Thursday brought another day of innovation and inspiration at COMMUNITY 2012, as attendees got cracking with a lively talk from business guru Peter Sheahan. Sheahan challenged senior living executives to embrace non-sexy innovation and challenge industry norms—advice he’s shared with the likes of Google and Harley Davidson. Sheahan said the “gravity of success” is often the culprit when we resist risk taking. In other words, the way we used to do things must’ve worked because we were successful. But will we be five years from now? Most people walked away from Sheahan’s talk wondering “what opportunities am I missing that may be right under my nose?” We’re still thinking about it.
ALFA also doled out an array of awards Thursday, including the much-anticipated ALFA Hero Awards. The moving presentation–“Angels Among Us”–left few dry eyes in the room. In fact, small packages of tissues were available to each participant. For many, this event is the highlight of the conference, a poignant reminder that “every day we make a difference.”
In addition, the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association (WALA) won the 2012
Horace D’Angelo Award for outstanding service and public policy
initiatives serving assisted living communities in the state of
Wisconsin.
Bidding continued on the ALFA Senior Living Art Showcase. The silent auction of works by senior living residents across the country raises money for the ALFAPAC. Under the leadership of Country Meadows President/CEO Michael Leader this year, the PAC has raised more than $200,000. In fact, Leader was awarded the ALFA Service Award for his efforts.
Films were another highlight on Thursday. ALFA previewed “Age of Champions,” a new documentary on the Senior Olympics that you can screen in your communities. Talk about dispelling myths about aging! Check it out at ageofchampions.org. We also saw another finalist in ALFA’s Short Film Competition, Life’s a Ball.
Concurrent sessions continued throughout the day with lively discussions about financing opportunities, risk management, developing LEED projects, leadership development, and more, including interactive case study sessions with real hands-on problem-solving.
What did you hear today? Join the conversation, “Share your key takeaways from the COMMUNITY 2012 experience” on ALFA’s LinkedIn Group.
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