LeadingAge New England Senior Leader Retreat: Moving Forward, Together
LeadingAge New England Senior Leader Retreat: Moving Forward, Together
July 9–10, 2025 | Portland & Scarborough, Maine
Strengthening Leadership, Building Trust, and Advancing Together
In today’s complex and rapidly changing environment, senior leaders in aging services must rely on strong relationships, shared insights, and trusted peers. The LeadingAge New England Senior Leader Retreat offers an exclusive opportunity to step away from daily demands and engage in deep, candid conversations that foster connection, collaboration, and clarity of purpose.
Join leaders from across New England for a powerful, in-person retreat designed to build trust, explore common challenges, and envision the future of aging services together.
What to Expect:
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A highly interactive and thought-provoking workshop led by Dr. Kurt Senske, nationally recognized leadership advisor and author.
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Facilitated sessions that prioritize real dialogue, relationship building, and strategic exploration.
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A setting intentionally designed to encourage open exchange, mutual support, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Schedule Overview:
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Welcome Reception
Wednesday, July 9 | 5:00-7:00pm | Hyatt Old Port, Portland, ME
Gather with fellow attendees for a casual pre-dinner reception designed to kick off the retreat with informal networking and reconnection. Located in the heart of Portland’s vibrant Old Port district, the evening also offers the perfect opportunity to explore the city’s renowned restaurants, waterfront views, and lively downtown scene. - Optional Beach Walk
Thursday, July 10 | 8:00am - 9:30am | Piper Shores, Scarborough, ME
Join Leanne Fiet, COO at Piper Shores, for a leisurely stroll along the Maine coastline to Higgins Beach. Feel the ocean breeze while you get your morning steps in! -
Retreat Program
Thursday, July 10 | 10:00am - 4:00pm | Piper Shores, Scarborough, ME
This full-day, immersive retreat is designed to support senior living leaders in navigating today’s uncertainty with clarity, confidence, and shared purpose. Through facilitated discussions and collaborative exercises, participants will engage in honest conversations about the complex realities facing our field—from workforce pressures to shifting consumer expectations—and work together to identify strategies for resilience and innovation. The program will emphasize trust-building, peer connection, and the collective development of a path forward for aging services in New England. View the agenda here.
Who Should and How Many Should Attend:
This retreat is not just for CEOs. We encourage participation from the most trusted, engaged, and strategically involved members of your organization- those who help shape your organization’s direction and culture. This may include executive leaders or C-Suite executives, key senior team members, or highly engaged Board chairs.
Due to limited venue capacity, attendance is restricted to ensure a highly interactive and intimate experience. We recommend sending an individual or small group (no more than 5) of your organization’s top leadership to fully engage in the collaborative nature of this retreat.
Hosted by:
LeadingAge Massachusetts, LeadingAge Maine & New Hampshire, LeadingAge Connecticut, and LeadingAge Rhode Island
With generous support from Ziegler
Hotel Block Booking Link:
Book your room at the Hyatt Old Port
Note regarding hotel guest rooms-- if you are unable to book a room within the block, please contact Sarah Lacasse at SLacasse@leadingagema.org.
DR. KURT M. SENSKE
Dr. Kurt Senske is the Founder and Principal of CEO-Board Services, a consulting firm that specializes in working with mission-oriented organizational leaders and boards around issues of governance, strategy, succession planning, coaching, and mergers and acquisitions. He is a sought after keynote speaker, writer, teacher, and consultant.
Previously, Senske served as Chief Executive Officer of Upbring (formerly Lutheran Social Services of the South) for 23 years. Upbring is a multi-faceted, multi-state, social service agency with an annual operating budget of over $100 million and 1000 employees. At Upbring, Dr. Senske has been responsible for more than quadrupling the size of the agency and steering the once-troubled agency back to financial strength. During his tenure the organization eliminated an indebtedness of $60 million and currently enjoys an endowment of over $40 million.
Dr. Senske completed his undergraduate work at Concordia University-Texas and Valparaiso University in Indiana, majoring in Accounting with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law, a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations from Schiller International University in Paris, France, and a PhD in Government from the University of Texas at Austin.
Prior to his work at Upbring, Dr. Senske served as Assistant to the President at Concordia University-Texas. Dr. Senske also practiced law in Chicago, Illinois with several law firms, including the firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson. In addition, he has served as a senior staff member and policy advisor for government leaders at local, state, and national levels for both the Republican and Democratic Parties.
Dr. Senske’s extensive board service includes having served as Chair of the Board of Directors of Thrivent Financial, a Fortune 500 financial services organization and the Thrivent Charitable Foundation. He currently serves as Chair of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Dr. Senske is the author of five books, The CEO and the Board: The Art of Nonprofit Governance as a Competitive Advantage; Wine and the Word: Savor and Serve; The Calling: Live a Life of Significance; Executive Values: A Christian Approach to Organizational Leadership, and Personal Values.
A gifted public speaker, Dr. Senske has been a guest columnist on a variety of issues for newspapers and magazines as well as a regular commentator on television, radio, and podcasts.
Dr. Senske and his wife Laurie live in Austin, Texas and are the proud parents of their daughter Sydney, son-in-law Cody, and grandson, Nolan.
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Continuing Education:
LeadingAge Maine & New Hampshire is a Certified Sponsor of continuing education with the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB). This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credits
Program Approval Code:
20260709-4.75-A113983-IN
Participant Hours approved: 4.75