More than 150 leaders from the business, education, government and nonprofit sectors will gather April 7 at the Pikes Peak Center for a first-of-its-kind day-long summit focused on making the Colorado Springs region a great place to age.
“It’s been a number of years since we have come together as a larger community to explore new ideas and new options about aging,” said Toby Gannett, CEO of Palisades at Broadmoor Park and a member of the steering committee for the conference. “We welcome the opportunity to come together as volunteers with a keen interest in our aging population, their families, our nonprofit agencies and service providers.’’
By 2015, almost 12 percent of El Paso County residents will be more than 65 years old. By 2035, that number is expected to grow to more than 18 percent, as life expectancy continues to increase and birth rates in the post-Baby Boom generation lag. In comparison, 8 percent of the county’s population was more than 65 in 1990. By 2035, there will be fewer than three workers for every retired El Paso County resident, compared to seven workers for each retiree in 2000. The reality of the demographic shift led to a 24-member stakeholders group to bring together experts and community leaders for this summit.
The keynote speaker for the event, Stan Gryskiewicz, is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. Gryskiewicz is a consultant who specializes in leadership, creativity, innovation and change management as part of the Center for Creative Leadership. Following his speech, participants will break into small groups to discuss innovation opportunities in areas such as arts and culture; urban planning and transportation; economic development; living communities; life-long learning; and wellness and recreation. During the afternoon, Kathryn Lawler, a member of the Atlanta Regional Commission, will address participants and provide counsel about successful community collaborations.
The event is co-chaired by community leaders BJ Scott, CEO of PeakVista, and Barbara Yalich of Inasmuch Foundation with support from the following individuals and organizations:
- Pam Shockley-Zalabak, Chancellor, UCCS
- Martha Barton, Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care
- Guy Dutra-Silviera, Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments
- Megan Fisher, CU Foundation
- Toby Gannett, Palisades at Broadmoor Park
- Tucker Hart-Adams, economist
- Marshall Kean, Colorado College
- David Lord, Griffis Group
- CJ Moore, Kaiser Permanente
- Sarah Qualls, Kramer Family Professor of Aging, UCCS
- David Rich, PILLAR
- Susan Saska, Leadership Pikes Peak
- Terry Schwartz, associate dean, School of Public Affairs, UCCS
- David Shaffer, Silver Key Senior Services
- David Somers, Center for Nonprofit Excellence
This seems like an excellent event to attend! My family and I have been researching improvements for assisted living over the past couple years now, and have come up with some innovative ideas ourselves. We are very passionate about making a difference and helping each other increase the quality of care we can offer our seniors. Here is our website that helps explain what these ideas are:
vibrantlivingestates.com
I hope I can attend this event! I know it will be wonderful!
-Klint