Leadership Academy Schedule at a Glance

Wednesday, March 28

Welcome to ASA’s Leadership Academy

8:05–8:15 AM

Presenters: John Feather, PhD, Chair, ASA Board and CEO, Grantmakers in Aging; Louis Colbert, MSW, Chair-Elect, ASA Board and Director, Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging.

John Feather

Louis Colbert

Leading With Style

8:15 AM–5:30 PM

Robert Carpenter

This session sets the tone for the leadership core competencies, employing an online self-assessment taken in advance of the session, engaging facilitation and contemporary video to create a personalized learning experience. Using DiSC®, a simple and intuitive learning model, attendees will recognize and understand the preferred behavioral styles of the people with whom they interact and manage, allowing them to adapt their styles to better manage, negotiate and serve.

Presenter: Robert Carpenter, President, InSight Management Inc. 

Thursday, March 29

Leadership in the
Field of Aging: 
Past, Present and Future

8:00–9:30 AM

The aging of America will impact nearly every aspect of our society: from the structure and function of healthcare, to the role of financial planning, to urban design, to the training of social workers. These shifts represent both massive challenges and enormous opportunities. What kind of leadership is required to orchestrate the transformation to an aged society? What skills, competencies and personal traits must 21st century leaders in the field of gerontology possess? What do great leaders do, and how do they learn to do it? What new abilities are required for effective aging-related leadership in the 21st century?

Presenters: Ken Dychtwald, PhD, President and CEO, AgeWave; Monsignor Charles Fahey, MSW, Marie Ward Doty Professor Emeritus, Fordham University.

Ken Dychtwald

Charles Fahey

9:30–10:00 AM: Break

Investing in Leaders Through Philanthropy

10:00–11:00 AM

Review the leadership influencing skills grant makers find most effective to bring about community and national improvements. How is authentic trust built with a foundation and its program officers?

Presenters: Stacey Easterling, Program Executive, The Atlantic Philanthropies; Bruce Chernof, MD, President & CEO, The SCAN Foundation; Robert E. Eckardt, Dr. P.H., Executive Vice President, The Cleveland Foundation.

Stacey Easterling

Bruce Chernof

Robert E. Eckardt

11:30 AM–12:30 PM: Lunch break

Revolutionizing a Silo System of Care: The Long View of Leaders’ Commitment to Change 

1:00–2:30 PM

As elders move from one health care setting into another—or back to their own homes—there is an urgent need for integrated care coordination and transitioning so that care is consistent, safe, well-managed, and sustains well-being. Learn about the impact of health care on elders, which catalyzed a national movement
known as Transitions of Care. Meet with two outstanding leaders who were there from the beginning and took the long view.

Presenters: Robyn Golden, MSW, LCSW, Director of Older Adult Programs, Rush Medical Center; Patricia Volland, MSW, MBA, Senior Vice President for Strategy & Business Development, and Director, Social Work Leadership Institute, New York Academy of Medicine.

Robyn Golden

Patricia Volland

General Session 1
The 2012 Political Landscape and Older Adults

3:00–6:15 PM

Robert Blancato

Kathy Greenlee

The 2012 Presidential and Congressional elections could be watershed events for the future of aging policy in the United States. Older voters jumped from 16 to 23% of the population from 2008 to 2010 and that trend will continue. Older voters are also trending Republican in recent elections. They will be a contested and coveted vote again. Which party’s candidate and platform will resonate better with older voters and why? Who will win the political fight on Medicare and Social Security? This session will feature leading Democrat and Republican political figures and a respected pollster, who have been invited to discuss these issues and the 2012 election. Robert Blancato, President of Matz, Blancato & Associates, will moderate.

Presenter: Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging, U.S. Administration on Aging

Immediately following this general session, participants will engage in a private dialogue on leadership and national policy, moderated by Robert Blancato, MPA, President, Matz, Blancato & Associates.

ASA Leadership Reception

6:30–7:45 PM

Friday, March 30

Cultivating the Next Generation
of Leaders in Aging

8:00–9:30 AM

Edwin Walker

The U.S. Administration on Aging has a well-established track record in helping to cultivate the next generation of leaders in a multicultural society. Spend exclusive time in conversation with Assistant Secretary for Aging, Kathy Greenlee and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Operations, Edwin Walker, who will offer their candid views on the nexus between leadership and the anticipated professional needs of the aging services network at the federal, state and community levels. How will the Affordable Care
Act impact open opportunities for leaders by shifting emphasis to delivery of services and supports to home and community? 

Presenters: Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging, U.S. Administration on Aging; Edwin Walker, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Operations, U.S. Administration on Aging (invited).

Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in Public Service

10:00–11:30 AM

David Mensah

The National Urban Fellows’ Inclusive Leadership Model is a unique framework for leadership action that produces individual and organizational results. The model is grounded in the core value of inclusion, or treating culturally different perspectives as an asset, and it embraces diversity as a strategic imperative. The integration of philosophy, skills/competencies and breakthrough action in the inclusive leadership model drives individual and systems strategies for public service leadership results, including more effective solutions to social issues.

The inclusive leadership model has been informed by the report, “Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion: Insights from Scholarship,” by the Research Center for Leadership in Action, New York University’s
Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, April 2011.

Presenter: David Mensah, MDiv, Director, Leadership Development, National Urban Fellows; Founder and Principal, Wave Training and Consulting; Principal Partner, DKBWAVE.

11:30 AM–12:15 PM: Lunch Break

Legal Protections and Advocacy: 
Elder Justice Act

12:30–2:00 PM

Advocacy is a powerful tool. Learn from one of our field’s best known advocate leaders who built the tools, mastered the communication skills, developed the relationships and worked with Senators John Breaux and Orin Hatch to introduce legislation that was passed and signed into law to protect the legal rights of
frail elders. Participants will read a briefing paper in advance and formulate questions to ask the guest speaker on the process and tactics of advocacy.

Presenter: Robert Blancato, MPA, Former President, National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and National Coordinator, Elder Justice Coalition.

Building Community Coalitions

2:00–3:00 PM

Coalition builders draw on talents and skills from a broad range of citizens and professionals who are driven to organize and work together in order to accomplish big ideas leading to improvements in services. Learn from leaders who offer specific examples to better understand how to create enduring alliances in communities, a cities and nationally.

Presenters: Dr. John Thompson, Executive Director, DC Office on Aging; Louis Colbert, MSW, Director, Delaware County Office of Service for the Aging, and Chair-Elect, ASA Board; Darrick Lam, Aging Services Program Specialist, U.S. Administration on Aging.

John Thompson

Louis Colbert

Darrick Lam

General Session 2
Malnutrition Among Older Adults: Promises and Opportunities 

4:00–5:00 PM

Malnutrition, a seriously under-recognized and under-treated condition, especially for the older adult population, is a problem of increasing national concern. As professionals, we must hone our ability to identify the malnourished and share our knowledge and understanding with caregivers and family members. This thoughtprovoking session will offer insights into what can be done to teach enlightened nutrition and guide older Americans to more full and productive lives. 

Panel of presenters to be announced.

General Session 3
Hunger in America

5:00–6:00 PM

More than 48.8 million Americans lived in households struggling against hunger in 2010, according to new data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). When analyzing the numbers, the Food Research and Action Center noted that one number that captures the trend is the number of people in households “with very low food security”—households with the deepest struggles, skipping meals, or cutting the amounts eaten below what is needed.

Nine million Americans age 50 and over have experienced food insecurity, struggling to afford enough healthy food to meet their basic needs. With food and energy prices soaring, millions of older Americans are going hungry and, increasingly, going it alone as their safety net frays. Food initiatives for those who helped to build the Great Society are a social contract that cannot be broken. This session will explore ways in which to avoid the high cost of chronic care management and the human downward spiral of hypertension, diabetes and the threat of starvation.

Presenters: Robert Blancato, MPA, Executive Director, National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services and ASA Board member; Jo Ann Jenkins, President, AARP Foundation; Mary Pat Raimondi, MS, RD, Vice President of Strategic Policy and Partnerships, American Dietetic Association; Enid Borden, CEO, Meals on Wheels Association of America; Robert Egger, Founder and President, D.C. Central kitchen, inc.

6:00–7:30 PM

Immediately following this general session, participants will engage in a private dialogue with select presenters.

Saturday, March 31

Developing an Authentic Leadership Style

8:30–10:30 AM

Barbara Waxman

A study by the Stanford University School of Business found that the single trait shared by recognized leaders is self-awareness, not technical skill or strategy, or book-smarts. The past decade or so has seen a growing distrust of leaders that necessitates a deeper and evolved understanding of successful leadership for the 21st century. This interactive session is tailored to help each participant further develop their authentic leadership styles.

Presenter: Barbara Waxman, MS, MPA, The Odyssey Group.

10:30–11:00 AM: Break

Leading Teams

11:00 AM–1:00 PM

The effectiveness of any organization lies in its ability to generate great teamwork. In order to create a great team, these organizations must invest in being both smart, as evidenced by strategic plans and the like, and healthy, as evidenced by high levels of trust, commitment and accountability on the part of its members. This session will introduce a powerful approach to understanding team dynamics and to leading teams based on Patrick Lencioni’s model: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.

Presenter: Barbara Waxman, MS, MPA, The Odyssey Group.

1:00–2:00 PM: Lunch break

Developing Your Blueprint for Success

2:00–4:00 PM

Create an individual blueprint for change as a result of insights gleaned during the week to make the experience “sticky.” Each participant will work on a personalized plan incorporating current insights that will help overcome identified leadership challenges and achieve identified goals.

Presenter: Barbara Waxman, MS, MPA, The Odyssey Group.

General Session 4
The Future of Caregiving 

5:00–6:00 PM

Currently 78 million baby boomers comprise 26% of our nation’s population. This year, as many as 10,000 people will turn 65, and as they do, diseases and cognitive disorders are expected to increase. By 2025, 34 percent of boomers will be obese, creating the need for more help with activities of daily living. Alzheimer’s affects 5.6 million people today, and that number is expected to increase to 13 million by the year 2025. Chronic illness is an irreversible trend that will impact how we care for and serve older adults, creating a growing need for in-homecare.

This outstanding panel of experts will discuss potential solutions for the growing caregiver shortage and will describe how aging professionals can help guide families through the caregiving journey including navigating transitions of care, emotional struggles, the practical questions of finding and financing care that fits specific needs, as well as research highlights from a recent national study on the value of in-home care. 

Presenters: Jim Bruyette, CPA, CFP, Managing Director of Harris SBSB, Harris Private Bank; Louis Colbert, Director, Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging, and Chair-Elect, ASA Board; Amy D’Aprix, MSW, PhD, CSA, President, Dr. Amy Inc.; Gail Miller, Chief of Product Development, Humana Cares, Humana, Inc.; Jeff Huber, President, and COO, Home Instead Senior Care, Inc.

Sunday, April 1

General Session 5
How Boomers will Transform Aging and How Aging Will Transform the Boomers 

9:00–10:30 AM

This session is intended to discuss how the massive numbers of boomers have dominated American culture for six decades. We’ve seen again and again, boomers don’t just populate existing life stages, social movements or consumer trends, they transform them. Beginning in January, 2011, the boomers began turning 65 at the rate of 10,000 per day. This age wave will continue for another 17 years, and “aging” will never be the same. To serve them, the aging profession can’t entirely remain the same.

In this provocative and mind-stretching presentation, four renowned experts on aging and the boomers will share their visions of the coming boomer “gerontocracy.” Topics to be covered include:

• How will maturity change as tens of millions of us live to 80, 90 or 100+?
• With continued breakthroughs in longevity, at what age will old age begin?
• How will the boomers’ celebration of “middlescence” shift the cultural epicenter while redefining all of life’s stages?
• Will the boomers opt for “pro-aging,” “anti-aging” or “ageless aging?”
• How will boomer women and men approach aging differently?
• Who will pay for the multiplying needs of a multiplying cohort of older adults?
• Are we prepared to reengineer many of our products and services to meet the needs of maturing boomer consumers?
• Will boomers become more self-indulgent or more socially generous as they age?
• Will boomers use their life experience and newfound free time to turbo-charge volunteerism?
• How will boomers deal with “right-to-death” issues?
• Can our political system handle the demands that tens of millions of elder boomers will place on our social and economic infrastructure? 

Presenters: Ken Dychtwald, President and CEO, Age Wave; Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-in-Chief, AOL Huffington Post Media Group; Gail Sheehy, Author and Columnist; Fernando Torres-Gil, MSW, PhD, Professor of Social Welfare and Public Policy and Director, UCLA Center for Policy Research on Aging, UCLA School of Public Affairs.

11:00 AM–12:00 Noon

Immediately following this general session, participants will engage in a private dialogue with keynote presenters moderated by Ken Dychtwald, President & CEO, Age Wave.