Jan Bays, PT is currently the Director of Program Development and Education at Jill’s House Memory Care in Bloomington, IN. Opening Jill’s House in 2016 was a dream come true – the ability to create and nurture a warm, caring living environment for individuals who have dementia. Jan is a physical therapist who has been pioneering person and relationship-centered dementia caring practices in physical therapy for decades. She is the Chair of the DAA’s Optimizing Well-Being Workgroup, the DAA’s Liaison for the Cognitive and Mental Health Special Interest Group of the Geriatric Academy of Physical Therapy, and an Eden Associate.

Jennifer Carson is a gerontologist and the Director of the Dementia Engagement, Education, and Research (DEER) Program in the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada, Reno.  Her career and scholarship encompass gerontology, dementia, long-term care, culture change, and leisure, and aging. She has a strong commitment to partnerships and participatory approaches to research and practice and works to improve the inclusion and well-being of persons living with dementia.  

Dr. Carson is the Project Director of the Dementia Friendly Nevada initiative, is the author and facilitator of Bravo Zulu: Achieving Excellence in Relationship-Centered Dementia Care, a comprehensive, 12-hour dementia education program developed in partnership with the Nevada Department of Veterans Services. She also partners with the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine’s Sanford Center for Aging on a U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program grant. 

Craig Fowler has focused his career on improving operating performance while simultaneously driving growth.  Starting in the automotive industry, he then spent 5 years at McKinsey & Company, and then was a senior member of the founding team at Vistaprint.  Inspired by his mother’s journey with Alzheimer’s disease, Craig founded JoyGage, a technology startup focused on improving the quality of life for individuals living with dementia and for their care partners.

Josh grew up on the campus of a large senior living provider in Cedar Falls, IA. During the late 90’s and early 2000’s Josh and his grandfather did construction and remodeling related work for the community and for the residents. Josh began providing tech support for the residents and staff, and eventually became the technology director for the community in 2004. Around 2008 Josh’s grandfather received a diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia. Wanting to help enhance his grandfather’s life, Josh began identifying technologies that would be beneficial and found that the technologies were also helpful for others living with dementia.

Josh was the Product Innovation Manager for “It’s Never 2 Late” and recently started his own consulting company. Josh hopes to enhance the lives of those living well with dementia, wherever they choose to live. Josh is also the Chair of the DAA Technology Workgroup.

Karen Love is a gerontologist and a nationally known expert in aging supports and services with a specialty in dementia care.  She was a long-term care administrator for many years.  For the last 17 years, Ms. Love has worked at the intersection of research, policies and practices that enhance the well-being of individuals living with dementia and for those who care about and for them.  She co-founded four national aging advocacy organizations (CCAL-Advancing Person-Centered Living, the Direct Care Alliance, the Center for Excellence in Assisted Living, and the Dementia Action Alliance).  Ms. Love is the Alliance’s Executive Director.

Barney lives in Portland, OR with his wife, Vicki.  Together they have five adult children.  After spending two decades working for a global technology company, Barney became an entrepreneur and regional developer of a national company that opened 29 massage franchises in Washington state.

In 2018 Barney noticed difficulty multitasking and keeping up with the pace of his business.  After visiting numerous specialists, he was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia.  Shortly after being diagnosed, Barney sold his company and currently assists his wife with her business.  Barney credits his wife, Vicki, with her steady presence and support as vital to helping him cope and manage living with dementia.

Chris Perna retired from The Eden Alternative as its President & CEO in June 2010.  While with Eden, Chris led the organization to expand their person-centered care training and educational offerings and led the organization’s efforts to grow through large grant projects funded with CMP funds.  Under his leadership Eden developed the most complete package of person-centered tools and trainings available to support deep organizational culture change across the continuum of care.  He also championed a collaboration with DAA to produce the “Raising the Bar” series of Practice Guides. Chris is a strong supporter of the mission of DAA and brings a strong business skill set to the Board.

As current Board Chair of DAA and past Chair of CCAL-Advancing Person-Centered Living, Jackie is a well-respected national advocate to advance person-centered dementia care, services, and supports. Her mission to enhance inclusion and meaningful engagement for all individuals living with dementia has spanned research, policy, practices, and community living since 2001.  She has co-led national Thought Leader Summits and co-developed DAA’s first North American “Re-Imagine Life with Dementia” Conference” in June 2017.  As an M.Ed. with certification in special needs populations, Jackie serves on the Advisory Council for Rutgers University School of Social Work.

Lon has been involved in changing health care management and service provision with a focus on utilization of emerging technologies. He applies his expertise in sales and marketing, marketing communications, product development, and organizational systems to assist start-up companies in enhancing their bottom-line success. Lon has served on the board of CCAL and is an active advocate for people living with dementia.

Laurie was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s & FTD in August of 2013 at the age of 55. Unable to continue a professional career she turned her focus towards helping others through their dementia journey. Laurie and her husband Roy work continuously to identify triggers that cause her confusion and they make adjustments to overcome obstacles.

Laurie is a Dementia Mentor and is active in many support groups. On her website, dementiadaze.com, Laurie shares her feelings, challenges, symptoms, and adjustments in hopes of encouraging other individuals and families living with dementia to explore ways to live beyond dementia.

Regina E. Sofer, a care partner for her mother living with dementia since 1995, advocates for person-directed and person-centered care. She serves on the Consumer Workgroup of the Florida Pioneer Network, the Board of Directors for Big Bend Hospice in Tallahassee, Florida, and has served on state and local committees including the Strategic Planning Committee for the Alzheimer’s Project, a non-profit organization that provides valuable support and relief to care partners. Dr. Sofer is a seasoned consultant and speaker whose motto is “Serve Your Way to The Top!”

Susan Wehry, MD is the Chief of Geriatrics at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is a physician, educator and advocates passionately about promoting healthy, meaningful aging. Dr. Wehry is a geriatric psychiatrist with over 30 years of experience. Prior to her current position, she was the Commissioner for the Department of Disabilities and Aging in Vermont.

In 2009 Dr. Wehry and a colleague developed an interdisciplinary person-directed care training curriculum informed by their experiences and the research of Thomas Kitwood and Jiska Cohen-Mansfield. The curriculum, Oasis 2.0, is now used in over 1200 nursing homes, helping residents with dementia enjoy a higher quality of life.