| Aaron Magezi 35) Growing Through Disruption: The New Playbook for Non-Profit Senior Living Leaders \| Daren Bell & Sarkis Garabedian 36) Business Case for Becoming an Age Friendly Health System (AFHS) \| Dr. Meenakshi Dagar 37) Food, Fellowship, and Flourishing: Elevating Senior Living Through Nutrition and Connection \| Kara Emig & Kari Bowes 38) The ROI Gap: Why Tech Investments Fall Flat Without Resident Digital Literacy \| Abbie Richie
3:45pm	Exhibit Hall / Trade Show Closes
3:45pm - 4:00pm	Conference Wrap Up
4:00pm	Conference Adjourned

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