Speakers
Educational programming will take place Tuesday, November 15 and Wednesday, November 16.
James Balda
President & CEO, Argentum
Tuesday, November 15, 9:40-10:10 AM
COVID-19 Retrospective: Looking Back to Move Forward
Tuesday, November 15, 10:20-11:20 AM
James Balda is President and CEO of Argentum, the leading national trade association serving companies that own, operate, and support professionally managed senior living communities in the United States.
Throughout the pandemic, he has led the organization’s focus on critical political advocacy and action including obtaining first-in-line COVID vaccine status for assisted living residents, relief funding for senior living providers, and introduction of congressional legislation supporting providers and a strong senior living workforce, putting him on The Hill’s 2021 Top Lobbyist roster.
In 2015, when Balda joined Argentum—then known as the Assisted Living Federation of America—he directed a comprehensive rebranding of the organization and new key imperatives to reflect the greater scope, choice, and innovation on the rise in senior living.
Prior to this, Balda served in several roles at the National Restaurant Association, where he was responsible for advancing the association’s business development, insurance, and financial services product strategy. Before this, he was senior vice president of membership and professional development at America’s Health Insurance Plans. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Maryland.
Alex Banayan
Youngest Bestselling Business Author in American History
Tuesday, November 15, 8:30-9:30 AM
Alex Banayan is the youngest bestselling business author in American history. A renowned expert on perseverance and exponential growth, Banayan has presented the Third Door™ framework to business conferences and corporate leadership teams around the world, including Apple, Google, Nike, IBM, Snapchat, Salesforce, Delta Airlines, Mastercard, and Disney.
The Third Door chronicles Banayan's seven-year quest to uncover the definitive mindset of success. The book is a #1 international bestseller, has been translated into more than a dozen languages, and has been acclaimed by the New York Post as "a joy to read."
Named to Forbes' "30 Under 30" list and Business Insider's "Most Powerful People Under 30," Alex Banayan is his generation's leading expert in high performance and personal development, having been featured in FORTUNE, CNBC, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Washington Post, MSNBC, Fox News, and NBC News.
Chris Bird
President & Chief Operating Officer, LCS
Tuesday, November 15, 10:20-11:20 AM
Capitalizing on his reputation as a change agent, Chris Bird brings his expertise to the communities LCS serves. By leading operations, building community occupancy, fostering capital partner relationships, and developing new business, Chris implements strategies to deliver on the expectations of owners and shareholders. As executive vice president, chief operating officer, Chris oversees Life Care Services, CPS, asset management, procurement, and onboarding operations. His ability to analyze issues, devise continuous process improvements, and incorporate business process initiatives drives performance improvement for the overall operation.
At LCS, Chris mentors future leaders by providing guidance, expertise and resources to develop professional skills in the senior living industry. In addition, he is a member of the LCS Board of Directors and the LCS Audit Committee. Chris is a member of the Argentum Advisory Council and the Argentum Chief Operating Officer Roundtable. He holds a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Memphis, Tennessee.
Angela Brandt
President, ProMedica Senior Care
Tuesday, November 15, 3:50-5:00 PM
Angela drives initiatives aimed at delivering strategic solutions that achieve the company’s objectives. She leverages her robust industry and business acumen within change management, strategic planning, and healthcare leadership to steer corporate culture transformations, turnaround performance, propel revenue growth, and makes data-driven, informed decisions to meet current and future business needs.
Earlier in her career, Angela joined ProMedica in 2013 and was quickly promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer of the Physicians Group in 2016, where she transformed operations, identified areas for improvement, and implemented aggressive strategies to improve process, performance, and capitalize on opportunities. She achieved unprecedented growth in the division, united individual practices into a cohesive group, and streamlined disparate systems into one platform.
In 2019, Angela was promoted to President of the ProMedica Physicians Group. She remained here for 2 years and successfully navigated the organization through the challenges of the COVID19 global pandemic. She continued to grow business, revenue, and profitability through efficiency improvements. She reduced expenses by 4% while maintaining a 98% retention rate.
Between 2020 and 2021, Angela held the role of President, Telehealth Institute, where she capitalized on existing technology and capabilities during the pandemic and within the confines of the public health emergency regulatory changes, defined a system telehealth strategy across acute care, ambulatory care, physician group, senior care and insurance business lines.
In 2021, Angela was promoted to President of Senior Care & Healthy Aging, where she is responsible for $3BN of the organization’s total $7BN in AR. She oversees operations across 26 states and 30k patients per day. She establishes and implements strategies to streamline operations and improve efficiency across the enterprise via change management and turnaround operations. To date, she has instilled transparent communications for C-Suite leadership and employees, reduced agency hours by 50%, reduced expenses by 50%, drove the largest employee hiring event in company history, advanced a divestiture strategy, and realized millions in EBIDTAR operational improvement MoM.
Alan Fairbanks
Executive Vice President, Bickford Senior Living
Tuesday, November 15, 3:50-5:00 PM
Alan Fairbanks is Executive VP and a principle for Bickford Senior Living in Olathe, Kansas, which owns and operates over 60 senior living communities across the country. He spent the early part of his career as an administrator in a skilled nursing facility. He joined Bickford in 1996 and has held various positions including Director, Divisional Director of Operations, Product Manager of Assisted Living and Dementia, and General Manager.
Alan has been a member of Argentum’s Executive Roundtable for Operations since its inception and currently serves as Chairperson. Alan is committed to long-term personal development and has completed 4 years of advanced training at the Stagen Leadership Academy. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and his Masters in Health Administration from the University of Kansas.
Daniel P. Forrester
Founder and Board Chair, THRUUE, Inc.
Tuesday, November 15, 2:40-3:40 PM
Daniel P. Forrester is a seasoned strategist with over 25 years of management consulting success working with clients in nearly every sector of the economy. His background spans client executive management and business development, to advising CEOs and boards of large global companies, to strategizing with top leadership of platforms that galvanize change in the social sector. Daniel took his systems level thinking and ability to connect an organization’s culture (values, purpose, and vision) to its enterprise strategy and governance --and founded THRUUE, Inc. in 2012. Daniel invented and trademarked the term Cultural Performance Indicators (CPIs™) to help companies understand and measure the relative health of their cultures. THRUUE has helped over sixty commercial and not for profit CEOs from across the country to shift culture, increase revenue, redefine relevancy, and/or measure and deliver on health and social outcomes. THRUUE was recognized in 2019 as one of the fastest growing companies in New Jersey.
Daniel is the author of Consider: Harnessing the Power of Reflective Thinking in Your Organization, published in 2011 by Macmillan. Daniel is also the coauthor of Relentless: The Forensics of Mobsters’ Business Practices, published in 2021.
Daniel is collaborating with Professor John Johnson from the University of Maryland’s School of Engineering on the design of unique online courses and a certification (proposed to Ed-x for early 2023) that enables global learners to connect visioning and long-term strategic planning to product management and agile development.
Shari Franey
Chief Operating Officer, Hamilton-Ryker
Tuesday, November 15, 12:30-1:25 PM
Shari Franey is an executive with experience in founding, growing, and leading businesses in their strategic initiatives, operations, and talent development.
She is the Chief Operating Officer for Hamilton-Ryker, a Total Workforce Solutions company. To address the severe skills gap facing our nation, she led the creation of TalentGro, a Workforce Development Division, which prepares today's civilian and Veteran talent for tomorrow's success. This is achieved as a Sponsor and Intermediary for Registered Apprenticeships programs in Healthcare, IT, and Advanced Manufacturing. They currently manage over 1800 apprentices and are approved in 9 Federal DOL registered apprenticeships and in 25 states.
Prior to Hamilton-Ryker, she was a founder and owner of a Staffing Firm for 17 years. She also co-founded a company that offered an online medical coding curriculum, a Clinical Documentation Work Flow and Reference Tool, and provided consulting and education throughout the US and Puerto Rico.
Ms. Franey has always enjoyed contributing to the community through volunteering. She served as the President of PA Staffing Association, the state chapter of American Staffing Association, ASA. She also served 7 years on the board and Executive Council of Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, where she chaired the Advocacy Council. She served on the board and the executive council of United Disabilities Services Foundation for 8 years and currently serves on the President's Advisory Council of her alma mater, Messiah College.
She was elected into the Young Entrepreneurs program at MIT, Birthing of Giants and was honored by PA governor as a Top 40 Business Women in PA and from Ernst and Young as Central PA Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist.
Tana Gall
President, Merrill Gardens
Tuesday, November 15, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM
Tana Gall is responsible for all aspects of operations and growth at the 70 Merrill senior living communities in 20 states – Merrill Gardens and Truewood by Merrill. Gall has over 20 years of experience in senior living leadership roles, and she is focused on creating a culture where the 4,000 team members and 7,000 residents who live and work at Merrill thrive. Under Gall’s leadership, the company is recognized as one of the most respected providers of senior living in the country. Gall recently led the launch of the Truewood by Merrill communities with a focus on seniors in the underserved middle market.
Gall is an industry leader, serving as a member of the Argentum Board of Directors and she was previously the leader of the Argentum Executive Director Leadership Institute. She is focused on bringing new leadership to the industry and was instrumental in the establishment of the Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living at Washington State University. Based on her career accomplishments, she was asked to join the Bellevue College Healthcare Management and Leadership Advisory Board. Gall was also invited to join the International Women’s Forum, a group that includes more than 7,000 accomplished women from 33 countries. She was named a Woman of Distinction for 2021 by McKnight’s Senior living, an award that honors women in senior living who inspire and impact the lives of residents and team members. Gall volunteers with Treehouse, a Washington state organization supporting children in foster care, and is a part of the Husky Leadership Institute at the University of Washington, guiding students to become change agents in their communities.
Gall is a graduate of the University of Washington.
Stephanie R. Harris
Chief Executive Officer, Arrow Senior Living Management, LLC
Tuesday, November 15, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM
Stephanie Harris, CEO and Principal, established Arrow Senior Living Management and Turnaround Solutions with an initial investment using student loans while a student at St. Louis University School of Law.
Over the past 17 years, Stephanie has become a senior-housing industry thought leader. Her sales and management methods have been proven to effectively transform and stabilize low-performing or newly developed communities in a matter of months.
Arrow Senior Living has quadrupled its footprint since its inception and was recognized in 2021 as the 43rd largest senior housing operator by Senior Housing Executive magazine. The company currently manages more than one billion in real estate, has more than 1,800 employees, and operates 31 senior communities across five states, with an additional $125 million under construction.
Stephanie recently was honored as one of 19 women across the country for the inaugural class of the “Women of Distinction Hall of Honor” by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and as a “Top 40 Under 40” by the St. Louis Business Journal.
Prior to a career in senior housing, Stephanie spent several years with numerous congressional and statewide campaigns and worked on Capitol Hill as a policy advisor.
Kai Hsiao
CEO, Healthcare, Keppel Capital
Tuesday, November 15, 2:40-3:40 PM
Kai leads global healthcare initiatives for Keppel Capital, the asset management arm of Keppel Corporation, one of Singapore's flagship multinational companies with a global footprint in more than 20 countries.
Kai's experience in the healthcare space includes CEO of Holiday Retirement, EVP of Senior Housing at HealthPeak (NYSE: PEAK), and CEO of Eclipse Senior Living. Prior to healthcare, Kai was in retail development with Macerich (NYSE: MAC), and hospitality and wellness with Canyon Ranch.
Kai is currently a board member with NIC, and previously held the position of Vice Chairman with Argentum.
Kemy Joseph, MS, EdS
Co-Founder, Executive Equity Officer, F.E.A.R.S. Advantage
Wednesday, November 16, 8:15-9:30 AM
Kemy Joseph is on a mission to help 5 Million business leaders advance equity in their organizations by 2030 to create a world where people of all backgrounds can live safely and thrive.
Kemy helps purpose-driven business executives leverage equity as a pathway to prosperity to effectively lead their diverse teams through conflicts involving race, politics, and privilege. In a time where people feel so disconnected and unsafe, he’s able to create virtual safe spaces where people have real conversations that build trust, repair relationships, and create new sustainable solutions. He also uses a multi-camera setup with music, stories, and group exercises to create highly engaging, transformational experiences!
Most people see Kemy’s bright smile, but wouldn’t imagine the hardships behind it. Being raised in Miami, FL as a first generation Haitian American, he lived in a single-parent household with nine siblings where poverty, violence, and racial inequity traumatized him at an early age.
Growing up, he was socialized as a sexist, racist, homophobe, bigot, bully, and criminal.
As an adult he’s made the extraordinary effort to re-socialize himself into a human being — a healthy, educated black man who respects women, celebrates diversity, and supports the equal rights of all people. His journey represents the transformation that’s possible when we use negative experiences for positive change and learn the skills we need to treat others equitably. From that humbled perspective, he brings a great deal of empathy, hope, and productivity to these often difficult conversations.
Arick Morton
CEO, NIC MAP Vision
Tuesday, November 15, 2:40-3:40 PM
Arick Morton is the CEO of NIC MAP Vision, the senior housing industry's leading data, analytics, and underwriting platform. Trusted by 5,000+ customers and built exclusively for the senior housing and care sector, NIC MAP Vision provides comprehensive nationwide supply & demand metrics on 35K+ properties, including Active Adult, IL, AL, Memory Care, Nursing Care and CCRCs with over 15 years of comprehensive, time-series market data at the metro level.
Arick is responsible for setting the strategic vision of the product, ensuring operational execution, and delivering increasing value to the senior housing industry. During Arick’s tenure, NIC MAP Vision has enjoyed substantial growth with a rapidly expanding array of products and data sets.
Prior to becoming CEO of NIC MAP Vision, Arick co-founded VisionLTC, which merged with NIC MAP Data Service in 2021 to become NIC MAP Vision. Arick had the privilege and honor of growing up in the senior housing industry and co-founded a senior housing operating platform that has now grown to 30+ communities. Arick has a background in health care analytics and technology product development, working at the Advisory Board Company to launch new data and analytics products to help health systems navigate a post-health care reform world.
Juli Navarrete, MS, RN
Vice President, Clinical Practice, Sunrise Senior Living
Tuesday, November 15, 10:20-11:20 AM
Juli Navarrete MS, RN is the Vice President, Clinical Practice for Sunrise Senior Living, a company that operates over 300 assisted living and memory care communities in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom. Juli has responsibility for strategic leadership in the provision of safe, high-quality care for residents with a focus on evidence-based practice, standardization and application of principles of population health management to optimize clinical outcomes. Additionally, she directs and manages the Sunrise clinical education program and leads the development of educational strategies, courses and materials for nursing and paraprofessional staff across the organization.
Prior to her role at Sunrise, Juli was a clinical practice consultant for both the adult medicine and critical care service lines where she led teams to improve efficiency and clinical outcomes through the implementation of standardized, evidence-based protocols and the promotion of collaborative, data-driven approaches to process and performance improvement.
Juli has expertise in clinical process improvement, medication safety, population health management and bioethics and extensive experience in the development of nursing policies, procedures and clinical practice standards. She has held clinical, management, internal consultant and nurse educator roles in the ambulatory and acute care settings.
Juli holds a Master’s degree in Adult Learning and Human Resource Development from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Marymount University.
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Joel Nelson
CEO, LCS
Tuesday, November 15, 3:50-5:00 PM
As president and chief executive officer of LCS, Joel is responsible for executing the business strategy for all business lines in the LCS Family of Companies. Joel provides leadership and strategic direction for business growth, service excellence, enhancing the company’s stability and establishing value among financial partners, property owners and other stakeholders in the senior living industry. Focused on the LCS vision to create opportunities for purposeful living filled with rich experiences, Joel takes great pride in serving more than 40,000 seniors in 135 senior living communities across the country.
Having joined LCS in 1986, Joel has progressive experience at LCS having held several management and executive roles. Overseeing the second largest senior living operator in the nation has provided Joel the opportunity to advocate for the industry at the state and federal levels. Outside the organization, Joel serves as a board member of the national associations of Argentum and ASHA and is a member of the National Investment Center operator advisory board.
Wendy Nowokunski
President & Co-Founder, Northbridge Companies
Tuesday, November 15, 10:20-11:20 AM
Wendy serves on the Women in Leadership (WIL) committee of Argentum, the national trade organization for senior housing, on the Advisory Council for American Senior Housing Association (AHSA), the board of Mass-ALA and has been speaker for these organizations as well as Urban Land Institute (ULI), and MIT Center for Real Estate Professional Development Institute. Northbridge has been recognized by The Commonwealth Institute as being one of the top Women-Led Businesses in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022. Wendy is co-founder and board member of the One Angel Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to making a difference in underprivilege children’s lives worldwide by providing resources to stabilize housing, educational and health needs one community at a time.
Dr. Douglas Olson
Director, Center for Health Administration and Aging Services Excellence Professor, Health Care Administration Program, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire; President & CEO, Vsiion Centre
Tuesday, November 15, 12:30-1:25 PM
Dr. Douglas Olson is the President and CEO of the Vision Centre, our non-profit that is focused on leadership development for aging services. The Vision Centre has been established to help grow academic programs in senior living leadership across the country in partnership with senior care and service organizations and affiliated associations. For the past 22 year, he was with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s nationally recognized health care administration program and the Director of the Center for Health Administration and Aging Services Excellence. Under his leadership, the Center launched several national efforts to provide opportunities for students and emerging leaders from programs around the country to benefit from experiences and initiatives in partnership with the field.
He received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in Health Services Research, Policy and Administration with a dual minor in Management and Aging Studies, and his MBA from the University of St. Thomas. Dr. Olson has given numerous national and regional presentations and been published in a variety of publications. He is involved in applied research efforts focusing on leadership, organizational roles and best practices in leadership development in the health and aging services field.
Dr. Olson has also served on numerous professional and organizational boards. Before joining the UWEC faculty, Olson was the community administrator responsible for operations of a long-term care campus in Minnesota. He has 20 years of direct experience working and consulting with various types of health care organizations.
Amy Pisciotta
Managing Director, Ferguson Partners
Tuesday, November 15, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM
Amy Pisciotta is a Managing Director and the leader of Ferguson Partners’ Healthcare Practice. Based in Atlanta, Amy has over 25 years of experience serving as a strategic advisor to leading healthcare organizations across the country. Her background spans executive search, advisory services, and implementation consulting across all types of healthcare organizations, including senior living organizations, providers, healthcare services companies and health information technology companies.
Prior to joining Ferguson Partners, Amy was a Senior Client Partner in Korn Ferry’s Atlanta Office and a member of the firm’s Global Healthcare Services Market and Financial Officers’ Practice. Prior to Korn Ferry, Amy created and led the healthcare revenue cycle consulting practice at Himformatics. Amy began her career at Stockamp & Associates, a leading healthcare consulting firm acquired by Huron Consulting Group.
Amy holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology/Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University.
Karen Sheean
Chief Human Resources Officer, Atria Senior Living
Tuesday, November 15, 2:40-3:40 PM
Karen Sheean is the Chief HR Officer for Atria Senior Living, overseeing human resources for the company's 400+ communities across the U.S. and Canada. In this role, Karen focuses on the experience, engagement, and culture of Atria's 16,000 employees. She provides senior HR counsel and oversees HR operations, including recruitment, learning and development, total rewards, and employee relations. Prior to her current role at Atria, which she assumed in 2021, Karen served as the Chief People Officer for Holiday Retirement. Before joining the senior living industry, she spent 16 years with KinderCare Learning Centers, growing in various operations leadership roles from Center Director to Vice President of Operations Services. Karen holds a Bachelor's Degree from Ohio University, her SHRM-SCP, and is an active committee member of the Louisville Healthcare CEO council. She is the proud mom of a Florida Southern College film student whom she cheers on with her husband of 23 years.
Nancy Swanger
Founding Director, Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living; Associate Dean for Internal Partnerships, Carson College of Business
Tuesday, November 15, 12:30-1:25 PM
Dr. Nancy Swanger is the Founding Director of the Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living, which is housed in the School of Hospitality Business Management. She is also the Associate Dean for Inter-College Partnerships in the Carson College of Business at Washington State University. In addition to her administrative duties, she teaches various courses in the curriculum—senior living operations, professional development, and special topics focusing on current trends or industry issues. Nancy has extensive restaurant experience as a co-worker, manager, district manager, and owner. She and her husband, Larry, owned and operated up to eight Subway restaurants from 1988-2017, and they own two independent concepts in Moscow, Idaho—Gambino’s and The Diner. Her research interests lie in the areas of senior living, quick-serve restaurant operations, food safety/sanitation, and hospitality curriculum. Prior to coming to WSU, Nancy taught at the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College. The Swangers, who reside in Troy, Idaho, have four children and five grandchildren.
Liezl Tolentino
Chief Human Resources Officer, Enlivant
Tuesday, November 15, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM
Liezl Tolentino leads the talent and leadership development for Enlivant, overseeing all human resource strategies that support the company’s mission and values. She successfully built and scaled the human resource infrastructure to drive growth and continues to foster a diverse and engaged culture resulting in Enlivant being certified as a Great Place to Work for 3 years in a row. Liezl has been with Enlivant in a progression of human resources leadership roles since 2014. Her background includes more than 15 years of experience in employee relations, benefits, employee engagement, organizational development, and coaching. Prior to joining Enlivant, she spent 8 years with Hyatt Hotels Corporation serving in various HR roles.
Liezl is a graduate of University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, where she served on the Admissions Committee and was selected to be a Social Enterprise Initiative Not-For-Profit Executive Coach. Liezl is a member of the Wisconsin School of Business Alumni Board and actively mentors undergraduate students. Previously, Liezl served as a board member for Saturday Place, a not-for-profit organization that helps underprivileged and underperforming 3rd and 4th grade students in the Chicago Public School district. She is a Department of Education Fulbright Hayes scholar who has a life-long commitment to educational programs and initiatives that better serve the local community and world at large.
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