Speakers

Matt Kaplan

Professor, Intergenerational Programs and Aging Penn State University

Dr. Kaplan is a professor of Intergenerational Programs and Aging at Penn State University. In this position, he conducts research, develops curricular resources, and provides leadership and guidance in the development and evaluation of intergenerational programs and practices. He has published numerous works advancing the field, focusing on intergenerational programs and practices from an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective. Dr. Kaplan has a Ph.D. in Environmental Psychology from the City University of New York Graduate Center and was a Visiting fellow at the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing and a Senior Fulbright Scholar, studying intergenerational initiatives in Japan.

Kenna Embree

Independent Living Community Life Manager Vincentian Collaborative System

Kenna Embree has been implementing, facilitating, and overseeing intergenerational programs since 2017. Since graduating from Penn State University in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies, Kenna has been working at Vincentian Collaborative System in Pittsburgh, PA as the Community Life Manager in Independent Living. Kenna was also selected as a 2024-2025 Eisner Prize Fellow, for her Fur-Ever Friends intergenerational pet fostering program and is listed as one of Co-Generate's 31 young leaders in their most recent qualitative study, "What Young Leaders Want and Don't Want From Older Adult Allies."

Kyle Peck

Professor Emeritus of Education, Co-Founder Doing Good With Wood

Kyle L. Peck, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Education at Penn State University, and co-founder of Doing Good with Wood, a small non-profit corporation that shares woodworking knowledge and tools and hosts intergenerational events that involve woodworking. While at Penn State he was Co-Director of the Center for Online Innovation in Learning (COIL). He studied and applied innovations in education, including Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and digital badges in education. He served as Principal Investigator for the NASA Aerospace Education Services Project, Director of the Regional Educational Lab for the mid-Atlantic region, and Co-Director of Pennsylvania's Classrooms for the Future Evaluation Project. Kyle was also Co-Founder of the innovative "Centre Learning Community Charter School."

Julie Mohamed

Ph.D Student in Applied Psychology Malaysian Government

Juliana Mohamed is a government of Malaysia policy maker having been in the profession of Administrative and Diplomatic officer since 2003. She is currently in her third year of PhD in Applied Psychology at the University of Nottingham, in the UK. Her research interest in is Psychological Well-being impacts of Food-Based Intergenerational Activities. She is currently doing a comparative research between Malaysia and the UK for which the findings could help Malaysia to prepare for its own silver tsunami-related challenges.

Cassandra Masters

Associate Director Age Friendly Greater Pittsburgh

Cassandra Masters (she/her/hers) is the Associate Director of Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh. She began her career managing community outreach and communications at ACCESS Transportation, one of the leading paratransit services in the country. This is where she first developed a passion for accessible design. She received her BA at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Alex Maasdam

Kinship Navigator PA Kin Connector

Alex Maasdam is a Kinship Navigator with PA KinConnector and an aspiring Christian counselor with eight years of experience working to help serve, counsel, educate, and strengthen families. Alex is also bilingual and formerly worked internationally serving and advocating for social change on behalf of underprivileged Latino communities, including speaking in Colombia alongside 2016 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Juan Miguel Santos. Alex holds a master's degree in counseling and has presented on topics such as kinship, family dynamics, mental health, and support groups. Alex is passionate about caring for those who are marginalized, and this dedication extends to his work with PA KinConnector, where he helps kinship families thrive throughout PA!

Margo Muchinsky

Aging Services Specialist Pennsylvania Department of Aging

Margo Muchinsky has been working to support older Pennsylvanians for over 20 years. She began her career at a local Area Agency on Aging and joined the Pennsylvania Department of Aging in 2005. Margo is an Aging Services Specialist and provides training setup and technical assistance with the SHARE program and other aging service programs. Her experience with aging programs and data analysis has been instrumental to the development of policy data collection and program expansion. Margo is a member of the AARP LGBTQ+ Older Adult Advocacy Team.

John Turack

Extension Education Program Specialist Penn State Extension

John Turack is an Penn State Extension Education Program Specialist based in Westmoreland County. John has served as educational outreach for the Smart Growth Partnership; as a Township Supervisor in Washington Township, Westmoreland County; as the Main Street Program Manager for a non-profit revitalization organization in Blairsville, Indiana County; and earlier as a private-sector retail manager. John has a BA in English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, numerous local government-related certifications, and has taken graduate-level classes with the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Department of Geography and Regional Planning. John provides technical assistance to municipalities, community leaders, and non-profit organizations in the areas of community and citizen engagement, community visioning, and both strategic and municipal comprehensive planning.

Linda Falcone

Extension Educator, Leadership and Community Vitality Penn State Extension

Linda Falcone, MBA, serves as an Extension Educator on the Leadership and Community Vitality team. She has extensive experience in community outreach and teaching. Her community outreach experience includes fund-raising, project management, grant writing, volunteer management, strategic planning, and workforce development. Her teaching experience includes business, leadership, entrepreneurship, marketing, economics and microcomputers at the college level. She has also taught workshops on customer service, diversity, workplace ethics, basic personal finance, workplace bullying, visioning, team building, workplace culture and youth work-readiness skills. Linda holds a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in Architectural Studies and Business Administration and a Master's in Business Administration from Kutztown University.

Darlene Sansone

BA, Co-Leader Kinship Retreats & Food, Families and Health, Family Well-Being, Relatives as Parents Team

Darlene Sansone has been working with PSU Extension since 2001 providing research-based education throughout PA. Darlene has a certificate in Grandfamilies leadership through the University of Maine, has facilitated support groups and retreats for kinship families and currently cohosts extensions kinship family forums.

Cynthia Pollich

Co-Leader Families and Health Family Well Being, Relatives as Parents Team

Cynthia is a Parenting and Better Kid Care Educator, Statewide. She holds an Associates of Science degree in Resource Management and a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Education from Queens College-City University of New York.

Cynthia delivers community-based educational programs related to kinship care, early childhood, parenting, financial literacy, and living a healthy lifestyle. She is dual certified as an Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid instructor and a trained QPR educator. Her program focuses on providing technical support and delivering evidence-informed educational programs to parents and early educators, to improve the quality, educational practices, and educational outcomes for children.

Deborah Willett

Program Coordinator Grandfamily Connections of Chester County

As program coordinator, Deborah Willett advocates for supports and services for GRANDFamilies and Kinship Families in Chester County, and all of PA. Deborah began her personal journey of being a Grandfamily in 2009 when CPS in Texas asked her to take her 22-month-old granddaughter, or she would be placed in the foster care system. Deborah has created and facilitated support groups for Grandfamilies for twelve years. She has been raising a fictive kin toddler for the past three years.

Rozalia Horvath

M.A., Extension Educator, Food, Families, and Health Penn State Extension

Rozalia (Rozi) Horvath is a Penn State Extension Educator in the Food, Families, and Communities unit, based in Centre County, PA. She provides community-based educational programs related to nutrition, diabetes, cooking, exercise, relatives as parents, and Alzheimer's disease. She is a dual certified Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid instructor. She holds an M.A degree in Cultural and Educational Program Management, and in Life Span Human Development with an emphasis in Gerontology from Kansas State University.

Nancy Henkin

Senior Fellow Generations United

Nancy A. Henkin, Ph.D., founder and former Executive Director of the Intergenerational Center at Temple University, is currently a Senior Fellow at Generations United.

Over the past 40 years, she has developed a wide range of cross-age programs, provided technical assistance to local, national and international organizations in the aging, youth, housing and educational fields, and produced a wide range of materials. She has presented at numerous conferences around the world and serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships. In 2006 she was elected into the Ashoka Fellowship, a global community of social entrepreneurs, for her efforts to build Communities for All Ages.

David Rouse

Urban + Regional Planning Consultant David Rouse, FAICP

David Rouse, FAICP, ASLA, is a consultant, educator, and author with over 40 years of experience in urban and regional planning and design. From 2013 to 2019 he served as Managing Director of Research and Advisory Services for the American Planning Association in Washington, DC, before which he was a principal at Wallace Roberts and Todd (WRT) in Philadelphia. David is the co-author of The Comprehensive Plan: Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Communities for the 21st Century.

Chris Kennedy

Founder and Senior Projects Manager Age2Age

Christine Kennedy holds a Masters Degree in Urban Planning/Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine. Her 30-year, multi-disciplinary career spans planning and business development in the fields of aging, transportation, telecommunications, and high technology. Chris is a nationally recognized thought leader in aging-in-place and emerging models of housing. Chris's consulting work with Age2Age, has guided cities to join the World Health Organization's Age-Friendly Cities and Communities Network, and to envision, design and launch age-friendly projects.

Douglas Smith

Bureau Chief of Community Planning & Design in Lancaster City

Douglas Smith serves as Chief Planner within the Department of Community Planning and Economic Development for Lancaster, PA. He oversees the Planning Bureau, which includes comprehensive planning, land development, historic preservation, zoning, floodplain review, public art, and the City Redevelopment Authority, among other tasks. Douglas ensures these programs are kept current and consistent with administration goals, state laws, strategic initiatives, and modern community planning and urban design practices, while serving as liason to the City and County Planning Commissions, Traffic Commission, and other community groups. He previously served as a Senior Planner and Sustainability Planner at the City of Lancaster and was a driving force behind the City's comprehensive plan and climate action plan. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Franklin and Marshall College and a Master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Michigan.

Rob Kapilow

Conductor, Composer, Author

Kapilow is an award-winning composer, conductor, author, and commentator. For over 30 years, he has brought the joy and wonder of music to diverse audiences, creating "aha" moments for listeners of all levels. Known for helping people listen actively rather than just hear, Kapilow's work has made a significant impact on audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

His newest large-scale choral/orchestral composition, We Came to America, based on intergenerational immigrant stories, premiered in January 2024 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. During the summer, Kapilow dedicates his time to writing and composing new music. Notably, he was the first composer granted rights to set Dr. Seuss' words to music, with his Green Eggs and Ham being called "the most successful piece written for families this half-century."

Kapilow has appeared on NBC's Today Show with Katie Couric, presented a special What Makes It Great? for PBS's Live From Lincoln Center, and was the subject of a full-length PBS documentary titled Summer Sun, Winter Moon. His What Makes It Great radio series aired on NPR's Performance Today for over a decade.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Yale and the Eastman School of Music, he studied under the legendary Nadia Boulanger and served as assistant professor and conductor of the Yale Symphony Orchestra at the age of 23.

Karen Kali

Policy Advisor AARP Public Policy Institute

Karen Kali, AICP, is a policy advisor at the AARP Public Policy Institute, where she focuses on consumer financial security, community re-investment, banking and fintech, and racial wealth equity. Before joining AARP, Kali served as a senior program manager within the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. She has extensive experience providing technical assistance and policy analysis to community-based organizations, counties, municipalities, and federal agencies. Kali holds a Master's degree in Community and Regional Planning from Iowa State University and a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology, with a concentration in Urban Sociology, from Stetson University.

Donna Butts

Executive Director Generations United

Donna Butts is the Executive Director of Generations United, a position she has held since 1997. For more than 30 years, Butts has worked tirelessly to promote the well-being of children, youth and older adults through nonprofit organizations across the country and around the world. She began her career in her home state of Oregon as a youth worker with the YWCA, where she worked one-on-one with teens and saw the positive effects of intergenerational programs firsthand.

Butts has held leadership positions with Covenant House, a New York-based international youth serving organization, and the National 4-H Council. She served as the Executive Director for the National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting and Prevention before taking the helm of Generations United.

An internationally sought-after speaker, author and advocate, Butts frequently speaks on intergenerational connections, grandparents raising grandchildren and policies effective across the lifespan. Her commentary has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor and the Wall Street Journal. She has been interviewed on the TODAY Show, National Public Radio and ABC News, and was invited by the United Nations to sit on four expert panels most recently on intergenerational solidarity and social cohesion in preparation for the 2014 20th anniversary of the International Year or the Family.

Deborah Langosch

Deborah Langosch is a doctorate level clinical social worker, trainer, psychotherapist and consultant in Brooklyn, NY. She's worked with kinship care families since 1986 in mental health clinics, social service agencies and in hospitals. Dr. Langosch served as the co-chair of the NYC Kincare Task Force. She developed and directed the Kinship Care Program at NYC's largest social service agency for 17 years and was the Director of the Loss and Bereavement Program for Children and Teens there. She's trained thousands of providers in the areas of trauma, bereavement and ambiguous loss as well as on the mental health issues of kinship care families. Deborah presents locally and nationally on these topics and provides training and consultation on evidence-based treatments. She is a co-managing editor of the GrandFamilies on-line journal and a founding member of the GrandFamilies Outcome Workgroup (GrOW). Dr. Langosch has been recognized and honored by AARP, the National Association of Social Workers, NYS Kinship Coalition and the Brookdale Foundation Relatives as Parents Program for her leadership, exemplary service and notable work in these areas.

Stacy Reed

Extension Educator Penn State Extension - Lancaster County

Stacy Reed, M.S., is a Senior Extension Educator with Penn State Extension Lancaster County. She holds a bachelor's degree in food science and nutrition science and a master's degree from the Pennsylvania State University in food science. She focuses on providing educational programs for health and wellness and food safety, technical support, outreach presentations, and community programming. Stacy partners with the Alzheimer's Association to provide public outreach presentations on healthy aging and Alzheimer's education.

Melissa DeStout

Associate Principal Perkins Eastman

Melissa DeStout is an Associate Principal and architect at Perkins Eastman, specializing in designing environments with senior living providers across the United States. Her work ranges from complex renovations to new construction across all levels of care. As a LEED Accredited Professional and Passive House Certified Designer, Melissa combines her passion for resident and staff wellbeing with a love of nature to produce spaces that are authentically sustainable and promote wellness in all its dimensions.

Jeannie Shiley

Principal and CEO Shenandoah Valley Westminster Canterbury

Jeannie is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Shenandoah Valley Westminster Canterbury, an accredited Life Plan community, located in Winchester, VA. Jeannie has more than 25 years of experience working in the senior living industry. She joined SVWC as the director of accounting in July 1999 and was promoted to Administrator in September 2003. In December 2007, she was promoted to President and CEO of SVWC. She is a graduate of Shepherd College, now Shepherd University, with a bachelor's degree in accounting and is a certified aging services professional. Jeannie and her husband live on a small farm in West Virginia with her two adult sons and 5 grandchildren as their neighbors.

Lisa Iulo

Associate Professor Penn State University

Lisa D. Iulo is an Associate Professor of Architecture and Director of the Hamer Center for Community Design at the Pennsylvania State University. Lisa's work has been recognized in research and design related to residential green building and affordable housing, energy efficiency and strategies for the implementation of renewable energy at the building and community scale. With support from Penn State, NSF and DOE, she has been working with colleagues to better understand the building/community relationships and opportunities where research, data and improved decision-making can inform the design of resilient sustainable homes, buildings and communities. Lisa has been a member of the architecture faculty at the Penn State since 2003. Her teaching and research are closely interrelated with outreach and community engagement with a goal of facilitating collaboration across disciplines.

Steve Lindsey

CEO Garden Spot Communities

As CEO of Garden Spot Communities, Steve Lindsey is the keeper of the unique and vibrant culture that Garden Spot Communities is known for throughout the country and around the world. Garden Spot Communities includes Garden Spot Village, New Holland, Pa., Frederick Living, Zieglerville, Pa., Maple Farm, Akron, Pa., and ForgeWorks. He has more than 25 years of administrative experience in retirement community and rehabilitation hospital industries and was instrumental in developing the new Guidelines for Residential Health, Care and Support Settings. He serves on the board of directors for the Society of Gerontological Environments (SAGE) as well as on the editorial advisory board for Environments for Aging. In July 2019, Steve was identified by Senior Housing News as a Changemaker, one of the pioneers driving the future of senior living. He holds a Master of Social Work from Temple University and is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences.

Erin Coran

Manager for Community Life Vincentian Collaborative System

Erin Coran incorporates intergenerational practices on a daily basis in her work as the Manager for Community Life at Vincentian Home, a Skilled-Nursing Facility in Pittsburgh, PA. She graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2021, completing her honors thesis on intergenerational community connections between college students and older adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Now, she leads programs at Vincentian Home that promote wellness across all generations and has had participants ranging from 6 months to 106 years of age.

Jill Paragi

Vincentian Home

Jill M. Paragi is the Senior Director of Childcare Services at Vincentian. Jill joined the Vincentian team as the Director in 2007. In 2019, she was promoted to provide oversight to Vincentian Childcare Services at multiple locations. Jill had over fifteen years of experience in childcare in a combination of classroom and management experiences prior to employment with Vincentian. Jill is passionate about providing quality, developmentally appropriate education and care for young children, and intergenerational experiences with older adults. Intergenerational activities foster the development of social-emotional skills in children and stimulate these skills in older adults. Jill values education. She has obtained her Bachelor of Arts degrees from Point Park University in both Elementary and Early Childhood Education. She has also earned a Master of Education in Early Childhood Supervision.

Terry Kaelber

Founding Director The Institute for Empowered Aging at United Neighborhood Houses [UNH]

Terry Kaelber is the founding director of The Institute for Empowered Aging at United Neighborhood Houses [UNH], which won The Eisner Prize in 2021 for demonstrating 'excellence in uniting multiple generations for the enrichment of our country." Previously, Terry directed New York's participation in a national initiative to demonstrate the impact older people can have to drive change and strengthen communities. This intergenerational approach to community betterment now reaches 24 communities, creating new urban farms, addressing poor mail delivery in public housing, launching afterschool programming, and leading other efforts that build communities where all ages can thrive. In 2022, Terry was named one of the "50 over 50: The Age Disrupters", recognizing New York's prominent leaders over age 50.

A. Patricia Aguilera-Hermida

Assistant Teaching Professor Penn State University

Patty Aguilera, D.Ed., is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State Harrisburg. She earned her doctorate in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education. Dr. Aguilera holds an M.S. in Psychology and completed a residency in Marriage and Family Therapy. She has been teaching since 1995 at the graduate and undergraduate level. In addition to her teaching, Dr. Aguilera worked as a clinical therapist and supervisor and created a school for older adults in Mexico. Her research has most recently focused on topics related to older adults such as intergenerational relationships, education for older adults, ageism, community well-being, and strategies to promote cognitive health.

Kelly Munly

Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies Penn State University

Kelly Munly, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State Altoona with a research and teaching focus in adult development and aging. Her doctoral degree in Human Development, as well as Gerontology and Future Professoriate certificates, are from Virginia Tech. Munly received the Athleen J. Stere Teaching Award from Penn State Altoona in 2021. In academia, government contract settings, nonprofits, and direct care, she has studied and worked with a range of topics, including adult family and foster care; caregiving relationships; intersectionality, feminist and critical theory; autoethnography and qualitative multiple methods; intergenerational programming; and community-based public health intervention. Munly teaches Adult Development and Aging, Social Perspectives on Aging, Development Throughout Adulthood, and Values and Ethics.

Jennifer Geubtner-May

Director of OLLI Penn State University

Jennifer Geubtner-May is the director of OLLI at Penn State York. She is charged with identifying and implementing strategic imperatives to meet the mission, goals, and vision of OLLI and the University. Jen provides direction to ensure programming is of the highest quality and meets the lifelong learning needs and desires of mature adults living in York County. Jen plans for the financial viability of OLLI, utilizing volunteers, working with Penn State Development and OLLI York's Development Committee to raise funds, attaining sponsorships, and building strategic partnerships to grow and operate OLLI efficiently and effectively. Jen has been in the field of education for more than 25 years. She has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from West Chester University and master's and doctorate degrees in educational leadership from The University of Pennsylvania.

Scott Miller

Chief Marketing Officer Garden Spot Communities

Scott Miller is the Chief Marketing Officer of Garden Spot Communities, including Garden Spot Village, a CCRC of 1,000+ residents located in New Holland, PA. He co-created the Wisdom course that provides a pathway to the cultivation of wisdom and Elderhood. Scott has eighteen years of experience in the retirement community industry preceded by 23 years in the technology industry. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Millersville University and a Masters of Theological Studies from Palmer Theological Seminary. Scott holds a number of teaching certificates in leadership development, as well as, administration of personality profiles. He is a conference and small group speaker and has conducted workshops around the world.

Elke Altenburger

Associate Professor of Interior Design Illinois State University

Elke Altenburger, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Interior Design at Illinois State University. She practiced interior design in the large teams of major architectural offices in Germany and the United States, focused on cultural and higher education building projects. While working for Bora Architects in Portland Oregon she was the interior designer for the McHenry Library for the University of California-Santa Cruz, a student health care center for the University of Oregon, a music theater in Texas, and the Federal Reserve Bank in Seattle. Her research is focused on the socio-physical environments of public institutions of education, specifically informal learning environments and non-classroom space. She is team lead and principal investigator for the Center for Inclusive Intergenerational Environments at Illinois State University.

Luke Russell

Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science Illinois State University

Luke T. Russell, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Illinois State University. His primary research interest lies in investigating how individuals living in diverse family structures (single parent, post-divorce, stepfamilies, cohabiting families, grand-families) foster resilience and maintain family members' health and well-being, and how broader social institutions (e.g., health care systems, schools, and government agencies) can function as supportive resources for such families. He is a core team member of the Center for Inclusive Intergenerational Environments at Illinois State University.

Chang Su-Russell

Program Coordinator and Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science Illinois State University

Chang Su-Russell, Ph.D., is Program Coordinator and Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Illinois State University. Her research focuses on supporting families with young children as they co-parent both within and across generations and navigate difficult topics such as death and bereavement, racism and social inequity, illness and disability, and family transitions. She is a core team member of the Center for Inclusive Intergenerational Environments at Illinois State University.

Lynsey Farrell

Co-Founder and Executive Director Grandmother Collective

Lynsey Farrell, Ph.D., co-founder and Executive Director of the Grandmother Collective (GMC), has spent her career focused on enhancing cultural and social roles for positive impact. She has a PhD in Cultural Anthropology from Boston University and has spent two decades researching age dynamics, international development, urbanization, and inequality, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. She began with extensive fieldwork in Nairobi's Kibera settlement and directed American University's Kenya program on Sustainable International Development. A scholar-practitioner, she worked for Ashoka: Innovators for the public, where she led a $6.6M Mastercard Foundation grant and co-authored "Youth Unstuck: Innovations in Youth Livelihoods at Leadership in Africa". At GMC, Dr. Farrell leads public awareness campaigns, practitioner community building, and training programs, emphasizing intergenerational collaboration in community development.

Danielle Bryce

Director of Personal Care Services Vincentian Collaborative System

Danielle Bryce started working at Vincentian 15 years ago as a Registered Dietitian. Over her career with the system, she has gone on to earn her Nursing Home Administrator License and Personal Care Home Administrator Certificate. In 2018, Danie transitioned into the role that she currently holds as Director of Personal Care Services, serving as an administrator of two personal care homes within the system. June 2019, Vincentian acquired Schenley Gardens, where Danie and her team began their journey to building Vincentian's first intergenerational community within a licensed personal care home setting. The team at Schenley Gardens has fostered a vibrant, intergenerational community and are excited to continue expanding on this work.

Rosemarie Malanoski

Sr. Manager of Community Life and Campus Engagement Vincentian Schenley Gardens

Rosemarie Malanoski is currently working at Vincentian Schenley Gardens as the Sr. Manager of Community Life and Campus Engagement. She has held previous positions of Activity Director, Memory Care Coordinator, and Manager of Life Enrichment. Rosemarie has worked in the non-profit field for the past 26 years while focusing on person-centered care and dementia care. Her certifications include Activity Director, Dementia Practitioner, and Cognitive Trainer. Rosemarie works closely with the University of Pittsburgh Pharmacology program as site mentor, Carnegie Mellon University and the Brain Initiative Program, Chatham University as site mentor to the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Students, and for the past three years, with Graduate Health Services Students from Chatham University in our Students in Residence Intergenerational Living Program.

Leah Bradley

Executive Director and Co-Founder Empowering the Ages

Leah Bradley, MSW, has extensive experience in the intergenerational field, including visioning, planning and implementing intergenerational programs nationwide as well as providing training and technical assistance to practitioners establishing intergenerational initiatives. Leah co-founded the nonprofit Empowering the Ages, located in Montgomery County, Maryland, which enhances individual wellbeing and strengthens communities by creating meaningful intergenerational connections. Bradley received her Masters in Social Work with a concentration in gerontology from University of Michigan.

Ilonka Walker

Intergenerational Coordinator Generations United

Ilonka Walker is the Coordinator, Intergenerational Programs at Generations United where she is responsible for coordinating key intergenerational program activities including the diverse intergenerational programs initiative. In this role she works to amplify and expand the diversity of intergenerational programs that bring younger and older people together across the country. Prior to joining Generations United, Ilonka received both her BS in Psychology and Masters in Gerontology from Virginia Commonwealth University's College of Health Professions. She also was an Age Wave Scholar Fellow at the Greater Richmond Age Wave Coalition: Longevity Project.

Chi Catalone

Extension Educator Penn State Extension

Chi Catalone is an educator at Penn State Extension, working in the Food, Families, and Communities Unit. She is a Nutrition Links Supervisor and provides programming related to health, wellness, and the well-being of families. Chi is a licensed social worker with a master's and bachelor's degree in social work from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She started her career with Elk County Children and Youth Services and has worked as a Hospice and Home Health Social Worker, Director of Personal Care Operations, and National Certified Guardian. Additionally, Chi is a certified Mental Health First Aid, Question, Persuade, Refer Gatekeeper Instructor, and Advanced Bereavement facilitator.

Suzanna Windon

Associate Professor of Youth and Adult Leadership Penn State University

Suzanna Windon, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Youth and Adult Leadership, in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education. Suzanna has an extension/research appointment. Her extension education and applied research program involve the development of evidence-informed leadership and volunteer engagement strategies and tools that address critical issues emerging among Pennsylvania stakeholders. Dr. Windon leads efforts on several extension programs, including AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians. Prior to coming to Penn State, Windon worked for Ohio State University Extension in the Learning and Organizational Development unit. Her M.S. (2014) and doctoral (2017) degrees are in Agricultural and Extension Education with a specialization in Leadership and Human Resource Development

Kathy Dial

CEO and Founder Kin and Kids Consulting

Kathy L. Dial, Ph.D., has spent her entire career in social work. She has over 30 years of social work experience in direct practice, group work, grant writing, teaching, advocacy, program and policy development, and program evaluation in both child welfare and geriatric settings. Her expertise lies in the areas of gerontology, kinship care (grandparents raising grandchildren and relative caregivers), and child welfare services. She is currently the CEO and founder of Kin and Kids Consulting. She was instrumental in establishing the Virginia Kinship Convening Group.

Sarah Smalls

Generations United Grand Families Advisory

Sarah Smalls is a member of the Generations United Grand Families Advisory Group and serves on several committees as a Subject Matter Expert (SME), i.e., the Grand Families and Kinship Support Network, National Technical Assistance Center, Kinship Navigator Collaborative, and the Thriving Families Safer Children (a Casey Project). She has worked extensively with the Virginia Department of Family services as well as other states in reference to kinship issues. Mrs. Smalls is an advocate and activist for grand families and other relatives raising children.

Tia McCoun

Founder and President Boots & Wings Project: Caregiver Soul-utions and Resources, Inc

Tia McCoun, Founder and President of Boots & Wings Project: Caregiver Soul-utions and Resources, Inc., helps caregivers navigate community resources through preparation, awareness, and proprietary communication tools. She guides institutions to build sustainable care programs and cultures. She earned a BA in Sociology from Lafayette College, and M.DIV. from Princeton Theological Seminary. She honed her skills with family caregiving, home visitations and hospice chaplaincy and clinical training including the University of Minnesota Hospital Clinic (CPE), Phelps Hospital (NY), among other continuing education. Decades of practical, cross-functional experience with agencies, FBOs, NPOs, outreach corporations, small businesses, CCRCs, and national organizations, inform McCoun's unique perspective. Sharing her current "boots-on-the-ground" insight is her mission. She researches, equips, builds, and inspires. A motivating public speaker, she loves care-full conversations. McCoun serves on the pastoral team at Abington Presbyterian Church.

Kerly Serrano

Director Older Adult Center, Sunnyside Community Services, Queens NY

Kerly Serrano is the Director of the Center for Active Older Adults at Sunnyside Community Services (SCS). She has over 20 years of experience in the field of Gerontological Social Work with an expertise in community assessment and program development. Her focus has been in advocacy and the fostering of community relations to the end of educating, empowering, and strengthening the relationship that the older adult has with his/her community. SCS serves approximately 14,000 individuals each year including children, youth, adults, and older adults in Queens and throughout the City.

Barb Paynter

Family Life Education Supervisor COBYS Family Services

Barb Paynter is the Family Life Education supervisor at COBYS Family Services in Lancaster, PA. She coordinates and teaches parenting and mental health classes for the local community. In addition, she coordinates classes and programming for Kinship caregivers in Lancaster and Schuylkill Counties. Barb holds a BS in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She is also a certified TBRI Practitioner.

Randi Vega

Community Engagement Manager Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh

Randi (she/her/hers) has more than 20 years of management experience in organizational leadership and relationship building. She has previously worked as the Director of Cultural Affairs at the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts and the Executive Director of the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce. Randi also works part-time at UPMC St. Margaret. Randi has a BA in Studio Art from Connecticut College and an MA in Arts Administration from Goucher College.