LEAD Program

About the Program

Program start date: April 17, 2023
Program end date: November 8, 2023

Argentum’s Leadership Advancement & Development (LEAD) Program elevates a select group of aspiring leaders who are nominated by their peers and executives within the Senior Living industry. These distinguished leaders will participate in a six-month cohort-based program that provides them with exclusive networking, coaching, and professional development opportunities to help support their leadership development and career growth. The 2023 group of “rising stars” will have an interactive, professionally assessed leadership engagement learning experience.

Submit a Nomination

Argentum member owner/operator company CEOs, COOs, or senior human resources associates are invited to nominate a future LEADer through April 2, 2023.

Program Highlights

The LEAD program is under the direction of Dr. Mildred Charles, a career academic with deep experience in adult and online learning, who will bring a course syllabus, leadership insights, additional project guidance, and more regular cohort interactions to the program.

In addition to learning from the renowned Dr. Charles, students will receive:

Full Complimentary registrations and attendance at Argentum’s Senior Living Executive Conference in New Orleans, LA, and the Senior Living Leadership Summit in Amelia Island, FL
Leadership Coaching Clinic at the Senior Living Executive Conference led by Korn Ferry Training and Design Consultant Sari Goulet.
New! Four (4) independent leadership project assignments to include;
- Myers Briggs/MBTI
- EQ-i 2.0® and EQ 360
Exclusive networking opportunities with industry leaders at Argentum leadership events and with LEAD alumni.
Engage with industry peers and experts during live interactive online Salon Sessions.
Collaborate with fellow cohort members to prepare and deliver an industry-advancing Capstone Group Project.
LEAD program participants and capstone projects featured in Argentum’s Senior Living Executive Magazine and at argentum.org.
Earn a program certificate and recognition award upon successful completion of program.

2023 Nominee Eligibility

Nominees must be employed by an Argentum member owner/operator company
Nominees’ must have a role at a regional or corporate office, with considerations provided to executive directors noted as on a corporate career pathway
Nominee must be able to complete required elements of the program, to include in-person travel and attendance requirements
Nominating company must commit to annual tuition fee of $3,295 if nominee is accepted (fee includes complimentary registrations to the Senior Living Executive Conference and Senior Living Leadership Summit, a $2,400+ value)
Nominations advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within senior living are strongly encouraged.

How to Nominate

Companies will be asked to submit nominations via an online application and are restricted to no more than four nominees per company. Nominees will submit an application to include one letter of recommendation from a direct supervisor, as well as a short essay. Applications will be reviewed and selected by a panel.

Nominations must be submitted by an Argentum member owner/operator company CEO, COO, or senior human resources associate.

Program Completion Requirements

Nominees will be required to complete the following activities and assignments to successfully complete the LEAD program:

Attend the Leadership Coaching Clinic on May 8, 2023, at the Senior Living Executive Conference
Attend a minimum of three (3) interactive online Salon Sessions
Participate regularly in bi-weekly online discussion forums with cohort peers
Complete Four (4) Independent Project Assignments
Complete One (1) Capstone Group Project

Program Timeline (subject to change)

Call for Nominations Announced: February 6, 2023
Nominating Period Ends: March 24, 2023
Final Acceptance Notifications to Organizations & Cohort: April 3-7, 2023
Official Press Release announcing 2023 Class: April 12, 2023
Program payments due: April 17, 2023
Onboarding of Cohort: April 17-21, 2023
Senior Living Executive Conference: May 8-10, 2023
Capstone Project completion: October 2023
Senior Living Leadership Summit (Cohort Recognition/Photo): November 6-8, 2023

Dr. Mildred Charles

Dr. Mildred Charles is a career coach and the founder of Career Mindset Coaching, a people-centric coaching and consulting company that supports the personal growth and career development of individuals, employees, and teams.

Prior to launching her company, Dr. Charles taught speech and interpersonal communication, both face-to-face and online, for over 17 years to over 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Her professional experience also includes working as a curriculum developer, analyst, consultant, and soft-skills trainer for both private and public sector clients.

Dr. Charles holds a BFA from New York University, an MA from American University, and a PhD from Howard University. In addition to her academic training, she is a Board-Certified Coach (BCC), Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) and a certified practitioner of the Strong Interest Inventory, Myers Briggs, EQ-i 2.0 and EQ 360 Emotional Intelligence assessments.

When she is not working with clients, she enjoys spending time with her family, practicing yoga and meditation, bargain shopping, listening to Audible books, and creating inspirational content that help people grow personally and thrive professionally

Program FAQs

Q: Can senior living professionals nominate themselves for consideration for the LEAD Program?
A: No. The LEAD Program is a 6-month commitment. Because of this, all time and financial commitments must be agreed to before a candidate is considered. As a result, only CEOs, COOs, or senior HR professionals in a nominating organization may nominate a candidate for the LEAD Program. Argentum encourages owner/operator members to strongly consider employees of diversity for nominations.

Q: How is this program different from the Executive Director Leadership Institute (EDLI)?
A: EDLI is designed for community-level executive directors with very specific faculty-developed curricula. The LEAD Program is designed for professionals who are at the regional or corporate level with considerations provided to executive directors noted as on a corporate career pathway.

Q: Do you have to be under/over a certain age to qualify for this program?
A: No. Executives of any age can be nominated. For example, a stay-at-home parent who decides to return to their career and demonstrates excellent leadership potential would be a terrific candidate for the LEAD program.

Q: What is the tuition cost of this program?
A: The cost to participate in the LEAD program is $3,295.

Q: What happened to the Senior Living Leaders Under 40 program?
A: The LEAD Program was designed as the result of a meeting with our leadership and the 2019 Senior Living Leaders Under 40 honorees. We received feedback that while an award is an honor, emerging leaders are missing an ongoing program that offers specialized education and networking opportunities that allow for immersion into the industry and identification of mentors beyond their own companies. This program is designed to do that. We are consequently discontinuing our Senior Living Leaders Under 40 awards program.

Q: Why is there a limit to the number of candidates that a nominating organization can submit?
A: As the industry’s trade association, Argentum has a responsibility to ensure equal access by large as well as smaller organizations who wish to participate. Limiting organizations to four nominees per class helps balance the mix of company types and sizes within the program.