Imagine this . . .
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Hear from experts
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Five powerful sessions
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Challenge long-held assumptions
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Walk away with practical strategies
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Shift to a mindset of possibility
Your Guides
Penny Cook
Penny Cook is an impassioned leader, advocate, educator and writer dedicated to making our world a better place to grow older.
During her childhood, she watched her empowered and engaged grandmother navigate elderhood. After obtaining degrees in anthropology and social work, Penny realized her grandmother’s experience was very different than the patients, clients and residents with whom she was working.
Through advocacy, education, and connection, Penny has strived to create a society where growing older is normalized, valued, and appreciated.
The Denver Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, Colorado Culture Change Coalition, Telligen, Pioneer Network and The Center for Innovation are a few of the organizations she’s worked with during her 35 year career.
She serves on the Board of the Advancing Excellence in Long-Term Care Collaborative; is an Eden Educator; and she’s currently writing a children’s book about intergenerational relationships.
Penny has spoken throughout the United States and Canada to groups large and small. Her areas of focus include person-directed living, common sense leadership, and understanding ageism.
Ruth Mennema
Ruth is a registered nurse who spent 30+ years in Long Term Care Leadership positions. She is recognized for her innovative dementia and leadership approach. Ruth is an advocate for supporting dementia experts who are living with dementia.
Her dynamic presentations include stories to bridge the gap between clinical expertise and people experiencing daily cognitive changes.
Areas of expertise include effective communication to transform everyday challenges into engagement opportunities.
Ruth’s relatable style ensures she connects with audiences ranging from people living with dementia, healthcare workers, families and executives.
Suellen Beatty
Suellen is the CEO Emeritus at Sherbrooke Community Society Inc. in Saskatoon. She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Masters of Science from the University of Saskatchewan.
In 2001, Suellen received the” Woman of Distinction Award for Management” from the YWCA. In 2004, Suellen was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the Governor General of Canada. In 2014 Suellen was awarded “Distinguished Alumnus” from the University of Saskatchewan, College of Nursing. In 2015 Suellen was the recipient of the Athena Leadership Award.
She is a Global Partner for Western Canada for the Eden Alternative™ has trained over 4500 Certified Eden Associates in in-person and online training courses. Suellen consults to organizations and coaches individuals in the areas of leadership, physical environment and culture change.
Through the Sherbrooke Learning Centre, Suellen has hosted many visitors from around the world who come to see the Eden Alternative ® Philosophy in practice and the design of the Sherbrooke Villages. Suellen has just finished her first book which is a guide to Creating a Great Place to Live and Work based on the Sherbrooke Story.!
She is married to husband Tom Archibald and they live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. She is the proud grandmother of 3 beautiful children.
Emily Connors
Emily is a Community Builder at The Eden Alternative, with degrees in Therapeutic Recreation and Management of Aging Services from York College of Pennsylvania and the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Since 1997, she has dedicated her career to empowering residents through meaningful leisure opportunities and supporting employee care partners in reaching their full potential. Since 2006, Emily has been actively educating care partners and college students about the therapeutic recreation profession, dementia best practices and The Eden Alternative approach to care.
Emily advocates for transformative changes in care approaches to better support individual well-being regardless of the care setting.
Carmen Bowman
Carmen Bowman is a consultant, trainer, author and owner of Edu-Catering: Catering Education for Compliance and Culture Change, turning her former role of regulator into educator.
Carmen was a Colorado state surveyor for nursing homes, assisted livings and adult day programs, a policy analyst with CMS Central Office teaching the national Basic Surveyor Course, and the first certified activity professional to be a surveyor. As a contractor to CMS, Carmen co-developed the original Artifacts of Culture Change, Artifacts 2.0 and first-ever for Assisted Living, facilitated both Creating Home national symposiums on culture change and the environment, and then food and dining. Carmen led the Dining Practice Standards task force and first-ever Surplus Safety Symposium.
She has a Master’s in Healthcare Systems, a Bachelor's in Social Work, and a Certificate in Gerontology. Carmen is a Certified Eden Alternative Associate and was invited to be an early Eden Alternative Mentor. She is also a Certified Validation Worker, Group Practitioner and Presenter.
Carmen co-founded the Colorado Culture Change Coalition and assisted to start the Wyoming Culture Change Coalition. With Action Pact she has authored eight culture change workbooks and hosts Conversations in Culture Change with Carmen every month for 15 years now.
Carmen is Co-Editor of the international journal Activities, Adaptations and Aging: Purposeful and Dignified Living for Older Adults. Recently she has authored the eResources in her series called Using Regulations to Reject & Replace Institution with Home & Normal Life: Guardians of Normal Life and Individualizing Medication Administration using Regulations. She hosts the Be Encouraged blog at www.edu-catering.com.