Join us for the Leading Age Arizona Board Governance and Leadership Lab, a framework of business education to better equip today’s board leadership, powered by Greystone. Attendees will learn expert insights from industry leaders and supported by seasoned board members.

Through four focused sessions, with interactive peer-to-peer roundtable discussions exploring:

• Senior Living Fundamentals
• Market Dynamics and Customer Relevance
• Financial Performance Indicators
• Bond Financing Basics

This program is ideal for:

• New board members seeking accelerated onboarding and governance fluency.
• Established board members looking to deepen industry understanding and business focus.
• Executive leaders interested in fast tracking board engagement and strategic alignment.

Session One: Senior Living Fundamentals | Mark Andrews (Greystone)

This session establishes a shared understanding of the core business concepts that shape senior living governance. Board members will review the continuum of living and care—independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, and home- and community-based services—along with key ownership models, operating structures, and entrance-fee contract types. Together, these elements these elements provide context for how resident preferences, financial risk, and market forces influence organizational strategy and governance decisions.

Key takeaways:

• Understand the continuum of living and care and how resident flow affects operations and resource allocation.
• Distinguish between ownership models and how they influence mission, margin, and strategy.
• Recognize how entrance-fee contracts and refund structures allocate financial risk.
• Strengthen the board's ability to participate in informed governance discussions.

Session Two: Market Dynamics and Customer Relevance: Understanding the Senior Living Consumer | Kurt Muellner (Greystone)

This session helps board members connect the senior living customer with how the market behaves. Participants will explore the demographic, health, and lifestyle factors shaping demand across independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing, along with key market fundamentals including aging trends, occupancy, competition, and supply dynamics. This perspective equips board members to better evaluate product alignment, capital investment, and strategic positioning in an increasingly consumer-driven market.

Key takeaways:

• Understand customer profiles across levels of living and how demographics and lifestyle expectations influence demand.
• Interpret key market fundamentals including aging trends, occupancy, competition, and supply dynamics.
• Evaluate competitive positioning and the impact of product alignment and capital investment on long-term performance.
• Strengthen the board’s ability to guide proactive, market-informed strategy.

Session Three: Financial Literacy for Board Members (Part A): Understanding the Signals of Financial Health | Brad Straub (Greystone)

This session builds a shared understanding of the core senior living business concepts that support effective governance. Board members will review the continuum of living and care—from independent living through skilled nursing and home-based services—and how evolving senior preferences influence demand. The session also introduces common ownership models, distinctions between for-profit and not-for-profit providers, and entrance-fee contract structures, helping board members better understand how mission, margin, and market forces shape organizational strategy.

Key takeaways:

• Identify the core financial metrics that signal organizational health, stability, or emerging risk.
• Understand how indicators such as occupancy, operating margin, Days Cash on Hand, and DSCR reflect financial performance.
• Recognize the unique accounting elements of senior living, including entrance fee structures, deferred revenue, and refund liabilities.
• Strengthen the board's ability to interpret financial statements and assess long-term financial sustainability.

Session Four: Financial Literacy for Board Members (Part B): Tax Exempt Bond Financing Basics | Brandon Pond (Polsinelli)

The lifeblood of any senior living organization is “access to capital.” Many providers fund capital projects and operating needs through tax-exempt bond financings. Board members are routinely required to support and approve significant bond financings to advance the business of senior living. Boards are routinely asked to approve and execute complex bond resolutions. What are the basic structuring, financial instruments, and concepts that board members need to know to effectively govern and support future financing efforts?

Key takeaways:

• Recognize the importance of access to capital for sustaining operations, supporting growth, and advancing strategic initiatives in senior living organizations.
• Understand the role of tax-exempt bond financing and related structures as primary tools for funding capital projects and supporting organizational liquidity.
• Identify the governance responsibilities of board members in reviewing and approving financing transactions.

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Event Details

Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Location:  LeadingAge Arizona Annual Conference, Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, AZ

Time: 1:00–4:00 P.M.