National Workforce Development Month: September 2026
Caring for the older generation is a complex enterprise that relies on employees with a multitude of skills and functional experience. Supporting our members in recruiting and retaining staff so communities thrive is critical.
Join us throughout September for our observance of National Workforce Development Month. We’ll explore initiatives and programs that seek to bring more people into the sector and keep them here once they arrive. #NationalWorkforceDevelopmentMonth.
In her Workforce Development Month message, LeadingAge Board Chair Christie Hinrichs discusses the importance of attracting, developing, and retaining talent across aging services. As demand continues to grow, she encourages members to explore workforce initiatives and help promote aging services as a field defined by purpose, growth, and impact.
Join us! Read our newsletters, follow us on social media, attend virtual events, and visit this webpage, which will be updated regularly throughout September 2026.
State Partner and Member Initiatives and Programs
2026 LeadingAge Award Winners
Jill Wilson, president and CEO of Otterbein SeniorLife, is the 2026 recipient of the LeadingAge Award of Honor, given each year to a member whose leadership, vision, and thoughtful contributions have made a significant impact on the field of aging services, not only through the role they serve in their own organization, but beyond that.
Wilson, who says she “has never had all the answers” but believes her success as a leader is about “unlocking the extraordinary talent and power within that talent that surrounds me,” will receive the 2026 Award of Honor Tuesday, October 27, 2026 during the LeadingAge Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, Oct. 25-28.
Mandy Crawford, RN, personal care clinical services director at Cross Keys Village — The Brethren Home Community in New Oxford, PA, will receive the 2026 Joan Anne McHugh Award for Excellence in Frontline Nurse Supervision at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, October 25-28. The award recognizes the vital role frontline nurse supervisors play in the long-term services and supports (LTSS) workplace.
Inspired by the professional caregivers who care for her stepfather and mother years ago, she is committed to offering the same encouragement to the caregivers on her 60-person team, including licensed practical nurses (LPN), personal care aides (PCA), CNAs, and medication technicians. “If I see something in someone, I let them know, just as it was done for me,” she says. “I may say, ‘Have you ever thought about going back to school for this?’ That gets them thinking. Sometimes it’s nursing, and sometimes it’s something completely different.”
Building a Tech-Savvy Workforce
As artificial intelligence (AI), automation and data become more embedded in aging services, organizations are recognizing that successful technology adoption depends as much on people as it does on the tools themselves. That means helping employees build the confidence, judgment, and skills to use technology effectively in their day-to-day work. Scott Code, of LeadingAge’s Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST), explores how LeadingAge members are approaching this challenge.
Research/Resources/Tools
2026 Annual Meeting Workforce & Culture Sessions
Raising awareness of the aging services sector and its many career options is a must, say experts. Of the many pathways that can lead young adults to the field, which work well, and where are the gaps? And once hired, how can organizations retain employees—and help them thrive? More than 20 education sessions in Philadelphia will explore these questions and more.
lsanders@leadingage.org