TORONTO CONGRESS CENTRE | March 30 - April 1, 2020
2019 Conference Photos
2020 KEYNOTES
2020 Tuesday Night Hoedown
Leadership Reception and Dinner 2020
2020 Exhibitor Listing
2020 Exhibitor Manual & Details
SUBMITTING YOUR CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE
Amanda Lindhout
Opening Keynote – A House in the Sky: An Extraordinary Mindset
Amanda Lindhout is a sought-after inspirational speaker, trusted by big brands to deliver a life changing, transformational keynote experience. Her New York Times bestselling memoir, A House in the Sky, is being developed into a Hollywood motion picture by heavyweight production company Annapurna, with two-time Oscar nominated actress Rooney Mara playing Amanda.
A publishing phenomenon, A House in the Sky, has remained a Top Ten bestselling book since it's release in 2013. Raised by a single mom in a small city, Amanda escaped the violence of her childhood by imagining herself in the pages of National Geographic magazine. As a young woman, Amanda's curiosity led her to some of the world's most beautiful and remote places, its most imperilled and perilous countries and then into 15 months of harrowing captivity. Working as a journalist in Somalia, she was abducted by a group of masked men along a dusty road. Amanda spent 460 days as a hostage, surviving on strategy, fortitude and hope in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Generously sponsored by:
Jim Moss
Day Two Opening Keynote – Employee Happiness and Well-Being During Times of Change and Level of Care
Workshop – Fostering Resilience in the Workplace
Jim Moss is on a mission to give one billion people the tools to live a happier, higher-performing life. He is the CEO and Chief Happiness Officer of Plasticity Labs.
He is a former gold-medal winning, professional athlete, and Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee. His high-level understanding of sports psychology and education in positive psychology became Jim's catalyst for the company.
Jim shares his personal story and motivation that brought him into the research that the business is built on today.
Today, he educates and trains business leaders and managers to reach their personal, and professional potential by building great corporate cultures and investing in well-being.
Michelle Ray
Closing Keynote – Leadership: It Starts and Ends with Me
Michelle Ray is a highly sought-after international leadership keynote speaker, entrepreneur, author and educator who advocates the importance of developing leadership and accountability skills, regardless of one's title. She is committed to helping her clients create engaged workplaces, develop exceptional leaders and implement practical strategies to revitalize their cultures.
Now residing in Vancouver, Canada, Michelle's work as a keynote speaker and coach helps individuals at every level and any stage of their career to master personal leadership: The ability to take charge of oneself first in any situation. She speaks passionately about self–actualization, change, the importance of authentic leadership in the workplace and the responsibility of positive communication and influence. Michelle is one of less than 700 people worldwide to have earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation.
SESSION PRESENTERS
Jay Ashton
Emotions & Menu Planning: Innovating the Past to Work for Today
Jay started his career in the food service industry 30 years ago in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. After High school, Jay ventured off to Alberta to attend College in Medicine Hat and Red Deer, then finished off his post-secondary degree at the University of Lethbridge. While completing his degree, Jay continued to work in the industry he was drawn into. After completing University, the foodservice industry drew him back where he worked his way up to successfully managing numerous chain and independent restaurants. Jays career took an amazing shift towards Sysco, where over the past 15 years he's consulted with thousands of restaurants across Canada, ensuring they continue to succeed in today's business environment. Today, Jay enjoys leading Canada's largest food service consulting team for Sysco Canada. Where his leadership, passion and innovation are inspiring and leading edge.
Jennifer Bilbie
Personal Support Worker Empowerment Days
With over 22 years of experience working at Extendicare, Jennifer Bilbie is continuing to fulfill her lifelong ambition of working in long-term care. Inspired by the words of a dying resident 17 years into her career, Jennifer returned to studying where she completed an RPN certificate to diploma, an RPN-to-BScN degree and a Master of Clinical Science focusing on wound healing. Jennifer passionately advocates using a preventive educational approach not just for registered staff but for everyone. She believes that kindness and a positive attitude is the key to encouraging a team to follow their dreams while promoting quality of life for those working and living in LTC.
Joy Birch
Hot Topics in Retirement: Sexuality and Intimacy
Joy has built her career on the belief that dedication and a desire to have a positive impact on the world can lead to remarkable things – especially when you lead with love. Joy is Chief Operating Officer of Highview Residences, which has homes specifically designed for people with dementia in London and Kitchener-Waterloo. She leads an exceptional team that supports residents to live as independently as possible, for as long as possible. And then, when needed, the associates at Highview will come alongside residents and offer help. Responsible for the corporation's operations, long-term strategic planning and the building of future sites, Joy focuses on providing professional, compassionate leadership and care to residents and associates. Throughout her 27-year career, Joy has been an agent-for-change in areas encompassing operations, marketing, human resources, and management. She served as Vice President at agencies including DDB Toronto and Young & Rubicam, taught at George Brown College, and led the London Children's Museum as Executive Director. As a self-proclaimed "Northern Girl" born and raised in Thunder Bay, Joy originally moved to London to attend the University of Western Ontario. Joy's audacious goal is to improve the quality of life, every day, for all people living with dementia in the province of Ontario and beyond. She believes that we need to lead with kindness first and invest heavily in our local and global communities. And that anything is possible… when you lead with love.
Veronique Boscard
Investing in Neighbourhood Team Development to Build Person-Centred Teams in Long-Term Care
Dr. Veronique Boscart is the chair holder of the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR)/Schlegel Industrial Research Chair for Colleges (IRCC) in Seniors Care, funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). She is also the Executive Dean of the School of Health & Life Sciences at Conestoga College.
Dr. Boscart has extensive gerontological experience working as a nurse clinician, educator, manager and researcher. Her research interests range from evidence-based care in gerontology and best practices in research methods with older adults to the development of gerontological education for care providers and care delivery models for residential care.
Dr. Boscart has published over sixty peer-reviewed manuscripts and is the lead author of the first and second edition of Gerontological Nursing and Healthy Aging (2011, 2018). She is also the president of the Canadian Association on Gerontology and a Section Editor for the Canadian Journal on Aging.
Cathie Brow
Panel: The Face of Today's Workforce
Cathie Brow's bio coming soon.
Lora Bruyn Martin
Improving the Dining Experience through Team Training and Dining Room Enhancements
Lora Bruyn Martin is the Innovation Specialist at Schlegel Villages and has over 6 years experience working in long term care and retirement. Lora is responsible for building innovation capacity within Schlegel Villages, improving knowledge translation and evidence-based practice in collaboration with the Research Institute for Aging (RIA), and finding ways to more effectively collaborate with the high-tech community. She also supports the implementation and sustainment of new programs within Schlegel Villages. Lora has as MASc in Systems Design Engineering and a BSc in Kinesiology, both from the University of Waterloo.
Kaitlin Chard
Kaitlin is a Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Services Consultant with the Sysco Nutrition Service's team. Kaitlin began her career towards becoming a Registered Dietitian, completing her Bachelors of Food and Nutrition from Ryerson University. As a student Kaitlin began working within long-term care, exceling her way up to Dietary Team Lead. Kaitlin then completed her Masters of Applied Nutrition at University of Guelph in 2018. She has been working with Sysco since, and shares her passion for seniors living by supporting LTC chains menu development along with leading Sysco's IDDSI initiatives.
Rhonda Collins
It Takes a Village: An Organizational Approach to Improving Medication Management
I am currently the Chief Medical Officer at Revera. Family Physician with certificate of added competence in Care of the Elderly and spent many years in Long Term Care. I am an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University. I am a clinical consultant for St. Joseph's Health Care Senior's Mental Health Outreach Team. I served a four-year term on the Board of Directors for Alzheimer Society Niagara. I am a member of the Board of Directors of Ontario Long Term Care Clinicians, a member of ORCA's Dementia Task Force and Ad Hoc Committee for Palliative and End-of-Life care, member of the Cannabis Advisory Committee for OLTCA Cannabis in Long Term Care study, member of the quality improvement advisory committee for Health Quality Ontario. I am passionate about reducing falls, improving dementia care and improving medication management.
Lisa Corrente
Long Term Care Homes Public Inquiry: Lessons Learned and Improving Your Operations
Lisa Corrente is a partner with Torkin Manes LLP. She regularly provides assistance to long-term care homes, retirement homes and other health facilities with respect to Ministry compliance matters, professional complaints and discipline proceedings, privacy, residential tenancy matter, and issues concerning residents and their family members. Lisa also conducts neutral workplace investigations into matters such as resident abuse and neglect, discrimination and harassment. Lisa represents her Firm in its membership in the OLTCA and ORCA.
April Coulter
April Coulter has served in the nursing profession as a registered nurse for 24 years. She has a passion for geriatrics and Palliative Care and has additional certification in CHPCN (Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Nurse), Advanced Palliative Care, MDS-RAI, and Lean Healthcare Green Belt training. She is also a facilitator for LEAP Pallium Canada.
April is the National Educational Consultant and lead for Pain and Palliative Care with Extendicare. Previously, she was a Long Term Care Consultant, and held various roles in Long Term Care, including Director of Care. April and her colleague created the "My Wishes" program which supports advance care planning in Long Term Care and resident wishes. It has been rolled out to 120 homes across Canada.
April is currently working on strengthening clinical practice and education across Canada for Extendicare.
Maria-Domenica D'Agostino
Planting the Seed Within Your Operations of Cost Versus Benefit Approach to Facility's Bottom Line
CMI Canada's unique approach to the health care food products industry is championed by Maria-Domenica D'Agostino, a registered dietitian (RD) with the College of Dietitians of Ontario and a licensed member of both Dietitians of Canada as well as the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Maria began her career as a Healthcare Marketing Specialist for a foodservice distribution company and shortly afterwards launched her own company CMI to bring a high level of integrity and expertise to the industry. Maria specializes in the consulting and marketing of manufacturers' products and services for the foodservices industry and in the education and implementation of dietary health care information, products, services and programs to customers across the country.
Josie d'Avernas
Josie d'Avernas is an expert in knowledge mobilization – the process of enriching the connection of research, policy and practice – for seniors' living and care. She has led projects in strategic planning, training, facilitation, policy analysis, literature synthesis, knowledge transfer, evaluation and research. Prior to joining RIA, she worked for more than two decades in health promotion and tobacco control through her consulting firm, Health Promotion Consulting, engaging with clients that included the National Cancer Institute of Canada (Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative), the Canadian Cancer Society, Health Canada, the Department of National Defense and Corrections Canada.
A recipient of the Heather Crowe Award and the Mary Jane Ashley Award for Lifetime Outstanding Achievement in tobacco control, Josie has authored scholarly articles on investments in heart heath, fostering smoke-free workplaces and coordinating smoking cessation programs.
Nicole Dong
Revera's Innovation Lab: From Ideas to Action
Nicole Dong is the Innovation Manager at Revera. Working with entrepreneurs who are redesigning and inventing products and services to improve the lives of seniors, she implements innovative pilots in both Long Term Care homes and Retirement residences to evaluate scalability across the Revera network. Nicole's professional background is rooted in marketing and strategy. She has her MBA from University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and a B.A. from McGill University.
Cherie Furlan-Craievich
Cherie Furlan-Craievich is a Food Service & Nutrition Consultant who has worked as a Clinical Dietitian, Corporate Dietitian and the Director Nutrition & Culinary Services in long term care in Ontario for 20 years. She volunteers as Chair Gerontology Network with Dietitians of Canada and also is a professional member of the Canadian IDDSI Expert Reference Group for Canada. Cherie's initiative and drive has always been to try new things in the kitchen or to dive deep into nutrition therapy to improve the quality of life for residents in long term care.
Yvonne Gaudaur
Empowering Residents and Advancing Staff Capacity
Yvonne is a Registered Nurse working as the Director of Care at Extendicare Port Hope . She has been awarded the Healing Hands award, received the Regional Geriatric Program Team Award of Excellence, the Northumberland Hills Hospital Group Achievement award, and Yvonne had the opportunity to present her work on introducing Montessori methods within the hospital system to improve care for persons with dementia at the Canadian Gerontological Nurses Association (CGNA) Conference . Yvonne developed a real passion for working with persons with dementia. With a desire for providing quality care for older adults she transitioned into the Long Term Care field.
Yvonne truly believes that we have a lot to learn from our residents and that the best way to influence change is by having staff understand the experience. It is by this pairing of ideals that she is working to change staff perspective and improve quality for the residents at Extendicare Port Hope.
David M. Golden
David chairs the firm's Health Care Institutions Group and co-chairs its Health Law Group. David's civil litigation practice focuses on commercial litigation, health law and professional liability and regularly appears before all levels of court, boards and tribunals that regulate the health care industry and the professions. David is counsel to the Ontario Long Term Care Association and the Ontario Retirement Communities Association.
Angela Harvey
Staffing Shortage – Healing the Wound from the Inside
Angela is the Administrator and Privacy Officer at Finlandia Nursing Home in Sudbury, Ontario. Since 2004, Angela has held various leadership positions, notably Charge Nurse, Director of Care, Chief Clinical Officer and Administrator since 2014.
Angela is also a member of the OLTCA Board Quality Committee since 2016. She holds membership with the, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, the College of Nurses of Ontario, eHealth Advisory Committee, and the Greater Sudbury Emergency Advisory Panel.
Angela is a graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program and completed the Long-Term Care Management Program through the Canadian Healthcare Association. She is accredited as a Long-Term Care Administrator by the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors. Angela is dedicated to caring for Canada's aging population and committed to fostering a culture of excellence. Her long standing interests include effective leadership, clinical research and integrating community services.
Cathy Hecimovich
C-Suite Insights: Planning for the Future
Cathy Hecimovich joined the Ontario Retirement Communities Association as Chief Executive Officer in 2018, bringing more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in home and community care to the role. Cathy is passionate about health system integration and continues to cultivate partnerships across acute, primary and community care in order to ensure seniors have access to the best possible care options. Cathy holds both a Bachelor of Health Sciences in Physiotherapy and a Masters in Education. She is also an Assistant Professor at McMaster University with the DeGroote School of Business and the School of Rehabilitation Sciences. Cathy is a graduate of the Advanced Healthcare Leadership Program through the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, is a Certified Healthcare Executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Teresa Judd
Behavioural Supports Ontario Therapeutic Recreation Program: Central West LHIN
Teresa Judd is a Registered Nurse and Director of the Central West Behaviour Support Network since 2012. She has worked across health sectors in Northern Ontario in acute care, Community Nursing and Care Coordination, and educator. She started her career volunteering in a physio treatment program supporting seniors and then graduated to work in Long Term Care as an RN. Her passion is integration by bringing care providers together and creating positive change for seniors and older adults with cognitive impairment.
Her current role as Director of the BSO Network in the Central West LHIN provides cross sector support and leadership with her team. The team's strength is collaboration and willingness to try new and innovative opportunities and develop synergies within our evolving healthcare system.
Heather Keller
Heather Keller RD PhD is the Schlegel Research Chair in Nutrition & Aging at the University of Waterloo. Research programs cross the continuum of care and are focused on improving the nutritional status and food intake of older adults. Research in residential and long term care is focused on improving the nutritional and sensory quality of food, as well as enhancing the mealtime experience for residents, family members and staff.
Saima Khan
No Serving Sizes? Where is Dairy? Menu Planning with the New Canada's Food Guide
Saima Khan is currently studying in the Master of Health Science at Ryerson University with the goal to become a Registered Dietitian. She is passionate about food and nutrition and has versatile experiences in community, clinical and food service settings within dietetics. She believes nutrition can play a crucial role in disease prevention and quality of life, especially in our elderly population. She is very excited to be a part of this year's Together We Care conference and to meet like-minded individuals with similar interests and goals.
Metzie Lacroxi
Project CARE: Creating Active Resident Engagement Teams
Metzie Lacroxi is the Director, Clinical Services at Sienna Senior Living. She joined Sienna in 2013 as a Clinical Consultant and became the Manager of Resident Services in 2014. She has over 20 years of leadership experience in long term care as a registered nurse, Director of Care, and an Administrator. In her current role, she is responsible for leading a team of Clinical Consultants who provide guidance, support, and assist with the implementation of clinical care processes across Sienna's 43 long term care communities in Ontario and British Columbia. Graduating from Centennial College as a Registered Nurse, Metzie also holds a Bachelor's in Health Administration from Ryerson University and a certificate in Gerontology form Canadian Nurses Association. In her spare time, she enjoys fitness and weekend cottage life.
Virginia Millar
Virginia has worked within the Hospitality sector for over 30 years. She started her career working in the restaurant and hotel business and has spent the last 10 years sharing her knowledge within the senior living sector. Virginia is passionate about enhancing the dining experience to ensure all residents have an enjoyable mealtime. To help support this she facilitates key education and training for team members, family members and business partners. Virginia has been instrumental in the creation of new policies and brand standards.
Melanie Morin
As the CEO of StaffStat Inc since 2014, Mel has full administrative and representational powers of this fast-moving and growing software company. Born as an in-house solution for Plan A Long Term Care Staffing & Recruitment, StaffStat is an automated web-based shift-filling solution allowing employers to fill open shifts in their schedules.
After earning a B.A. in General Arts, with minors in English and Psychology, Mel dedicated 10 years to practical experience in disability management. With a passion for assisting and making a change within a vulnerable population, an opportunity to work with Plan A was the ideal next step. Plan A allowed her to gain further knowledge in HR, operations, marketing and finance making my transition to the role of CEO at StaffStat, Inc., a logical and simple one. In any situation, Mel excels and prides herself on providing professional and quality customer service to clients and customers.
Bob Moulson
Bob has a Nutrition and Food degree from Ryerson University and a Master's of Science in Food and Nutrition from Western University. He has worked in acute-care foodservice, and as a clinical Registered Dietitian in long-term care. Bob is a former member of the Halton Food Council, and presented on procurement policy at the Ontario Sodium Summit in 2012. He has many years experience developing menus and delivering education sessions while working with Gordon Food Service customers across Canada.
Sandy Pagotto
Use Coaching to Inspire Your Team!
Sandy is the Director of Strategic Solutions at HealthCareCAN and is responsible for the management, leadership, governance and food service programs delivered by CHA Learning (a division of HealthCareCAN). A pharmacist by background, Sandy has worked in various areas of the health sector from the frontline in hospital and community pharmacies, to health organizations and associations to consulting for the pharmaceutical industry and government. Sandy has led many new initiatives throughout her career which have focused on people centred care and leadership development.
Christopher Ridenhour
Retention 911: Reviving, Inspiring, Engaging, Retaining!
Christopher Ridenhour's bio coming soon.
Lisa Salapatek
Partners in Care: Working with Caregivers to Improve the Resident Experience and Health Outcomes
Lisa Salapatek is the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation with the Ontario Caregiver Organization, a non-profit organization funded by the Ministry of Health that supports Ontario's 3.3 million caregivers.
A collaborative leader with more than 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector, Lisa has a passion for leading change that helps people to live better lives. She has held a diverse range of executive roles with expertise in strategies that drive mission impact, growth and sustainability. Her past roles include Chief Program and Public Policy Officer of the Alzheimer Society of Ontario, Director of New Business Development and Director of Community Programs with Heart & Stroke, and Executive Director of a charity start-up.
Lisa's career includes a strong focus on the experience of individuals and families within our health and social care systems, and she is excited to be a part of the Ontario Caregiver Organization as it strives to enhance support for caregivers.
Dr. Lori Schindel Martin
Dr. Lori Schindel Martin's bio coming soon.
Cindy Shonaiya
New Trends in Senior Living Design: Mainstreaming Senior Living and Award-Winning Concepts for Urban Living
Cindy has 27 years of professional experience spanning three continents. A senior living specialist, she has been team leader and principal-in-charge on a number of senior living, multi-family and assisted living community projects, including the award winning Brightview Bethesda, Brightview South River, Brightview Severna Park, Greens at Rolling Road, MonteVerde and Clare Court Convent & Apartment projects. Cindy's strengths lie in her ability to successfully incorporate outstanding design and sustainable practices within her projects, while maintaining and exceeding her clients' budget expectations.
Cindy's passion is to motivate and mentor the next generation of architects. She leads HCM's Student Engagement Committee and runs its successful Intern Shadow program. She also serves on the Maryland State Board of Architects and is a regular jury member at the Morgan State University School of Architecture.
Imagine…Living Life to Your Potential
Lisa Smith, has dedicated her entire nursing career to making the lives better for those working and living in Long Term Care. Throughout her career she has worked as a PSW, Registered Nurse, Administrator and Director of Care in Long Term Care and has a passion for building relationships with colleagues as well residents and their families. Having a love for seniors care and knowing that there is a better way, Lisa has shifted her focus to educating front line staff on the impacts of Dementia and how approach and successfully setting up the environment can ensure happier, healthier more fulfilling experiences for staff and residents.
Lisa Sokoloff
Dysphagia Friendly Recipes Validated for Organizational Scalability
Lisa is the Manager, Training & Simulation at Baycrest's Centre for Education and Knowledge Exchange in Aging. She received her undergraduate degree in Speech Pathology at the University of Western Ontario (1987) and her Master of Science (Speech Pathology) degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1989). She is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario. Lisa has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist with adults and geriatrics since 1989. She has published and presented internationally in the areas of speech pathology, swallowing disorders and education. Lisa has Lecturer status in the Department of Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and also teaches at Humber College in the OTA/PTA program. Prior to this role, Lisa held a dual role as Manager & Professional Practice Chief, Speech Pathology and Specialist, International Relations and Interprofessional Education at Baycrest.
Kim Stelmacovich is the Director of Quality Transformation at Revera, where she provides leadership, strategic guidance and operational support to advance Revera's quality agenda across the enterprise. Kim brings extensive experience to this role; building successful local, National and International partnerships, aligning with stakeholders, modernizing services, facilitating the culture change and promoting the learning systems required to implement and sustain evidence-based improvements to care and service.
Kim holds a Master's degree in Health Administration from the University of Toronto Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, where she is Adjunct Faculty. She also holds a Bachelor Degree in Occupational Therapy from Western University.
Michelle Stillman
Michelle Stillman (Grouchy) is the Senior Director of Operations at the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, where she develops partnerships in research, education and practice with the aim of enhancing the quality of life and care of older adults. Michelle is an effective communicator with a strong track record of leading, planning, implementing complex programs and working with multi-disciplinary teams to inspire change and impact.
She has held positions at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Ontario Long Term Care Association and the Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario designing strategic initiatives, developing partnerships and supporting the uptake of research and innovation across Ontario.
Michelle holds a Masters of Public Policy from Kings College London, UK, Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences from Western University and certificates Knowledge Translation and Leadership.
Mondy Carter & Karen Stobbe-Carter
What You Need to Know from Families and Residents – Rethinking Your Training
Karen was working as an actress, director, writer and instructor of theatre when her Dad, Manfred was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Her life has taken on a new focus and new meaning in combining the knowledge of her two worlds into one life work. Manfred passed away in October of 2000 and her Mom, Virginia was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease a year and a half later. Karen & Mondy were the primary caregivers for Virginia for 11 years. Karen & Mondy have presented over 800 trainings all over North America on topic of: dementia, person-centered care, culture change, improvisation, and creativity. Karen was the co-developer and writer of the CMS Hand in Hand Training Toolkit that was sent free to every nursing home in the USA. Mondy is a talented actor, director, videographer and animator who has been busy working on healthcare videos and animations for dementia training and in the world of disabilities. Karen is now the Chief Purpose Officer for the nonprofit In the Moment and their current project is to create a free online resource for families of persons living with dementia, to give them the support they need. Karen & Mondy live in Black Mountain, North Carolina and are empty nesters with their daughter Grace away to college in Maine, they have their menagerie of furry family members to keep them company.
David Stoller
How to Build partnerships to Help Drive Your Organization's Innovation Agenda
David Stoller is a business leader who works with innovators and entrepreneurs in the longevity sector to help them grow their brand, develop their product, and reach market adoption. After working for over a decade with multimillion-dollar brands and international organizations, David knows how to drive brand loyalty and product adoption in the longevity sector, which requires a carefully crafted approach to understanding the people you're trying to help. It's all about innovating for the end-user, with the end-user.
Today, David is the Managing Director for MySense Canada, a UK-based AI-powered startup expanding into Canada. Moreover, he is Ambassador for the Aging2.0 Toronto Chapter, a volounteer position supporting innovators taking on the biggest challenges and opportunities in aging.
Finally, David is an active public speaker, holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, travels the world as often as he can, and is a painfully loyal fan of his beloved Toronto Maple Leafs.
Grace Sweatman
Sub-Plenary – Changing the Culture of Care. It's Up to You
Grace enjoyed over 35 years as CEO of a well respected continuing-care community in the heart of Toronto. During that time she had the privilege of serving for six years in various roles on the board of OLTCA, and in her seventh year as its president.
She also served for three years as vice president of IAHSA (International Association of Homes and Services for the Aging) including a term as a participant in an NGO at the UN representing the needs of seniors from a global perspective.
Grace has presented at many conferences including LeadingAge in Washington, D.C., and Extendicare's National Quality Conference. She was a key note speaker at the annual conference for caregivers in PEI, and at the gala fund raiser for Durham Christian Homes.
Her memoir of her career, "Joyful Journey: An Adventure in Eldercare" was released in Fall 2019. Visit www.joyfuljourneyblog.ca for more details.
Kristine Theurer
The Program for People Who Don't Come to Programs
Dr. Kristine Theurer is a researcher who pioneered the use of standardized peer support and peer mentoring programs to address loneliness and social isolation in senior living. She is a published author of a number of research articles, the most recent of which "Reducing Loneliness and Depression: The Power of Peer Mentoring in Long-Term Care" in JAMDA and the "The Need for a Social Revolution in Residential Care", the most downloaded article in the Journal of Aging Studies. Kristine has completed her PhD at the University of British Columbia, leads training workshops for staff working in health care in Canada and the US and presents regularly at international conferences. She has received numerous research awards including grants from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She serves on the planning committee for the national conference on culture change in Canada, hosted by the Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging.
Sheri Tomchick
Sheri Tomchick's bio coming soon.
Yvonne Van der Male
Fresh on Fresh: Let the World and Our Budgets Breathe
Yvonne is a hospitality professional that has worked in both the restaurant and the retirement industry for over past 15 years. In 2013 Yvonne found a position in the retirement sector that merged both her love for the Front and Back of House as the Director of Culinary Service n Toronto. Today, Yvonne is the Regional Culinary and Facilities Service Manager for Maple Ridge Retirement that works with Jarlette Health Services
Yvonne is a Red Seal Chef and a member of the Canadian Society of Nutritional Managers.
Her love and passion for all thing's food have driven her to never give up on tough problems and develop workable strategies for the answers that her organization needs.
Yvonne's goal is to challenge the status quo and continue to grow the Culinary and now Maintenance teams into the best services provided for our Seniors.
"I want to support our seniors and make an Outstanding Difference in the lives of others"
Duncan Walker
Duncan Walker AIA LEEDAP NCARB
Principal, Hord Coplan Macht Architects
Mr. Walker has been working in the design of senior living projects for over 25 years as well as having experience in mixed use, hospitality, retail, and multifamily architecture. Duncan Is based in Baltimore, Maryland, but has designed projects throughout the United States, as well as in Europe and Asia. He has focused on bringing new solutions to senior living, and has presented at a number of different national conferences on aging. His projects have won Design for Aging awards on 6 occasions, as well as numerous other national awards for innovative design for senior living.
Philippa Welch
Philippa Welch, RN, BA GNC(c), LNC is Vice President of Operational Effectiveness at Sienna Senior Living. Philippa is a Registered Nurse with a degree in Sociology and Management from the University of Waterloo. She holds credentials as a Certified Administrator, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Canadian Nurses Association Certification in Gerontology, and Legal Nurse Consultant.
Philippa has over 30 years' experience in senior's care. Her roles have included leadership positions in long term care in municipal, charitable, and for profit environments and operating her own consulting business. Through this experience, Philippa has developed a focused vision of person centred care and the role that long term care plays in the greater health system.
In her current role as strategic leader of the national professional services, resident care, and operating platforms at Sienna, she promotes a resident centred approach to "awaken our communities to the positive possibilities of life's next chapters".
Fraser Wilson
As a visionary Fraser has never been confined by traditional norms or outcomes. His personal mantra is "Making others More". Driven to demonstrate what is possible, he believes in and embraces the very best of his people.
With passion and enthusiasm Fraser shares his vision of a future filled with hope and opportunity for resident and staff alike. With a focus on 'Rising Above the Regs', the creation and introduction of IMAGINE and the sharing of WOW moments through storytelling he captures the imagination and interest of his people.
With just over two years with Chartwell, the LTC platform has increased their Resident 'very satisfied' scores by 17% and Employee 'very engaged 'scores by 7.5% Demonstrating that there is a better way and a brighter future, despite the recruitment and operational challenges facing long term care.
Ryan Wood
An Examination of Evolving Labour Relations Trends
Mr. Wood has been with Bass Associates since 2007 and currently represents numerous, homecare, nursing home and retirement home clients. He has extensive experience with costing collective agreements, interest arbitration, collective bargaining, grievance resolution and organizing activities. Mr. Wood is also the principle author of the Bass Analytic publications.
Prior to his employment with Bass Associates, Mr. Wood was employed as a Senior Research Associate at the Conference Board of Canada, as Director of Research at Service Employees International Union and as an Analyst for the Government of Ontario.
Mr. Wood holds a BA in Economics from Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Quebec, a Masters in Industrial Relations from Queen's University in Kingston and a Masters in Economics from Queen's University in Kingston. Mr. Wood is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada.
Ryan has also prepared and presented the Lancaster House Costing and Bargaining seminars for the past three years and was a part-time Professor of economics at Bishop's University in 2010 and 2011.
Mr. Wood has extensive central bargaining experience and knowledge from the 2012 Central Nursing Homes (100 homes) process and from his former position as Director of Research for SEIU (Central Hospitals and Central Nursing Homes).
Since 2014, Mr. Wood has built and maintained a total compensation database for homecare collective agreements (approx. 75 agreements).
Jack York
Sub-Plenary Session – Stories That Remind Us Why We Do What We Do
Jack York is co-founder of It's Never 2 Late (iN2L), a company dedicated to helping older adults realize the full benefits of adaptive technology. Originally, Jack did not envision iN2L as a business; the impetus for what became the company was a philanthropic idea to donate computers to assisted living communities and nursing homes in Southern California. With a 15-year background in the Silicon Valley, he saw a vast potential in fostering these connections, but also saw that conventional technology was too difficult for most residents to use in a meaningful way.
As a result, in 1999, Jack retired as Vice President of Strategic Sales for Vishay Intertechnology and started what has become a successful gerontechnology company. It's Never 2 Late (iN2L). He is a sought after national and international speaker on technology being used to create personalized experiences that engage and connect older adults to their loved ones and the world at large, specifically individuals with dementia. As of 2019, the company has a customer base of 3,000 senior living communities spread out across all 50 states. iN2L's work has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and dozens of senior living publications. For more information, visit in2l.com.
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