GLEN MELIN – PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Glen is responsible for the overall management of the association including the development and implementation of its strategic vision, supporting programs and alignment of staff and financial resources. He works to identify opportunities, threats, interests, needs, and concerns of members and develops and directs the political advocacy agenda on behalf of members. Glen works in concert with the association’s governing body to establish and frame the association’s strategic direction and works to ensure the board is informed of relevant environmental trends and pressures to enhance sense-making and the positioning of members for success in this dynamic healthcare field. Glen staffs the Executive and Governance Committees and the Life Plan Communities Cabinet.
ALYSSA ODEGAARD – VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC POLICY
Alyssa provides health policy leadership on assisted living, housing and adult day matters impacting members. In this capacity, she works with various federal and state policy and regulatory decision-makers and is an important member of the Association’s advocacy team both here and in Washington DC. She works with members assessing and identifying their legislative and regulatory needs, analyzes and communicates legislative and regulatory initiatives, and contributes to our legislative news to engage members in grassroots advocacy. She builds collaborative relationships among housing communities and service providers to stimulate partnership opportunities and is actively engaged in working with multiple organizations, including our state agencies, to find innovative solutions to advance healthy aging for near poor and poor individuals. She works to expand the voice of other housing organizations to ensure senior housing needs are not forgotten and is a strong proponent of ending senior homelessness. Alyssa identifies training opportunities on behalf of our members in support of their service excellence. Alyssa staffs the Adult Day, Assisted Living and Housing Cabinets.
SARAH WHITMARSH – VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBER ENGAGEMENT
Sarah has a BA in business administration and a master’s degree in gerontology, as well as certificates in grant writing and in online teaching and training. She is also a 2023 Fellow of the Larry Minnix National Leadership Academy, the model for our own Leadership Institute. In her role as the VP of Member Engagement, Sarah’s areas of focus includes member relations and communications, education and professional development, and workforce development. Sarah’s primary responsibilities are to align our efforts with the wants and needs of our members, to strengthen our connection with staff and residents of providers, to support and expand the broad range of education offerings we provide, and to engage in wider efforts to build the long term care workforce in our state.
LAURA HOFMANN, MSN, RN – DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL & NURSING FACILITY REGULATORY SERVICES
Laura brings over 20 years of registered nursing practice in skilled nursing facilities to influence policy on Federal & State clinical activities including assessment, care planning, measuring outcomes and regulatory compliance. She supports both skilled nursing facility and assisted living members. Laura has expertise in both federal 5 Star and state quality measures and assists members in understanding areas of clinical focus for improved outcomes and reduced hospitalizations. Laura assists members to improve assessment and documentation requirements using the MDS or CARES assessment tools. She also monitors and reports survey trends for members and acts as an intermediary between members and the state quality oversight agency to understand and clarify changes in regulatory expectations, including the new federal Requirements of Participation. Laura communicates the latest changes in the acute, post-acute and chronic long stay healthcare environments to members and promotes partnerships with health plans and hospital systems. She is co-lead on the Nursing Facility Cabinet and is lead on the Workforce Solutions Council finding new and innovative recruitment and retention strategies and promotes policy solutions to grow the talent available in our field.
CASSI MERITT – DIRECTOR OF MEMBER DATA AND BUSINESS SERVICES
Cassi is the first point of contact that many people and organizations have with LeadingAge Washington. She maintains our on-site presence in the Tacoma office; she also maintains and updates our current membership database, including new entries, membership staff changes, record-keeping and creates internal management reports. Cassi oversees our accounts receivable and is a great resource for members with financial questions related to membership. She manages the education program registration database while assisting in the production of materials for conferences and training sessions throughout the year. She also provides onsite coordination and support for all association events. Cassi is a key connector for our business partners and provider members to support the sharing of resources and expertise.
LAUREN EMERY- BUSINESS MANAGER
Lauren provides invaluable support to operations and needs of the association and works closely with all staff providing necessary support. Lauren supports the accounting functions within the association, ensuring that our accounts payable and payroll functions are carried out accurately and in a timely manner. She helps to ensure that our Group Retrospective Payment Program is properly accounted for and she works closely with our outside support team at Johnson Stone & Pagano for budget preparation and financial reporting.
