President’s Ponderings

Reflections On Our ChangeMakers Conference 

“This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive.” (Alice Waters) 

What a fantastic time we had at last week’s conference, as 350 members of our LeadingAge Washington family gathered in Wenatchee to celebrate 75 years of this amazing association! It felt a bit like a family reunion, especially with the presence of several of our retired leaders emeriti who made the trip to join us for lunch on Wednesday. One attendee wrote, “I just want to thank you all for a very successful conference. I made a lot of helpful connections, received a lot of information that I can take back to my organization, and had a wonderful time.” Engagement, education, inspiration – that’s what LeadingAge Washington is all about! 

Our team works hard to ensure that every conference has great content and valuable learning opportunities, but I am convinced that the most impactful aspect of our conferences is simply the opportunity to gather together, sharing fellowship and friendship, celebrating old friends and making new ones. These conferences also give me hope for the future, especially when we celebrate the Leadership Institute graduates who have worked so hard over the past eight months to gain the skills and insights they’ll need as leaders in our field. Special thanks to this year’s LI coaches (Jonathan Boyar, Heather Dartt, Dave Foltz, Brooke Kasten and Brian MacDuff) and our two extraordinary LI facilitators, Tracy Fritts and Karmen Hudson. We’ll soon be accepting applications for the next class of LI fellows – learn more here: Leadership Institute – LeadingAge WA 

What’s next? We’re now working on plans for our Fall Conference, scheduled for October 13 at the SeaTac Conference Center. Mark your calendars for another opportunity to feed your mind and refresh your spirit! 

by Glen Melin, President and CEO

Going Farther Together

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” (African Proverb) 

LeadingAge Washington is an association, and the root of the word “association” literally means “coming together”. This morning we officially came together (via Zoom) at our annual member business meeting. In addition to reflecting on all that has been accomplished over the past year, our members voted on a slate of candidates to fill vacant spots on our Board of Directors and Governance Committee.  

I want to extend the association’s gratitude to Ketty Hsieh and Dianna Reely, who are completing service on the board, and to Min An, who has served four years on the Governance Committee. Their faithful service has helped guide our association through a year of great change and exciting progress. 

The membership formally approved a strong leadership slate for 2026-2027: 

Officers: Jim Maxwell (Rockwood Retirement Communities) will serve a second term as Board Chair; Jen Drake (Cascade Senior Living Services) will continue as Chair-Elect; Heather Lewis (Christian Health Care Center) will once again serve as Secretary; and Matt Fleming (Sunshine Health & Rehab) will step into the Treasurer role. 

Directors-at-Large:  Judy Dunn (Franke Tobey Jones) will fill a partial term in the Class of 2027; Heather Turner (Timber Ridge at Talus) and Matthew Powondra (Kline Galland Mary Schwartz Summit) will serve their second terms as part of the Class of 2029; and Salem Thompson (Adult Day Services of the Tri-Cities) will join the board in the Class of 2029. 

Governance Committee: Christine Tremain (Wesley) was elected to another 2-year term; new additions to the Governance Committee include Bob Beckham (Franke Tobey Jones), Nallely Gonzalez (GenCare Lifestyle at Point Ruston) and Brian Anderson (Quail Park of West Seattle). 

Over the 75-year history of LeadingAge Washington we have been blessed with hundreds of capable, passionate volunteer leaders who have served our association with enthusiasm and excellence. If you cross paths with any of the folks I’ve listed above, please let them know that their service is appreciated! 

by Glen Melin, President and CEO

Celebrating Leaders – Past, Present and Future

May 20, 2026

“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” (Isaac Newton)

Our LeadingAge Washington 75th annual conference is less than two weeks away! I’m very excited about the program our team has put together, and by the enthusiastic response we’re seeing from our members. As I write this, our registration count stands at 335! One special element of this year’s conference will be our closing luncheon, when we’ll be joined by a number of retired long term care professionals who have earned our “Leader Emeritus” designation. As I have reached out to this esteemed group, I’ve been reflecting on how much we owe to the many passionate, visionary leaders who have served our field in general, and LeadingAge Washington in particular, over the past three-quarters of a century.

The LAWA Board established the Leader Emeritus designation to recognize distinguished service in the field of aging throughout the honoree’s career. A Leader Emeritus must have served in a leadership role at a LeadingAge Washington member organization for a minimum of five consecutive years and have actively participated in LeadingAge Washington (typically through board or committee participation) for at least two years. These are influential leaders who have shaped our association over the years, building the foundations on which we stand today.

There are currently 52 leaders emeriti on our list, and at last count nine of them are planning to join us in Wenatchee! Many others are not able to join us but have sent words of encouragement and support. Here’s one response that stood out to me: “My sincere appreciation to all who are involved with the care and protection of our seniors in our state of Washington. May God continue to bless each one of you who dedicate yourselves to this wonderful and awesome task of serving our deserving seniors!”

I love the fact that our conference will shine the spotlight on both honored leaders from our past (our Leaders Emeriti) and emerging leaders of our future (our Leadership Institute graduates). Our field attracts some of the finest people I have ever met, and I look forward to a wonderful time together in Wenatchee. I hope we’ll see you there!

by Glen Melin, President and CEO

GETTING OUT AND ABOUT

May 6, 2026

“The people we meet change the way we see the world.” (Anonymous)

In the past month I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to visit three of our LeadingAge member communities and spend time with some of the people who are at the heart of our association. Each of the three visits focused on a different group of stakeholders, and each encounter reminded me that working in long term care means working around people of passion and purpose.

One visit was to a member campus in Eastern Washington, where Alyssa and I were invited to be part of a large staff retreat. The meeting room was filled with several dozen staff members, and I was struck by the evident sense of unity amidst diversity. Those present represented a broad spectrum of backgrounds, specialties, and personalities, but they shared a keen focus on the organization’s mission and future. It was inspiring to see the synergy at work in that room!

Another visit allowed me to observe a member’s board of directors in action when Annie and I were invited to present at their board retreat. Twenty or so influential community leaders had committed their Saturday to wrestling with the challenges facing that particular non-profit provider. They had some tough action items on their agenda, but the group leaned into those challenges with an impressive combination of commitment and confidence that together they could chart a path forward and sustain their organization’s mission. Most of our members have volunteer boards; the work they do is often unseen, but it lays the foundation for every mission-driven organization.

My most recent example happened just yesterday, when Laura and Alyssa and I had a delightful lunch discussion with the executive director of a Seattle-area CCRC and a small group of residents. We spoke candidly and constructively about how important it is for residents and management to build positive relationships and to nurture mutual goodwill through trust and transparency. The residents were clearly proud of their community and eager to see it remain strong and healthy not only for themselves, but for the seniors of the future.

I’m grateful for those opportunities to see firsthand the passion and purpose that characterizes our mission-driven members. That was true back in 1951 when our association was first established, and it’s why LeadingAge Washington is still going strong 75 years later!

by Glen Melin, President and CEO

NOTES FROM THE OTHER WASHINGTON

April 22, 2026

“It is not so much the powerful leaders that determine our destiny as the much more powerful influence of the combined voice of the people themselves.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)

Greetings from our nation’s capital! I’m writing this on Tuesday evening at the end of two invigorating days at the LeadingAge Leadership Summit. As this newsletter “goes to press” on Wednesday, I’ll be joining with several of our Washington State members and LeadingAge colleagues from across the country to meet with our senators and representatives to advocate for seniors and those who serve them. I’m excited by this opportunity to combine our voices to help (in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt) “determine our destiny”.

It’s easy to get cynical about the powerful leaders who seem to hold our fate in their hands, and there are certainly times when our system of government fails to live up to its ideals. But for the most part, our political leaders are eager to hear the voices of those they represent. LeadingAge members have compelling stories to tell, and the halls of congress will resound with those stories today. Advocacy has always been a pillar of our association at both the state and national level, and it’s exciting to do advocacy as part of a passionate nationwide group. Good things happen when we come together!

Speaking of coming together and making good things happen, I am very excited about LeadingAge Washington’s 75th Annual Conference and Expo, coming in early June to beautiful Wenatchee! These gatherings are a wonderful combination of education, fellowship, and inspiration. We have some truly outstanding presenters on the program, including the board president of LeadingAge national, Christie Hinrichs. The Expo is also a great place to check out the latest in services, supplies and technology that are essential to success in our field. We’ve received well over 200 registrations so far, with many members taking advantage of our discount for groups of three or more from the same facility. Follow the link you’ll find below, and plan now to attend!

by Glen Melin, President & CEO

April 1, 2026

“Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.” (John Gardner) 

It’s that time of year again! Every year I look forward to our annual LeadingAge Washington awards program. It’s a great opportunity to shine the spotlight on exceptional individuals, teams and organizations worthy of recognition at our annual conference. This year, we are reimagining recognition – instead of a traditional awards nomination process, we are inviting members to share real stories of change happening in their communities. These stories will become part of a “ChangeMakers in Action” Poster Gallery at the conference; from those stories, our 2026 ChangeMaker Award recipients will be selected. 

I invite you to be part of this celebration by nominating the amazing overachievers and the unsung heroes in your organization who are changing the world for the better. The deadline for submissions is April 17th, so don’t delay! You can find more information about the award criteria and the nomination process here: Awards of Excellence – LeadingAge WA 

We’re also looking forward to our annual recognition of LeadingAge Washington Silver Stars. These are staff members who have demonstrated their dedication to serving our seniors with at least 25 years of continued service at one community. We also recognize those celebrating 30, 35, or 40 years with the same community, and last year we honored ten Silver Stars with 40 or more years of service, one of whom had been working at the same community for 47 years! We depend on our members to provide the Silver Star nominations; you can submit information about your eligible team members here: 2026 Silver Star Application 

by Glen Melin, President & CEO

March 25, 2026

“In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” (Benjamin Franklin)

Taxes have been a part of human history at least since the time of ancient Egypt. While taxes aren’t inherently evil – our own country’s war for independence was sparked not by opposition to taxes, but to taxation without representation – tax policy remains a hot topic at every level of government. Let me share some good news and some bad news on the tax front.

First the good news: Some of our members (particularly skilled nursing facilities) may be eligible to receive refunds for overpaid sales and excise taxes in our state. Agile Consulting, a preferred partner of LeadingAge Washington, specializes in identifying overpaid taxes and securing refunds that can return significant dollars to their client communities. On April 9 at 10 am Agile will present a seminar entitled “Hidden Refunds: How WA Skilled Nursing Facilities Can Recover Overpaid Sales and B&O Taxes”. The presentation walks through how sales tax on medical supplies, software, and select B&O excise tax revenue may be reduced or recovered under Washington law. Learn more and register here: Calendar – LeadingAge WA

Now the bad news: Last year’s state legislature approved a sales tax on live presentations, and although the 2026 state legislature decided to exempt non-profit organizations from the tax, that repeal doesn’t go into effect until July. So when you register for our LeadingAge Washington annual conference in June, you’ll see sales tax applied to the registration fees. As of July 1 this will no longer apply to our non-profit association, so our fall conference and future annual conferences should once again be exempt from sales tax. I do hope we will see you in Wenatchee! We’ve got a great program lined up, and I encourage you to check out our conference webpage: LeadingAge WA Conference & Expo.

Let me finish with good news by wishing those who will celebrate Easter on April 5 (or April 12 in the Eastern Orthodox Church) a most blessed holiday. Ben Franklin may have been right about the certainty of taxes, but when it comes to the certainty of death, that’s another story…

by Glen Melin, President & CEO

“The best public policy is made when you are listening to people who are going to be impacted.” (Elizabeth Dole)

As I write this on March 11, the 2026 Washington State Legislative Session is nearing the finish line. I watched the live feed on TVW yesterday evening as the House finished over 24 hours of debate on the “millionaire tax” and narrowly voted its approval. One theme I heard over and over was how each representative’s position was based on what they were hearing from their constituents.

Advocacy is one of our LeadingAge pillars, and we devote a lot of resources to getting our messages in front of policy makers. But in our system of representative democracy, the strongest and most compelling voice will always come directly from the constituents – from YOU. Alyssa Odegaard (our VP of Public Policy) and Katherine Mahoney (our contract lobbyist) have worked relentlessly and effectively throughout this 60-day legislative session. But when the Legislature finally adjourns, that’s when the real work of advocacy begins. The 305 days before the start of the 2027 legislative session are a golden opportunity for YOU, our members, to make your voices heard by your elected officials!

Most legislators are quick to embrace opportunities to listen to their constituents. Our strongest supporters in the legislature have had their views on aging services shaped by visits to senior living communities and senior service agencies. Your legislators can best represent your interests when they’ve seen firsthand the challenges and opportunities you live with every day, and when they’ve heard directly from (and answered directly to) their constituents who live and work in your communities.

We’re eager to help you make those contacts and build those relationships. Please reach out to Alyssa if we can help you arrange a visit from your elected officials, and please be open to working with us if we reach out asking for your help in building a relationship with a key legislator. We can’t do it without you!

by Glen Melin, President & CEO