Pick up your name badge from the kiosk at the Renaissance Ballroom Foyer.

Breakfast at the Renaissance Ballroom Foyer.

Space limited. 

Facilitator: Mark Cimino, CEO, CiminoCare

Kick your morning off with an elevating exchange of ideas and engaging, thoughtful conversation around this important timely topic. Share your perspectives and gain fresh insights as you learn from the experience of your peers during this facilitated discussion. You’ll leave feeling inspired and energized as you head off to your first session of the day.  

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Sara Kyle, PhD, Founder & Principal, LE3 Solutions

Traditional engagement programming has often relied on group activities designed to meet diverse resident needs through communal offerings. While socialization reduces loneliness, it is no longer sufficient for the wide range of residents’ interests and abilities. Discover how the future of engagement is person-directed, cross-departmental and woven into daily operations, not limited to scheduled activities or a single team. Explore practical ways to help every team member embrace engagement as part of their role and leave with practical strategies to create more meaningful, personalized connections without adding programming burden.

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Andrew Tubman, Co-Founder and Chief of Therapeutics, SingFit and Musical Health Technologies

Join a board-certified music therapist and explore emerging trends and current research on how therapeutic singing interventions can deliver measurable clinical and operational ROI. Go beyond the research to discover where music matters most – from early agitation signals to acute behavioral crises that too often result in costly, traumatic hospitalizations. Drawing on outcome data including a 48% improvement in depression and 30% reduction in caregiver burden, you’ll learn when and how to implement singing-based interventions to help reduce emergency transfers, PRN medication use and staff burden.

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Barry Mayer, Senior Account Executive, FURTHER Technologies

More than half of prospective resident inquiries occur outside traditional business hours, when many communities aren’t staffed to respond. The result isn’t just missed calls, but missed opportunities, delayed decisions and lost move-ins. Discover why traditional call handling falls short, what today’s buyers expect during evenings and weekends, and how AI-driven engagement helps communities respond with empathy and consistency to increase sales conversions, without adding staffing. Leave with strategies to better capture, qualify and gain visibility into after-hours inquiries to improve both sales performance and the family experience.

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Alyssa Graf, Attorney, Fisher Phillips
Nicole Kamm, Partner, Fisher Phillips

Join these labor law experts as they break down California’s complex wage and hour landscape. Gain practical guidance and best practices on the state’s most pressing employment compliance challenges, including meal and rest period requirements and the forthcoming minimum wage increase. You’ll also receive valuable insights on how to proactively manage and reduce liability under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).

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Jennifer Houston, Manager, Continuing Care Contracts Bureau
Alycia Rayner, Assistant Branch Chief, Continuing Care Contracts Bureau
Tara Cope, Chief Legal & Administration Officer, Vi Living
Moderator: Deidré Schönfeldt, Partner, Hanson Bridgett, LLP

Get the latest from the Continuing Care Contracts Bureau, a CCRC provider and a legal expert and learn more about current priorities, common compliance and operational challenges and practical guidance on navigating licensing, contractual and regulatory requirements. Gain insights to help strengthen operations and support well-functioning, compliant communities, with an emphasis on collaboration and resident well-being. 

Morning coffee break.

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Jennifer Weber, Owner/Founder, SDG Promotions

Branding is not just what an organization says, it is what people experience. Everyday moments shape trust, belonging and emotional well-being for residents, families and staff. Discover the power of experience-driven branding as a leadership strategy that connects internal systems with external perception. Through real-world examples and a live Experience Audit Lab, you’ll uncover where internal and external experiences support or undermine psychosocial needs and learn how intentional, repeatable brand moments strengthen confidence, connection and trust. 

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Selena Coppi Hornback, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, CALA

The 2026 legislative session, Governor Newsom’s final, brought significant activity, from new CCRC contract repayment options to evolving technology rules shaping the workplace and additional changes impacting employers resulting from the state's budget process. DSS issued updated civil penalty regulations, with additional regulations forthcoming on Incidental Medical and Dental Care Services and new guidance on fall reduction technologies. The Continuing Care Contracts Bureau is also considering its first set of CCRC regulations. Hear the latest updates on ALW and CalAIM, along with insights on new laws, implementation expectations, and emerging policy trends.

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Michael Splaine, Owner and Principal, Splaine Consulting

At best, hospital visits can be stressful for residents, their families and providers. At worst, they can turn disastrous. Explore the various reasons residents living with dementia may be sent to the hospital, along with steps to avoid unnecessary emergency admissions and reduce the impact of planned hospital stays. Gain critical insights into how to most effectively communicate with medical professionals as well as helpful steps to take before, during and after a hospital stay.

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David Hahklotubbe, Gerontologist, Death Doula, Red Kite Movement

If you could script your final chapter, what would that look like? No doubt, specific thoughts, images and ideas come to mind. Residents bring a lifetime of experiences, values and wishes that shape how they envision their final chapter. Through collaboration with residents, their family members, staff, hospice and other supportive services, much can be done to honor residents and provide meaningful support in their final days. Explore the dying process through compassionate, uplifting examples of accompanying residents through the end of life. Leave better equipped to understand what matters most to residents and support them with compassion, empathy and respect during life’s final chapter.

If you attended this session at the 2025 Spring Conference, please note DSS will not approve CEUs for repeat attendance. 

Sponsored by Independent Living Systems

Don't miss the opportunity to visit the Trade Show before and after lunch! Meet with our exhibitors, discover new products and services, and learn about the latest solutions available to support your community. Be sure to visit every booth and enter any prize drawings they may be offering. And please take a moment to thank our exhibitors—their partnership and support are instrumental to the success of CALA and our conferences.

Toward the end of the Trade Show Luncheon, stick around to listen for prize drawing winners to be announced in the exhibit hall—you just might be one of them!

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Kevin Gaines, Deputy Director, Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division
Fay Gordon, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Kimberly Lewis, Assistant Deputy Director Residential Programs, Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division
Claire Ramsey, Chief Deputy Director, Department of Social Services

Join us for a refreshed general session focusing on key state-level policies and oversight priorities impacting senior care throughout California.  Hear directly from CCLD leadership and the new state long-term care ombudsman as they share their priorities, perspectives on emerging care-focused technology, regulatory updates and approach to strengthening partnerships in resident advocacy.

Afternoon dessert and coffee break.

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Scott Bush, President, Bredison & Associates

Great leaders don’t have all the answers. Instead, they ask great questions. Discover the powerful impact leaders can have when they focus on their team’s capabilities and convictions. Through interactive discussion, practical tools and engaging exercises, explore the key drivers of high performing teams – Collaboration, Empowerment, Motivation, Culture and Communication. Leave with actionable strategies to build an empowered team grounded in trust, integrity and lasting success.

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Gheith Effarah, Chief Operating Officer, Interface rehab, inc.
Smit Gandhi, Vice President of Operations, Interface rehab, inc.

Explore comprehensive rehabilitation strategies for individuals living with dementia and discover how physical, occupational and speech therapies can enhance quality of life, reduce risks such as falls and support prolonged functional independence. Learn practical caregiver training strategies, environmental adaptations and person-centered care practices that promote dignity and engagement. Gain valuable insights into effective interventions, communication techniques and proven strategies for creating safer, more supportive, resident-driven environments.

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Kristine Schrudder, Vice President of Sales, Áegis Senior Communities
Candace Seidle, Manager, Consulting Practices, Yardi Systems Inc.

Every day leaders are challenged to grow occupancy, control costs and clearly demonstrate marketing ROI. At the same time, many still struggle with fragmented systems and inconsistent sales performance. Hear how one provider successfully unified their CRM and AI-driven sales and marketing tools into a single revenue engine. Discover how connecting data across the buyer journey can improve lead-to-move-in conversions, align sales and marketing efforts, and deliver reporting that clearly ties activity to revenue. Leave with  practical strategies to standardize performance and drive sustainable occupancy growth using CRM insights.

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Lori Ferguson, Partner, Hanson Bridgett LLP

The Department of Social Services may initiate enforcement actions against providers, administrators and other staff including license revocation, exclusion actions and immediate suspension orders. Gain a clear understanding of what to expect during each stage of the process along with legal considerations and possible outcomes – from receipt of an accusation through negotiated resolution or hearing. You’ll also discover what a pending or resolved accusation means for community operations and individuals.

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Mark Donnolo, CEO, SalesGlobe

Business transformation is continuous, yet 85% of transformation initiatives fail—not because of a lack of strategy or ambition, but because organizations repeat the same unproductive patterns. Learn how to identify these patterns, break the cycle and turn your vision into lasting results. Explore the human behaviors that challenge leaders during times of change and discover practical techniques to navigate transformation more effectively. Leave with proven tools to recognize unproductive patterns, lead with confidence and create lasting impact.

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Cydric Macapagal, Business Office Director, Oakmont Management Group
Alisa Tagg, Association Director, National Association of Activity Professionals

Intentional programming and culturally informed practices have the power to transform everyday moments into meaningful opportunities for connection, purpose and community while strengthening residents’ sense of identity and belonging. Discover practical strategies for designing social environments and programs that foster authentic connection and emotional well-being across all levels of care. Learn how food heritage and the shared dining experience can become powerful tools for honoring cultural identity, sparking engagement and connecting with residents who may not participate in traditional programming.

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Tony Lani, Founder and CEO, Lani Success Coaching

Staff and resident retention remain one of the greatest challenges facing communities today. When it comes to staff retention specifically, the numbers don’t lie – recruiting, onboarding and training a single employee can cost thousands of dollars, and that investment is lost when someone leaves within their first three to six months. That said, when individuals feel seen, heard or valued, they’re far more likely to stay – residents and staff alike. Discover how small, intentional moments of connection can make a lasting impact on resident satisfaction and staff loyalty.

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Catherine Madison, MD, Medical Director, Seniors At Home and Rhoda Goldman Plaza

Join a neurologist as she examines the clinical and practical challenges of anosognosia – a neurological inability to recognize one's own cognitive decline. Understanding this condition is essential to better supporting residents and effectively navigating conversations with families and interdisciplinary teams during key transitions – from Assisted Living to Memory Care and from Memory Care through end-of-life. Through the lens of anosognosia, we will explore how to support dignity, autonomy and person-centered decision-making while discussing appropriate levels of medical intervention and recognizing when treatments may become burdensome. Insights from the Hogeweyk social model and implementation strategies will also be shared.

Sponsored by Consonus Pharmacy-An AgeRight Company and Inspiren

Kick off your evening in style! Join us poolside at the East Pool Deck of the Renaissance Palm Springs for a lively reception under the desert sky for drinks and delicious appetizers while mingling with great company. Your first cocktail is on us! It’s the perfect way to start the night!