CALA News & Views | Issue 55 | Elevating Engagement

IN

engagement elevate

THIS ISSUE

4

Emergency Preparedness in Assisted Living

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Preparedness in Practice: Lessons from a Safety Expert

10

Advocacy in Action

12

When Wellness Drives Engagement

16

Creative View

Engagement is what connects us. It is how relationships begin, how trust is built and how community takes shape. In Assisted Living, engagement is not a strategy or a buzzword; it is the foundation of everything we do. It’s present in the way we welcome prospective residents and their families, in how we listen to those who live and work in our communities, and in how we partner with regulators, legislators and allied professionals. Engagement is the bridge between intention and impact. At its heart, engagement is service to others. When we show up with intention — for residents, for team members, for policymakers and for one another — we strengthen more than individual relationships. We strengthen teams. We strengthen organizations. We strengthen our association. And we strengthen the broader system of long-term services and supports that so many rely on. Engagement fuels collaboration, reinforces accountability and reminds us that our work is deeply interconnected. Most importantly, engagement keeps us moving forward. It drives progress. It challenges us to evolve, to listen more carefully and to respond more thoughtfully. As you explore this issue, I invite you to reflect on how engagement shows up in your own work and how, together, we can continue elevating it across our communities and throughout California.

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Engagement Starts with Leadership

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Beyond the Tour: Turning Interest into Trust

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Connection, Confidence and Community

CALA News & Views – Submission Policy At this time, CALA does not accept unsolicited articles or queries. Many of the articles we publish are written by our regular contributing writers. We appreciate the time and energy people put into making suggestions for our current and future issues. Our organization’s policy, however, prevents us from accepting for review any unsolicited submissions.

Cindi Alvidrez, Membership Manager cindi@CAassistedliving.org

Pam Amundsen, Director of Meetings & Events pam@CAassistedliving.org Denise Brandt, Director of Workforce Development denise@CAassistedliving.org Selena Coppi Hornback,Vice President of Regulatory Affairs selena@CAassistedliving.org Agnes de la Vega, Senior Workforce Development Specialist agnes@CAassistedliving.org Daniel Gonzalez, Advocacy Engagement Specialist daniel@CAassistedliving.org Heather Harrison, President & CEO heather@CAassistedliving.org Katherine McLoskey, Director of Operations katherine@CAassistedliving.org Danielle Parsons, Vice President of Government Affairs danielle@CAassistedliving.org Haty Pietrasz, Director of Creative Design haty@CAassistedliving.org Brandi Pittman, Administrative Specialist brandi@CAassistedliving.org Kevin Swartzendruber, Director of Marketing & Communications kevin@CAassistedliving.org Jan Trifiro, Vice President of Professional Development jan@CAassistedliving.org

CALA STAFF

Heather Harrison, President & CEO

CALA Board of Directors

OFFICERS Board Chair

Treasurer Laura Fischer, President, Integral Senior Living Secretary Courtney Siegel, President & CEO, Oakmont Management Group

Past Chair Rick Jensen, President & CEO, Northstar Senior Living

David Eskenazy, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors,, Cogir Management USA, Inc. Vice Chair Danielle Morgan, CEO, Clearwater Living

DIRECTORS

Michel Augsburger, Chairman & CEO, Chancellor Health Care, Inc Dave Boitano, EVP and Chief Investment Officer, LTC Properties, Inc. Kevin Bowman, President, MBK Senior Living Mark Cimino , CEO & Co-Owner, CiminoCare Dave Coluzzi, President & CEO, Carlton Senior Living Tara Cope, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer, Vi Senior Living Paula Hertel, Founder, Senior Living Consult Liz Jensen, Senior Director, Nursing Success & Care Innovation, August Health Darolyn Jorgensen-Kares, Chief Operating Officer, Continuing Life, LLC Rodger Lederer, Senior Vice President, Marsh Ray Leisure, Division Vice President, West Division, Brookdale Senior Living Douglas Lessard, COO & Executive Vice President, Belmont Village Senior Living Tana McMillon , Regional Vice President of Operations, Silverado Memory Care Nancy Schier Anzelmo, Principal, Alzheimer’s Care Associates

455 Capitol Mall, Suite 520 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 448-1900 www.CAassistedliving.org

Todd Shetter, Chief Operating Officer, ActivCare Living Jay Thomas , Assistant General Counsel, Atria Senior Living

Copyright © 2026 California Assisted Living Association. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form - print, electronic or otherwise - without written permission from CALA.

EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS Josh Allen, Principal, Allen Flores Consulting Group Joel Goldman, Partner, Hanson Bridgett