Wednesday, September 25

8:00 AM-8:30 AM - Welcome with Dr. William Kincaid, President VtV Network

8:30 AM-9:25 AM - Bringing your Strategic Plan to life

Kick off the conference with an energizing session designed to help you turn your strategic vision into reality! We’ll dive into how to make your plan actionable with clear, measurable steps that align with your daily operations. Packed with practical tips, real-life examples, and templates you can put to work immediately, this session will give you the tools to move your Village forward with confidence. Get ready for a fun and interactive start to the conference, as we set the stage for bringing your goals to life!

Presenter: Kim Grier, Vice President VtVN; Gerard Pappa, Board Member VtVN

9:30 AM-10:20 AM - Breakout sessions (Choose 1)

 Breakout 1.B: Village Bridge to Care

A panel discussion on integrating supportive teams into Villages, creating greater opportunities for frail adults to age in the community.

Presenter: Laurie Pross, Montgomery County MD Commission on Aging; Gail Kohn, Age Friendly DC; Bree Baldwin, Aging Well Eldercare; Tahira Lodhi, George Washington University Medical Center

 Breakout 1.C: The Playbook for Aging Well - The GIFT Workshop

Description: Villages OKC and The Gift Workshop strategic partnership in planning ahead as their Village members age.

Presenter: Dana Bellows, Villages OKC; Marilyn Olson, Villages OKC; Chris Buckelew, Villages OKC

10:20 AM-10:30 AM - Break & Sponsor Highlight: Road Scholar

10:30 AM-11:20 AM - Breakout sessions (Choose 1)

Breakout 2.A: Changing the Story We Tell About Aging

Reframe the messages you tell about aging to advance a more positive story. And to increase our chances for a long and satisfying life.

Presenter: Natalie Galucia, Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

 Breakout 2.B: Helpful Village

Helpful Village will present its vision for the future of Villages, Data collection, and Research, as well as case studies of how some of the most advanced Villages in the nation use the Helpful Village specialized Village management software to offer high-quality services beyond just events and services. This is an advanced presentation for established Villages (customers and non-customers) that want to take their Villages to the next level; we will conduct a separate presentation for new villages in November.

Presenter: Manuel Acevedo, Helpful Village

Breakout 2.C: Liveable Communities

Presenter: Bill Armbruster, AARP Liveable Communities

11:30 AM-1:00 PM: Stepping Forward on Healthy Aging Research with, by, and for Villages

This presentation will provide an update on the national 'Engaging Villages as Key Partners for Healthy Aging Research' project. Learn from project leaders on key insights and directions for continuing to move forward together on data and collaborative research as part of the Village Movement.

Presenter: Emily Greenfield, Hub for Aging Collaboration-Rutgers University; Natalie Pope, Rutgers University; Dr. William Kincaid, VtVN

1:00 PM-2:00 PM: Housing Challenges in an Aging America

Presentation on the housing issues facing our nation as we age. He will discuss how our needs change over time, and the gap between our housing and our housing needs as we age. He’ll also discuss the latest from AARP on addressing housing and other community issues, and introduce a vision for a national aging plan.

Presenter: Rodney Harrell, AARP’s Vice President of Family Home and Community