Breakout Sessions: Wednesday, June 19
2019 AARP Livable Communities Rural Livability Workshop, Portland, Maine
Infrastructure (Broadband)
Access to Broadband internet service is a significant problem in many rural places. Learn how to change that.
Broadband: AARP’s 2019 Advocacy Agenda
- Coralette Hannon, Senior Legislative Representative AARP State Advocacy and Strategy
Find the Intersection to the Connection
- Ambre Marr, State Legislative Director, AARP Indiana
Rural Library Hotspot Lending Programs
- Joy McGill, Associate State Director/Outreach, AARP Oklahoma
Transportation
Being able to walk, bike or "roll" safely to shop, dine, get to needed services and simply get out of the house keeps people connected to their communities and is good for the local economy. Learn about the important roles played by local partners and be introduced to innovative solutions for calming traffic and enhancing walkability.
No Small Potatoes: Making the Case for Walking and Bicycling in Rural Idaho
- Donald Kostelec, Principal, Vitruvian Planning Kite in Sight?
Please Slow Down
- Donna Palmer, Member, Living Well in North Yarmouth, Maine Developing Transportation
Partnerships and Improving Outreach to Help Address Transportation Gaps
- Sylvia von Aulock, Executive Director Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission
Intergenerational Communities
Bringing people of different ages together helps bridge generation gaps and encourages community livability. The panelists will highlight examples of intergenerational programs, places and community events. They'll also explore the economic and community benefits (and challenges) of developing such activities and spaces.
Moderator: Jay Haapala, Associate State Director/Community Engagement, AARP Minnesota
AGE to Age: Bringing Generations Together in Northeast Minnesota
- Lynn Haglin, Vice President, Northland Foundation
The Elements of a Successful Multigenerational Space
- Andrea Bozarth, Associate State Director/Community Outreach, AARP Kansas
Big Project Days: Generations Working Together to Make Community Stronger
- Sarah Davis, Coordinator, Cumberland Aging in Place (Maine)
- Teri Maloney-Kelly, Coordinator, Big Project Days (Maine)
Infrastructure (Partnerships)
Great livability projects are built from great partnerships. The panelists will explore the challenges of developing innovative new programs and making them sustainable once initial funding sources are no longer available.
Age-Friendly Forsyth: Building a Common Agenda with Diverse Partners
- Lee Covington, President/CEO Senior Services of Forsyth, North Carolina
Developing a Community Paramedicine Program
- Anne Schroth, Healthy Aging Program Coordinator, Healthy Peninsula Coordinator, Age-Friendly Coastal Communities (Maine)
Roadmap to Sustainable Funding for Rural Livability
- Jeff Veltkamp, Director of Development South Dakota Community Foundation
Extreme Weather and Disasters
Weather events can be especially devastating in rural areas, where communications infrastructure is lacking and disaster preparedness plans aren't well developed. Learn how to work with municipal and state emergency management officials to prepare community residents of all ages for a disaster.
Communicate, Prepare ... Then Communicate!
- Wendell Alfred, Volunteer, AARP Delaware
- Kimberly Iapulucci, Associate State Director/Communications, AARP Delaware
Lessons of Disaster (Hurricane María)
- Pedro M. Cardona, Roig Architect and Planner, Member, AARP Executive Council, AARP Puerto Rico
Preparing for a Hurricane in a Remote Community
- Troy Schuster, State Director, AARP Virgin Islands
Community Engagement
Successful livability initiatives engage residents in conversations about the best ways to enhance livability. Learn about the innovative tools that can help engage your community.
Building Community Interest and Excitement: A Grassroots Approach
- Nancy Andersen, Outreach Director, AARP Montana
The University as a Partner in Community Wellness
- Jermaine Mitchell, Ph.D Assistant Professor, Exercise and Nutrition Science University of Montevallo (Alabama)
Improvisational Theater: Co-Creating a Conversation About Aging, Health and Resilience
- Bill Primmerman, Community Health Educator Somerset Public Health (Skowhegan, Maine)
Extreme Weather and Disasters
Dangerous weather (tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards) can appear in any part of the country. Hear how AARP state offices and community partners have helped (and are helping) rural residents prepare for and cope with the aftermath of weather-related hardships and disasters.
Disaster Planning Before and After
- Dorothy Dorton, Associate State Director/Outreach, AARP Alabama
Connecting in Community Post-Hurricane Michael
- Leslie Spencer, Associate State Director, Advocacy/Outreach, AARP Florida
Safe Sidewalks and Connected Communities
- Sara Grant, Chair, Augusta Age-Friendly (Maine) All-Volunteer Telephone Reassurance Program
- Betsy Armstrong, Chair, Age-Friendly Surry (Maine)
Transportation
Have you heard how self-driving cars will be the solution for so many transportation challenges? Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Assessing a community's needs and planning realistic solutions is critical for implementing systems and services that will provide residents with effectve, accessible ways to get around. The panelists will discuss different approaches to transportation planning and how such plans are translated into action.
How Small Towns Can Strengthen Transportation Options With or Without Technology
- Daniel Piatkowski, Assistant Professor, Urban and Regional Planning University of Nebraska
How Do We Know What We Need? Local Approaches for Assessing Needs and Planning Solutions
- Jim Becker, Executive Director, Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities in Larimer County (Colorado)
Driven Outside the Box: Implementing Novel Transportation Programming
- Kathy Black, Age-Friendly Communities Consultant, AARP Florida Professor of Aging Studies, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee
Housing
Housing choices that are affordable and appropriate for individuals and families at different life stages enable people of all ages to thrive in a community. Such housing options are also good for the local economy.
Moderator: LaKeeshia Fox, Legislative Representative, State and Federal Housing, AARP State Advocacy and Strategy
Principles for Creating Housing Affordability and Choice
- Joan McGrath, Chief Program Officer, LOR Foundation
Developing Housing Options for All Stages of Life
- Nate Rudy, City Manager, Hallowell, Maine
Elder Cohousing and Other Innovative Living Arrangements
- Anne Glass, Professor and Gerontology Program Coordinator University of North Carolina Wilmington
Infrastructure (Parks)
Public parks bring people of all ages together. Hear from communities that have developed vital, active parks and successfully host intergenerational opportunities for outdoor music, play and fitness.
Video: Blackfeet Park
- Tim Summers, State Director, AARP Montana
Engaging the Visitor Through Experience-Based Programming and Events
- Matt Schanandore, Interpretive Events Director, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, North Dakota
A Day in the Park: Music with Friends (of All Ages!)
- Elaine Abbott, Fellow, UMaine Center on Aging
Video: Friendship Park
- Gary Williams, Associate State Director/Community Outreach, AARP New Mexico
Intergenerational Communities
Three Maine communities share how they have brought older and younger people together around a community garden, by creating opportunities for sixth-grade students to interview older residents, and by developing an intergenerational drum circle.
Generations of Dirt: Developing an Accessible Community Garden
- Sheila Bourque, Age-Friendly Raymond
Making Memories
- Pat Brown, Co-Chair, Old Orchard Beach Community Friendly Connection
The Great ThunderChicken Drum: Engaging Community Through Ancient Rhythms and Traditions
- Phil White Hawk, Drum Keeper, Palermo Community Center
- Connie (Star Walker) Bellet, President, Living Communities Foundation
Community Engagement
Learn how to foster community engagement and outreach opportunities that lead to effective connections with rural residents.
Moderator: Beau Ballinger, AARP Office of Community Engagement
A Recipe for Success: Creating Engaging Programs in a Rural Setting
- Linda Bowden, State President, AARP Vermont
Engaging the Community Through Social Media
- Denise Plante, Coordinator, Age-Friendly Jackman (Maine)
The Closer the Connections, the Greater the Benefit
- Myrtle Habersham, Ambassador, AARP Age-Friendly Communities, AARP Georgia
2019 AARP Rural Livability Workshop
- Conference Schedule | Download the Conference Program
- Speakers and Panelists
- Day 2 Breakout Sessions
- Mobile Workshops
- Main Page: 2019 Rural Livability Workshop
To return to the main conference page, visit or bookmark: AARP.org/RuralLivability
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