Chief Executive Officer, Avanti Senior Living
As a Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Avanti Senior Living, Alford is known as one of the industry’s leading and most respected innovators of development, design and programming. Her future-forward vision and passion for the industry are paired with a history of implementing change at organizations of varying sizes and capacities.
For 25 years, she has been passionate about providing older adults with sophisticated living, state-of-the-art architectural and interior design, and wellness that surpasses the highest benchmark. Throughout her career, Alford has embraced the “disruptive theory” and has explored ways to challenge the status quo to improve the life of seniors and workplace environment.
Along with being recognized with numerous awards throughout her career, Lori is actively involved in numerous industry advisory roles and boards including Chair of Urban Land Institute’s Senior Housing Council, Environments for Aging Design, National Investment Committee, American Senior Housing Association, Aging 2.0, and Senior Living Innovation Forum. She is passionate for inspiring and mentoring women to achieve the best they can be professionally and personally.
CEO & Co-Founder, Charter Senior Living
After a humbling but formative beginning as a caregiver, Keven rose to executive ranks in the senior living sector, working for several large national providers. He worked in every functional department of a skilled nursing community before ultimately earning his Nursing Home Administrator License in the state of Ohio. Concurrently, he completed his MBA, receiving his Masters of Health Care Administration from Cleveland State University. Keven continued his career in several senior living companies, serving as Executive Director, Regional Director, and eventually becoming Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of Senior Lifestyle Corporation in Chicago.
Now, with 30 years of experience, Keven leads Charter Senior Living as it enters into its ninth year of operation with 60 properties in 15 states, and he is focused exclusively on advancing his team-inspired culture and vision for senior living under the Charter banner.
Chief Experience Officer, Avanti Senior Living
Currently serving as Chief Experience Officer at Avanti Living, bringing over 25 years of expertise in health and wellness. Focused on enhancing the senior living experience, the role prioritizes customer experience design, project management, and integrated care to foster a vibrant and connected community for residents and staff.
Previously, contributed to health strategy and wellness initiatives as SVP of Health Strategy and Wellness at Watermark Retirement Communities. With a commitment to innovation and collaboration, the mission is to create impactful, resident-focused solutions that prioritize wellness and community engagement.
Chief Financial Officer, Hawthorn Senior Living
SVP, Chief Revenue Officer Senior Housing, Ventas
As Senior Vice President, Chief Revenue Officer, Senior Housing, Lindsay Casillas focuses on enhancing the strong organic growth and operational performance of Ventas’s Senior Housing Operating Portfolio (SHOP). A member of the senior leadership team, Casillas works in collaboration with more than 30 best-in-class senior housing operators and leverages Ventas’s proprietary data analytics and experiential insights platform, Ventas OITM, to drive the quality of service and performance of Ventas’s SHOP communities.
Lindsay’s past success spans the senior housing and hospitality industries and includes a proven track record of elevating customer experience and delivering strong performance. She has led teams and portfolios in numerous industries to surpass revenue targets, including in every product line in senior living.
Lindsay held leadership roles in Global Fortune 500 companies prior to joining Ventas, including as National Vice President of Sales, Corporate Services at Compass Group and SVP of Sales, Senior Housing at Sodexo. She has served in the private equity sector as Chief Growth Officer at Arcis Golf and spent 15 years in senior housing, including at Brookdale Senior Living, where she grew her career from regional sales director to Vice President of Owner Relations.
Casillas is a member of the board of Argentum, the leading national association dedicated to supporting companies operating professionally managed senior living communities. She is a member of the C-Suite Women’s Network, Chief, and KPMG Executive Leadership for Women. She holds a B.A in Speech Communications from Texas A&M University.
Founder & Partner, Evolve Senior Living
I love that I get to be a part of a team that is dedicated to positively changing the lives of our residents. Fundamentally, I believe that the senior living industry needs to change and am committed to leading the discussion to take us there.
Prior to founding Evolve Senior Living, I was the President of Anthology Senior Living – overseeing finance, investment, development, asset management, and operations for their 45-community portfolio. Before my time at Anthology, I served as Executive Vice President at Pathway to Living (a Waterton company); overseeing operational performance for their 48-community portfolio. I have also held development and investment-related positions at the Janko Group and Welltower (NYSE: WELL).
I live in Denver, Colorado with my wife and two children. In our free time, we like to ski, hike, and attend concerts at Red Rocks!
Education: BS, Purdue University
Partner, Hanson Bridgett
Joel represents a wide array of developers, owners, and operators of senior care communities, including, assisted living, continuing care, and congregate senior communities. He focuses on regulatory, licensure, and operational issues, as well as resident and risk management issues.
Joel has been a noted presenter at numerous conferences and seminars throughout the United States for senior care industry associations, legal organizations, and university academic programs. His practical approach to issues and vast experience with senior care communities also make him a popular presenter at in-house training programs for multi-facility providers. Joel is a founding member of the California Assisted Living Association and has served on its Board of Directors since its inception in 1994.
Executive Vice President & CFO, Distinctive Living (moderator)
Lindsey Hacker graduated with a Masters Degree in Accountancy from Florida State University magna cum laude. She is a Certified Public Accountant and started her career at Ernst and Young. She spent several years working with many clients including large businesses in the healthcare sector. Upon leaving public accounting, she began her career in Seniors Housing in 2008 at Horizon Bay in Tampa, Florida. Lindsey oversaw the life plan CCRC communities in the portfolio where she dealt with all aspects of operations, finance, and investor and owner relationships. When Horizon Bay was sold to Brookdale, she went on to hold several finance and operational roles learning all aspects of the business. Lindsey moved on to work at Validus as the VP of Accounting in 2017 and was quickly promoted to Chief Financial Officer shortly thereafter and then to President in 2021. With the acquisition of Validus by Distinctive Healthcare in 2024, Lindsey was named Executive Vice President & CFO of Distinctive Living.
Partner, Stellar Senior Living
Ray Henderson is a Partner at Stellar Senior Living with over 13 years of experience, previously serving as Chief Financial Officer. Ray specializes in financial stewardship, strategic planning, and operational leadership. Before joining Stellar, Ray held multiple finance and management roles at Medtronic, overseeing sales force structure, compensation modeling, and key account initiatives across several business divisions.
Senior Vice President, Senior Living, ERDMAN
Todd Hudgins leads ERDMAN’s senior living team. He is responsible for driving strategy to serve the seniors housing market. He spearheads initiatives that deploy ERDMAN’s multidisciplinary team of experts as we define our clients’ needs to support their operations and environments of care. He supports the delivery of client strategies that create award-winning residential experiences through designs that improve service and care delivery, as well as maximize operational efficiencies and profitability. Additionally, Todd is responsible for guidance and career development of the senior living studio team members.
I’m passionate about the seniors housing space. Having the opportunity to provide unique and creative housing solutions to our elderly population is a privilege. This growing segment of people has given so much and we can now celebrate them in a small way. As an organization, ERDMAN’s goal is to provide best-in-class services so that our clients can provide best-in-class care to their residents and families
Partner, Foley & Lardner, LLP
Matthew Jassak is a partner and real estate business lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP and co-chair of the firm’s Post-Acute Care & Senior Housing Team. He regularly represents owners, operators, investors, and developers in connection with the development, acquisition, disposition, leasing, financing, and licensing of health care facilities.
As a member of the Real Estate Practice and Hospitality & Leisure Industry Team, Matthew also focuses his practice on representing investors, operators, and developers in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including the acquisition and disposition of retail, office, hotel and multifamily properties, commercial mortgage and construction financing, and joint ventures. Matthew also handles condominium formation, fractional ownership plans, private residence clubs, non-equity clubs, hotel conversions, state and federal filings, advertising, golf membership programs and other related matters in the hospitality sector.
In addition to his real estate practice, Matthew handles a wide variety of corporate law matters, including corporate formation; corporate operations and governance and other contract drafting, review and negotiation; mergers and acquisitions; and capital raising transactions.
Clinical Director, Direct Supply / Innovation & Technology Center @MSOE
Liz Jensen, MSN,RN,RN-BC is the Clinical Director with Direct Supply, Inc. She works with senior care providers, product managers and engineers to translate evidence-based research, regulations and risk management strategies into practical processes, technology and applications for clinicians and frontline care providers in senior care. Liz’s prior experience as a nurse executive, business owner, educator, program developer and direct care nurse informs her nursing practice in this unique role. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Innovation Platform Advisory Council for AMDA/The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care; is a member of the AHCA Clinical Practice Committee; serves on the Argentum Quality Standards Committee and is a frequent speaker at national and local conferences on advancing innovation in senior care through collaboration.
Vice President, Investments, LCS
Graham Johnson brings a depth of real estate expertise, ranging from product development to deal origination, to his position as Vice President/Director – Investments for LCS Real Estate. In his role, Graham is responsible for leading the execution of LCS Real Estate’s investment objectives through targeted investment opportunities including development, acquisition and recapitalization efforts. In this capacity, his team serves as a key point of contact for market intermediaries and external consultants. In addition to sourcing opportunities, Graham works closely with key capital relationships on transaction and partnership structure, and serves on the NIC Future Leaders Council.
Graham earned his Bachelor of Arts in finance and accounting from the University of Northern Iowa. In addition, he has been a CFA Charterholder since 2019.
Founder & CEO, Solera Senior Living
In April 2016, Adam leveraged his 15+ years of experience to launch Solera Senior Living, a next-generation senior living operations, development, and investment company with the goal of elevating the resident experience. At Solera, Adam identifies strategic growth opportunities, sets the vision for the operating model and program design, sources and structures capital relationships, evaluates innovative technologies, and is responsible for building a highly engaging culture.
Adam received his BA from Cornell University, School of Hotel and Restaurant Management, and his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Adam credits the constant love and support from his wife for his success to-date in building Solera. Outside of work, Adam enjoys spending quality time with his wife and three incredible children, two boys and a girl, socializing with close friends, traveling, reading, skiing, golfing, and fitness.
President, Belmont Village Senior Living
Mercedes Kerr is a recognized leader in health care real estate, with over 20 years of experience driving business development in the seniors housing sector. As President of Belmont Village Senior Living since July 2019, Mercedes has established enduring partnerships across the health care industry, building innovative care delivery models focused on wellness and cultivating strategic business relationships.
Previously, Mercedes served as Executive Vice President of Business Development at Welltower™ Inc., where she led initiatives to expand the company’s high-quality health care property portfolio through collaborations with health systems, seniors housing operators, real estate developers, and financial institutions. Her earlier roles include Senior Vice President and Vice President of Acquisitions and Dispositions at HCP, Inc., where she contributed to the company’s growth and strategic direction.
Mercedes holds a BA in Business and Tourism from Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, graduating with honors as valedictorian, and a Master’s in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California. She is actively involved in industry organizations, serving on the Executive Advisory Board of Argentum, the Board of Counselors for the USC Davis School of Gerontology, and the Executive Committee of the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA).
Fluent in English, German, and Spanish, Mercedes is widely endorsed for her expertise in real estate economics, real estate, and real estate development.
Senior Vice President, Development & Facilities Management, Trilogy Health Services
Peter Massey is an accomplished executive leader with a robust background in development, operations, and organizational management. With over 20 years of experience in various leadership roles, Peter has a proven track record of driving growth, operational efficiency, and strategic development across diverse industries, including healthcare, logistics, and non-profit event management. His leadership style is known for its effectiveness in both leading teams and providing support to ensure smooth and successful operations.
Currently serving as Senior Vice President of Development & Facilities Management at Trilogy Health Services, Peter oversees the growth and facilities management of over 135 senior housing and skilled nursing campuses across the Midwest. Over his 12+ years at Trilogy, he has played an integral role in the development of 70 healthcare campuses, totaling more than 4.7 million square feet and a combined cost of over $1.2 billion. His strategic vision and ability to coordinate cross-functional departments ensure that new senior living campuses are opened and stabilized successfully.
In addition to his development efforts, Peter has extensive experience in renovating existing campuses, managing an annual CapEx budget of approximately $20 million. His expertise in this area has been instrumental in modernizing facilities, improving operational efficiency, and enhancing the overall resident experience.
Vice President Operations, National Health Investors (NHI)
Today, as Vice President of Operations at NHI, Melanie leads the team managing the senior housing operating portfolio (“SHOP”) and select West Coast relationships. Her journey as a customer, consultant, and now employee of NHI reflects her dedication to excellence and her commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of seniors.
Melanie Mooney’s career is rooted in accounting and finance, beginning with CPA firms and progressing into a Controller role before transitioning to the childcare industry as Division Finance Partner at KinderCare. Her path led her into senior housing over eleven years ago, inspired by a referral from her former CFO. Melanie’s passion for the industry was ignited during her tenure as Senior Director of Asset Management at Holiday Retirement.
Motivated by a desire to make a meaningful impact, Melanie found purpose in childcare but discovered her true calling in senior housing. Her personal experience with family caregiving, especially during her grandmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s, shaped her commitment to improving end-of-life experiences for seniors. She believes that access to high-quality senior housing can profoundly enhance well-being and quality of life.
Melanie’s career has spanned roles in asset management, consulting, and operations, including leadership positions at HCP (now Healthpeak Inc.), Morningstar Senior Living, and Avamere (now Arete). She has also earned a real estate broker license, further deepening her industry expertise.
Executive Vice President, American Healthcare REIT
Ray Oborn serves as executive vice president, asset management for American Healthcare REIT. He is responsible for the management of the company’s extensive portfolio of senior housing, skilled nursing and hospital assets throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. With more than 25 years of senior level experience in the healthcare space, Oborn has extensive experience in the administration and development of facilities that provide independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer’s/memory care and skilled nursing for seniors.
Oborn previously served as president of Cherrywood Pointe Investment, LLC and executive vice president of United Properties, a real estate investment and development company based in Minneapolis, MN. As president of Cherrywood Pointe, he was directly responsible for managing the firm’s senior housing portfolio and strategic growth initiatives.
Oborn served as senior regional vice president of operations for Brookdale Senior Living from 2014 to 2017. In this capacity, he was responsible for the operations of more than 50 communities in six states across the Mountain West region. He also previously served in executive capacities with New Perspective, Silverado and Sunrise Senior Living, where he was the senior vice president of operations for the western division and oversaw in excess of 70 communities in the Western US and Canada. He began his career with ManorCare Health Services in 1995 as a licensed nursing home administrator.
Oborn received a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science and health and an MBA from the University of Utah.
Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Brookdale Senior Living
Jaclyn Pritchett joined Brookdale in 2016 and has served as Executive Vice President-Human Resources since March 2022. She previously served as Senior Vice President-Human Resources since January 2021, Senior Vice President-HR Field Operations and Talent Management from October 2020 until January 2021, Vice President of HR Field Operations from March 2019 until October 2020, and in other human resources management roles from 2016 to February 2019. During her tenure with Brookdale, Ms. Pritchett has made it her mission to impact our People Strategy, with an intentional focus on attracting, engaging, developing and retaining the best associates.
Before joining Brookdale, Ms. Pritchett served as Senior Manager of Leadership Development at Bridgestone Americas.
Ms. Pritchett received her B.A. in psychology from Auburn University, as well as a master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology from Middle Tennessee State University. She currently serves as on the board of directors for New Frontiers and as Executive Sponsor, Leadership Development for Middle Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management.
Co-Founder & CEO, Sentio Investments, LLC
John Mark Ramsey is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sentio Investments. Mr. Ramsey began his career in healthcare real estate as Co-founder of a regionally focused senior housing owner, operator and developer, before transitioning into working with real estate investment trusts. Mr. Ramsey is part of a select group of industry leaders evaluating the need for more cost-effective housing and care solutions for seniors—an initiative organized by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care (NIC)—and a board member at Westminster Communities of Florida.
Education
B.S. in Finance from Florida State University
B.S. in Real Estate from Florida State University
Connections Director, Juniper Communities
MD, MPH, CEO, Aileen
Roy is a serial Health-tech entrepreneur. After founding and running both private and public companies, (now into his fourth venture), Roy’s Impact can be easily traced to everything from Tele-ICU to Patient Portals, the introduction of Telehealth and now Ai’s arrival into healthcare. He worked closely with leaders of our largest health systems, national and regional payers, blue chip tech companies, state and federal agencies, policy makers both in Washington and overseas.
Co-Founder, August Health
Justin Schram, MD is a physician leader dedicated to expanding access, convenience, and quality of care for older adults. His areas of expertise include innovative care delivery models, chronic disease management, digital health, and value-based care.
Justin Schram, MD is a physician leader dedicated to expanding access, convenience, and quality of care for older adults. His areas of expertise include innovative care delivery models, chronic disease management, digital health, and value-based care. He is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of August Health, a modern EHR and value-based care enablement platform for senior living communities. August Health promotes best clinical practices and efficient, collaborative care for frail older adults residing in residential care communities. In his prior role, Dr. Schram was Regional Medical Director for Landmark Health (acquired by Optum), where he led clinical teams caring for thousands of seniors in their homes and senior living communities. He also led the Landmark clinician advisory group for technology systems, including EHR development and population health analytics. He is a former faculty member at University of Washington Department of Medicine and has served in leadership and advisory roles at multiple digital health companies in the US and India. He received his M.D. from University of Pennsylvania and trained in primary care and internal medicine at University of Washington.
Senior Vice President of Development & Finance, DMK Development Group
Ben Spies is the Senior Vice President of Development & Finance at DMK Development Group, based in Louisville, Kentucky. With over nine years at DMK, Ben has held progressive leadership roles, including Director of Development & Capital Finance and Vice President of Development & Finance. In these positions, Ben has overseen major development projects and financial operations, contributing to the company’s sustained growth and success.
Prior to joining DMK, Ben served as Project Manager at Atria Senior Living, where Ben managed large-scale projects in the senior living sector. Earlier in Ben’s career, Ben worked as an Associate in Credit & Risk Management at Constellation Energy and as a Commercial Portfolio Manager at Fifth Third Bank, gaining valuable experience in finance and risk assessment.
Ben holds a Master’s degree in Finance from Indiana University Southeast and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Kentucky.
Vice President, Capital Markets and Investments, Kisco Senior Living
Joe Weisenburger is responsible for overseeing the capital expenditure process and approvals. In addition, he leads efforts evaluating and negotiating new acquisitions and developments. His responsibilities also include raising debt and equity capital to continue the company’s growth as well as strategic dispositions.
Previously, Mr. Weisenburger spent 23 years at Welltower (“WELL”) in various capacities including SVP of Business Development and Investment Officer. He helped grow the Welltower/ Health Care REIT portfolio from under $1.0 billion to over $40 billion in real estate. He also served as VP of Business Development for LCS helping to grow the third-party management business. He has been actively involved in the National Investment Center and The American Senior Housing Association. He is a director with the Western Golf Association and actively involved with the Evans Scholarship.
VP Risk Management, Merrill Gardens
Responsible for overseeing strategy, compliance and operational risk for Merrill Gardens and sister company, Pillar Properties. A collaborative influencer, driving change and effectively balancing competing needs while bringing structure to enterprise risk management challenges. Drawing on industry knowledge, technology and people to create standard processes and frameworks. Designing and implementing holistic programs that provide key insights into the critical risks of each companies’ strategic objectives.