Aging with Passion & Purpose Conference
2026 CONFERENCE
MARCH 27, 2026
8:30 A.M.-4:30 P.M.
Thompson Alumni Center
University of Nebraska at Omaha Campus
6705 Dodge Street
Omaha NE 68182
The target audience for this conference is older adults and their families, friends, and care partners as well as multidisciplinary providers of care, researchers, and educators. The conference is free.
AGENDA
8:00-8:30: Registration8:30-8:45: Opening Remarks
8:45–10:00: Key Note-"Wisdom on Wheels" Jack York
10:00-10:30: Purposeful Spirituality – Pastor Brian Maas, Immanuel Communities
10:30-10:45: Break
10:45-12:00: Purposeful Wellness – Kiana Monet Bever, VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System (Nutrition) and Ashley Ciccarelli Lazarowicz (Fitness)
12:00-1:00: Lunch
1:00–1:45: Purposeful Living in Retirement – Amy Hanson, Lecturer, UNO Department of Gerontology (Retirement transitions) and Mary Parker, Immanuel Communities (Volunteerism)
1:45–2:15: A Purposeful Approach to Understanding Medicare – Mike Carsey, Volunteers Assisting Seniors in Omaha Nebraska
2:15–2:30: Break
2:30–3:00: Purposeful Planning - Anne Marcotte, Legal Aide Nebraska
3:00-3:45: Purposeful Community – Kailey Edelman (ENOA) and Beth Schuster (Aging Partners)
3:45-4:00: Questions and closing
CEU Information:
This accredited continuing education activity is designed for older adults and their families, and care partners as well as multidisciplinary providers of care (nurse practitioners, nurses, licensed mental health providers, social workers), researchers, and educators.
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
At the conclusion of this activity, the participants should be better able to:
- Define the concepts of purpose, meaning, and life satisfaction as they relate to healthy aging and overall well‑being.
- Describe the relationship between social support, purpose, and reduced risk of disease and disability throughout the lifespan.
- Identify key community-based resources and services that promote purposeful aging within the local region.
Accredited Continuing Education
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by University of Nebraska Medical Center, Region 6 Behavioral Health, and University of Nebraska at Omaha, Department of Gerontology. University of Nebraska Medical Center is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
NURSES/NURSE PRACTITIONERS
The University of Nebraska Medical Center designates this activity for 5.5 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should only claim credit for the actual time spent participating in the activity.
Keynote Speaker: Jack York
Purposeful Living in Aging
Jack York is an entrepreneur in the senior living space, founder of two transformative companies, It's Never 2 Late (iN2L) and TaleGate. These companies have redefined how technology and storytelling can benefit older adults regardless of where they are physically or cognitively.
Founding of iN2L
In 1999, after working in the Silicon Valley for 15 years, Jack York co-founded It's Never 2 Late (iN2L) with the mission to enrich the lives of older adults through the use of engagement technology. Since its inception in 1999, iN2L grew from a groundbreaking idea into the leading provider of person-centered engagement technology now used in thousands of senior living communities across the United States. iN2L is now proudly residing under the LifeLoop umbrella.
Establishment of TaleGate
Building on the success of iN2L, Jack York founded TaleGate in 2022, a company dedicated to changing the narrative on aging through capturing and distributing the stories of individuals living and working in senior living communities. Jack has travelled over 200,000 miles and visited several hundred senior living communities over the last 6 years in a quest to capture as many stories as possible. Through documentaries, personal interviews and soon to be published books, TaleGate enables older adults to share their life stories and experiences, preserving valuable personal histories and creating meaningful interactions. The platform combines York’s expertise in technology with his commitment to enhancing the human experience. Through various social media outlets, these stories have garnered over 20 million views and tens of thousands of followers.
Speaking and Publications
Since founding iN2L in 1999, Jack has spoken at literally hundreds of conferences and events throughout the world, highlighting both how technology can benefit older adults, particularly individuals living with dementia, and more recently the power of storytelling. His work has been highlighted in the Wall Street Journal, NPR and dozens of senior living publications.
PURPOSEFUL SPIRITUALITY-PASTOR BRIAN MAAS
Brian Maas is Vice President for Mission and Spiritual Care at Immanuel, working with 15 pastors across Immanuel’s locations in Lincoln, Des Moines and metro Omaha. Prior to filling this role, he was Bishop of the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). A graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University and Yale Divinity School, he also served as a parish pastor in Tekamah, NE, Kansas City, MO and Lincoln, NE. He is married to Debbie, a counselor in private practice, and has two adult children and one toddler grandchild who can do no wrong.
PURPOSEFUL NUTRITION-KIANA MONET BEVER, MS, RDN, LMNT
Kiana Monet Bever, MS, RDN, LMNT, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Licensed Medical Nutrition Therapist with a Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Physiology from the University of Utah. She serves as a Clinical Dietitian with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where she works with the VA’s MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans.
In her role, Kiana partners with Veterans to reduce health risks, prevent or reverse chronic diseases, improve overall quality of life, and support long-term wellbeing. She is passionate about evidence-based nutrition therapy, behavior change counseling, and empowering individuals to make sustainable lifestyle changes that support lifelong health.
PURPOSEFUL FITNESS-ASHLEY CICCARELLI LAZAROWICZ
Ashley Ciccarelli is a Silver Sneakers? instructor and a certified personal trainer with nearly nine years of experience teaching Classic, Aqua, Yoga, and Circuit. She was named Runner-Up for Silver Sneakers? Instructor of the Year in 2025 and is passionate about helping older adults age with strength and confidence.
PURPOSEFUL LIVING IN RETIREMENT-RETIREMENT TRANSITION-AMY HANSON
Amy Hanson, Ph.D, is a Lecturer in the Department of Gerontology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and she is the author of the book, Baby Boomers and Beyond: Tapping the Ministry Talents and Passions of Adults over 50. She is a sought after speaker and consultant that helps organizations and faith-based communities respond to the unique needs and opportunities of the new old.
PURPOSEFUL LIVING IN RETIREMENT-VOLUNTEERISM-MARY PARKER
Mary Parker is a Volunteer Services Manager with 32 years of experience primarily in aging services. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Kearney State College and hopes to someday further her education in Gerontology. Mary has participated in national conferences, served on several boards and is involved in her church community. She has a passion for helping older adults find purpose and life-long learning through service. After retiring as the Volunteer Services Director at the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, Mary chose to continue that mission through a new opportunity at Immanuel, managing their new volunteer initiative.
Mary is a wife, mother, dog owner and daughter to an amazing mom who teaches her that life is still fun after age 95.
PURPOSEFUL APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING MEDICARE-MIKE CARSEY
Mike Carsey is a volunteer State Health Insurance Information (SHIP) Certified Medicare Counselor with Volunteers Assisting Seniors in Omaha Nebraska. He has been a certified counselor for eight years and has counseled hundreds of clients partnering with them to design a Medicare plan of action specific to each person's particular circumstances. He has also served on the Board of Directors at Volunteers Assisting Seniors. Mike has a background in healthcare, employed as a hospital administrator at Bergan Mercy Medical Center in Omaha for 15 years.
PURPOSEFUL PLANNING-LEGAL AID OF NEBRASKA-ANNE MARCOTTE
Anne Marcotte is Legal Aid of Nebraska’s Elder Accessline Attorney. She is an Omaha native and is a graduate of Boston College and Creighton University Law School. Anne has been with Legal Aid for a total of eight years. She recently returned to the practice of law after operating her own small business.
PURPOSEFUL COMMUNITY-KAILEY EDELMAN-ENOA
Hi, my name is Kailey Edelman, and I am the Director of Community Engagement/ADRC at the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. I have been with ENOA for almost 4.5 years, but I have 8 years of experience working with older adults. Before my current role, I worked with one of ENOA’s volunteer programs, the Foster Grandparent Program. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Gerontology with a concentration in Healthy Aging. I am currently pursuing my Master’s in Gerontology and Social Work at UNO. At ENOA, we provide services for older adults aged 60 and above, helping them to stay in their homes for as long as possible. We achieve this by providing intermittent support services, including Information and Assistance/ADRC, Care Management, Caregiver Support, and Nutrition programs, as well as Medicaid Waiver and Volunteer Services, in addition to community resources.
PURPOSEFUL COMMUNITY-BETH SCHUSTER-AGING PARTNERS
I am Beth Schuster, I have been with Aging Partners since 2017. First as a supervisor in the Medicaid Waiver part, later as a Senior Center supervisor, and now the Community Activities and Services Divisional Leader. I spent over 15 years as an administrator of an Assisted Living facility. I will finish up my master’s degree in Gerontology at the University of Nebraska – Omaha in May of 2026.
About the Aging with Passion & Purpose Conference
The first biennial Aging with Passion & Purpose Conference was held in 2007. Each year's conference has a unique theme reflecting a trend in aging. The theme of the inaugural conference was “Spirituality and Creativity Programming for Older Adults;” the focus highlighted cutting edge efforts to address the needs of older adults utilizing alternative and complimentary strategies within the arts and spirituality arenas that have been shown through research to improve older adults quality of life. In 2009, the conference theme was “Social and Spiritual Dimensions of Aging and Caregiving” and emphasized support efforts for caregivers that aimed to better the quality of care provided to older adults and self-care of the caregiver. The 2011 theme of "It Happens" reflected the reality that the first of the baby boomers were turning 65 and entering retirement. The 2013 theme of "Aging Well in the Age of Technology" brought participants together to learn about the growing field of gerontechnology and its impact on the quality and way of life of aging individuals. The 2015 theme of "Generations Working Together" helped participants better understand the unique characteristics of each generation and how they manifest in the workplace. The 2017 theme was "Next Generation Services" and introduced attendees to new ways of doing business in a new age. 2019 brought the theme of “No One Left Behind,” which focused on the unique needs of diverse populations of older adults. 2021 covered the timely theme of "Unmasking Covid 19," which addressed the important needs of caring for older adults during the pandemic.
The conference is organized and conducted by a team of planning partners representing a wide range of organizations concerned about aging issues and is hosted by UNO.
2026 CONFERENCE PLANNING PARTNERS
2026 CONFERENCE SPONSORS
