Gerontology Studies Program to host conference

Worcester, MA - The Consortium Gerontology Studies Program will host a one-day conference entitled "RE: GENERATION AT 50+: Lives Re-defined, Communities Re-imagined" on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Why attend?

Baby Boomers are redefining aging and retirement. Many members of this generation intend to work longer (re-careering) and want to contribute to their community (reinvesting). However, according to AARP many communities are ill-prepared for the aging of their communities. This conference will provide opportunities for community and business leaders and the 50+ generation to explore the possibilities of harnessing this energy to re-imagine and re-define our community so Worcester and the region are not only prepared for the aging of their communities, but are positioned to be a national model for other communities.

The Challenge

The purpose of this conference is to challenge Worcester and the region to become a community for all ages - a community that is prepared for the 50+ generation - and to become a place in which it is good to grow up, live and grow old. The conference will be framed around four thematic challenges and will include opportunities for interested parties to address these challenges and work toward the recommended solutions.

Thematic Tracks

The conference is organized around the following thematic tracks meant to address creating a livable community for all ages by developing opportunities and pathways for those 50+ in:

• Workforce Development

• Civic Engagement

• Lifelong Learning

• Housing, Health & Supportive Services

Who should attend?

The Colleges of Worcester Consortium Gerontology Studies Program hopes to not only raise awareness of the issues facing our communities as they age, but put the issues front and center and facilitate a regional response so we are prepared for the coming Age Wave. This conference will help us do just that. We invite you to bring your voice and your ideas to our working conference to address the challenge and recommend multidisciplinary and collaborative solutions. We anticipate approximately 250 Boomers, community, political, corporate and nonprofit organization leaders, health care professionals, higher education and lifelong learning program developers, aging network professionals, retirement community developers and directors, human resource professionals, and volunteer organizations.

Keynote Speaker: Marc Freedman
"Encore: How Boomers are Inventing a New Stage of Life and Work"

Marc Freedman is the founder and CEO of Civic Ventures, a think tank and incubator working to help society achieve the greatest return on experience. He's also co-founder of Experience Corps, the nation's largest nonprofit national service program engaging Americans over 55, and The Purpose Prize, the nation's first prize for and biggest investment in social innovators over 60. Freedman is one of the nation's leading thinkers and writers on the opportunities presented by the aging of America. He is reframing the debate about aging in America and redefining the second half of life as a source of social and individual renewal.

He is author of Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life, which author Daniel Pink calls "the rare book that can change the national conversation." In it Freedman proposes that Baby Boomers hold the potential to transform work in America - and create a society that works better for everyone. Freedman's earlier books include Prime Time: How Baby Boomers Will Revolutionize Retirement and Transform America and The Kindness of Strangers. Recognized as one of the nation's leading social entrepreneurs, Freedman has been honored with an Ashoka Senior Fellowship, the Prime Mover award of the Hunt Alternatives Fund, the Maxwell A. Pollack Award of the Gerontological Society of America, the Atlantic Fellowship in Public Policy, and the Jack Ossofsky Award from the National Council on Aging. He is a graduate of Swarthmore College with an MBA from Yale University and was a Visiting Fellow of Kings College, University of London. He lives with his wife and children in San Francisco.

Luncheon Speaker: Sandy Markwood

Sandy Markwood, CEO of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), has 25 years of experience in the development and delivery of aging, health, human services, housing and transportation programs in counties and cities across the nation. Additionally, in 2007 the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), The MetLife Foundation, and Partners for Livable Communities (Partners) developed A Blueprint for Action: Developing a Livable Community for All Ages. Prior to coming to n4a in January 2002, Sandy served as the deputy director of county services at the National Association of Counties, where she took a lead role in research, training, conference planning, program development, technical assistance and grants management.

As CEO, Sandy is responsible for n4a's overall management. She sets strategic direction for the staff, oversees the implementation of all policy, grassroots advocacy, membership and program initiatives. She also leads n4a's fund-raising efforts and engages corporate sponsors to support critical initiatives, including an aging awards/best practices program and the planned creation of a Leadership Institute for Area Agency on Aging staff. Externally, Sandy forms strategic partnerships with federal agencies and organizations in aging, human service and health care arenas to enhance the role and recognition of Area Agencies on Aging and Title VI programs. Sandy holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Virginia.

Conference Schedule

8:00 am Registration and Exhibits Open

9:00 am Welcome and Keynote Speaker - Marc Freedman

10:30 am Coffee Break, Exhibitors, Book Signing

11:00 am Concurrent Sessions

12:00 pm Luncheon Keynote Speaker - Sandy Markwood

1:30 pm Concurrent Sessions

2:30 pm Coffee Break, Exhibitors

3:00 pm Concurrent Sessions

4:00 pm Exhibits open (until 6:00 pm)

4:00 pm Closing Session and Reception (until 6:30 pm)

For more information, please contact Marisa Dionis at 508-754-6829, ext. 3023 or mdionis@cowc.org.