As the 2023 LeadingAge Leadership Summit approaches, we spoke to Julieta Holguin, the senior vice president of knowledge and learning, to learn about the educational opportunities at the April event and why she thinks the Summit is a can’t miss for leaders in our field.

What makes the Leadership Summit program different from other aging service conferences?

Every year as we plan the Summit, our intent is to develop a forward-thinking education program—one that touches on familiar topics but brings new angles and different perspectives to those conversations. You’re not going to find the basic sessions that you might elsewhere.

The LeadingAge Knowledge team delivers on this promise by keeping a close eye on trends, shifts, and novel approaches in how aging services providers are meeting the demands of an evolving sector.

I liken our process to what Dan Heath, co-author of Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, describes as “finding the bright spots.” By tapping into how the aging services sector works to solve problems, we hope to expand the reach and impact of those insights – seeking and scaling what is working to hopefully make the path forward feel more tangible.

Which topic or theme do you think will have the biggest impact on attendees this year?

LeadingAge members are navigating incredible uncertainty right now, and they’re looking for ways to successfully address the ongoing pressures and pace of change in this environment. From that viewpoint, our workforce sessions and those touching on strategy and growth opportunities will likely resonate most.

And of course, the meetings with elected officials on Capitol Hill allow Leadership Summit participants to make an impact as well!

We hear a lot about the importance of leadership in aging services these days. How does the Summit help organizations’ leaders specifically?

I’m particularly proud of LeadingAge’s leadership programs, including the new CEO fellowship, the Leadership Academy, and our new governance resources. We’re all about supporting existing leaders, strengthening organizations through effective boards, and creating opportunities for new leaders to emerge.

The Leadership Summit is no exception. I think of it as a space for leaders, their teams, and board members to engage more deeply on a range of issues facing aging services providers. That in turn can help sharpen their strategic focus as they look for new or better ways to serve older adults around the country.

How does your team approach planning the Summit’s educational offerings?

In many ways, our planning is ongoing. We are always observing, collecting ideas, and paying attention to what is happening within our membership. We’ll typically spend the summer months sharing member stories that are piquing our interest; that helps generate nuggets of topics that we then thread together into a session!

We’re also very intentional about our speakers bringing different viewpoints to the conversation. In addition to incorporating the LeadingAge provider member experience—which is incredibly important— we find people working outside aging services to add their voice to the program. The goal is to help attendees expand their current thinking and potentially uncover new ways to approach our work.

If you could tell members one reason why you hope they join us in Washington in April, what would you say?

There are many reasons to come. But my hope is that the Leadership Summit will give LeadingAge members the needed time to come together to think big(ger), imagine something different, and consider the what ifs to building a stronger, sustainable, and resilient future.