2025 Annual Meeting & Leadership Forum
Sep 16-19, 2025, Grand View Lodge
Join us for our premier leadership event, happening September 16–19 at the stunning Grand View Lodge in Nisswa.
The LeadingAge Minnesota Annual Meeting & Leadership Forum is the top conference for aging services leaders in our region. It’s a chance to gain top-tier education, hear from national experts, and dive into strategic, innovative conversations that explore what’s next for the future of aging services. This conference is designed to help you step back from the daily grind, shift your focus to the big picture, and explore new ideas for progress and growth.
Held in a peaceful setting, the Annual Meeting provides the perfect environment to recharge, find inspiration, and engage in meaningful discussions with colleagues old and new. This year’s conference will feature a blend of insightful content, networking opportunities, and enjoyable moments to unwind.
For our newer members, you may be wondering, “Who attends the Annual Meeting? Is this event for me?” This exclusive conference is tailored for executive-level leaders, regional managers, and site leaders in aging services. You’ll meet business owners, CEOs, COOs, CFOs, HR directors, regional and site leaders, along with our Business Partner members and sponsors. It’s the perfect place for those looking for innovative, strategic solutions to drive their organizations forward and engage in valuable conversations with peers.
Grand View Lodge, located on the scenic Gull Lake, offers a wealth of amenities including two championship golf courses, the relaxing Glacial Waters Spa, exceptional dining, and some of the finest accommodations in Minnesota.
We can’t wait to see you in September!



Session Schedule
Golf
Tuesday Sessions
Open to all Annual Meeting participants
Wednesday Breakfast
Sponsored by Minnesota Exteriors Commercial
Wednesday Sessions
An organization’s ability to reach its highest level of excellence comes down to one thing: its people — courageously owning their brilliance, in both typical and transitional times. But, when professionals consider rejection, judgement or failure as potential outcomes, they can find it difficult to act with courage — opting instead for safety and limited growth. In this leadership development program, participants learn a process for how to manage fear, activate personal courage, and take worthwhile risks, so they can foster courageous leadership and fuel organizational growth.
By the end of this program, participants will be able to:
- Identify three key components in the development and activation of courage.
- Convert those components into a process that prepares them to evaluate risks from insight, instead of insecurity.
- Leverage that process when opportunities arise for them to step outside of their comfort zone and demonstrate their brilliance.
- Equip themselves with tools and strategies to courageously speak up — with divergent ideas, feedback, and opinions.
Wednesday Concurrent Sessions 1 - 2p.m.
- Identify key opportunities within that process to deliberately engage and support their teams in taking worthwhile risks.
- Apply key strategies to those opportunities that, when repeated, start to create a culture where employees are engaged, ready, willing and able to courageously speak up, step up and show up.
- Examine approaches to clinical staff retention, focused on both early career and veteran nurses.
- Discuss best practices for professional development and ongoing training to engage clinical staff.
- Identify key use cases where data driven business intelligence enhances decision-making.
- Using data/analytics to produce a more “balanced scorecard” that emphasizes organizational priorities well beyond the narrower approach of survey and financial results.
Wednesday Concurrent Sessions 2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
- Examine how clinical outcomes, readmission rates, and quality reporting influence facility rankings, financial incentives, and penalties under these models.
- Discuss leadership's role in establishing an effective QAPI program to address quality issues that impact quality measures and reimbursement.
- Review steps in designing talent development plans
- Identify three strategies for talent development plan implementation.
- Identify the elements of an effective resident testimonial.
- Develop strategies to prepare residents for public speaking and legislative engagement.
Thursday Sessions
From workforce transformation and financial sustainability to culture change and technology integration, panelists will highlight the strategies and standout programs they’ve implemented to stay ahead of the curve. Expect candid dialogue, fresh perspectives, and actionable insights as these leaders reflect on what it takes to reimagine the future of aging services.
Thursday Concurrent Sessions 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
- Develop advocacy strategies to influence policy and elevate aging services priorities.
- Discuss how to engage effectively with legislators, coalitions, and national media to advocate for long-term care funding, workforce support, and policy reform.
- Understand how onsite primary care can improve resident outcomes, reduce hospitalizations, streamline medication management, and enhance interdisciplinary communication.
- Identify practical considerations necessary for successfully launching or collaborating with an onsite primary care provider.
- Examine real-world strategies and outcomes from leaders who have streamlined operations using practical tech solutions.
- Develop a personalized plan to implement technology and process improvements aligned with your leadership responsibilities and organizational context.
Thursday Concurrent Sessions 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
- Analyze proposed immigration reforms and their potential impact on workforce supply.
- Identify practical steps organizations can take to support immigrant staff, including legal education, advocacy efforts, and workforce planning aligned with evolving immigration policy.
- Develop strategies for building collaborative and transparent relationships with MCO representatives to improve communication and service coordination.
- Discuss operational best practices for ongoing monitoring and performance evaluation of MCO agreements.
- Understand the legal and operational impact of arbitration agreements, contracts, documentation, and handbooks.
- Implement effective pre-suit mitigation strategies.
Thursday Concurrent Sessions 2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
- Develop strategies for implementing AI responsibly within existing systems.
- Identify key areas for AI integration using real-world use cases in long-term care.
- Evaluate technical and regulatory changes in SNF payment and reporting programs.
- Assess strategic implications of Value-Based Purchasing changes and regulatory streamlining.
Friday Sessions
- The importance of building reputational equity well in advance of any crisis or challenging situation.
- A mindset centered on being reasonable and responsible, recognizing that organizations are not expected to be perfect, but to respond with integrity and clarity.
- How to create an actionable crisis/change communication plan, including identifying key messages, determining who needs to be informed, and preparing effective spokespeople.
- Communicating efficiently and effectively with media, staff, residents, families, and the public.
- Group work using real-world scenarios will allow participants to apply the concepts discussed and share strategies with the larger group for collaborative learning.
Key Learnings:
- Know how to quickly gather information and distil details into a concise and effective set of messages.
- Gather best practices for constructing a useable crisis communication plan.
- Create a culture of effective communication within your organization.