October 16 | Harkin Retirement Security Symposium 2025: Inclusive Long-Term Care Policies and Supports

Event Information

Date:

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Time:

8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET

Location:

KFF’s Barbara Jordan Conference Center (1330 G St NW, Washington, DC, 20005)

Virtual Live Stream (Link will be sent to virtual attendees before the event)

Cost:

In-person – $165
Virtual – Free

Accommodations: American Sign Language (ASL) and live captioning (CART) will be provided for in-person and virtual attendees. Any additional accommodation requests can be made by emailing harkininstitute@drake.edu.

Event Summary

The 2025 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium: Inclusive Long-Term Care Policies and Supports will convene policy-makers, researchers, and advocacy organizations working on long-term care policy. The program includes discussions on federal and state policies, and workplace policies supporting caregivers, caregiving experiences and their impact on retirement security, as well as other resources to support caregivers and their families.

The cost of care has nearly doubled from the early 2000s to 2024, both for at-home care and nursing home care. These costs are out of reach for everyone except the wealthiest households. Long-term care costs are internalized by caregiver families in some combination of the following: diminished or lost earned income, early retirement, direct caregiving expenditures, and mental and physical health issues. There are a variety of policy options to address this economic burden on families across the income distribution, which will be discussed as part of the program.

If you are interested in sponsoring the Symposium, contact Rayna Stoycheva at rayna.stoycheva@drake.edu.

Agenda

8:30 a.m. – Breakfast and Registration
9:00 a.m. – Welcome Remarks
9:10 a.m. – Legislative Fireside Chat
9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Panel One: Federal Policy – Current and Future Options
- Alison Barkoff, GWU
- Connie Garner, Garner Strategies
- Narda Ipakchi, SCAN Foundation
- Nicole Jorwic, Caring Across Generations
- Dawn Huckelbridge, Paid Leave for All
- Moderator: Jamala Arland, President & CEO, U.S. Life Insurance/Genworth
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Panel Two: State Initiatives
- Ben Veghte, WACares
- Allison Cook, Better Aging and Policy Consulting
- Marc Cohen, LeadingAge LTSS Center, University of Massachusetts Boston
- Brandi Wolf, SEIU, CA
- Moderator: Kevin Prindiville, Justice in Aging
12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Panel Three: State Medicaid Programs Dataset
- Jean-Piere Aubry, Center for Retirement Research, Boston College
12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. – Networking Lunch
1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. – Panel Four: The Cost of Caregiving & Retirement Security
- Spencer Look, Associate Director of Retirement Policy, Morningstar
- Jason Resendez, National Alliance for Caregiving
- Jaimie Worker, Senior Director of Policy & Research, Caring Across Generations
- Moderator: Mark Miller, Journalist
2:20 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. – Panel Five: Workplace Policies Supporting Caregivers
- Chantel Sheaks, US Chamber of Commerce
- Bridget Bearden, EBRI
- Amy Chinn, Vice President of Long-Term Care Claims and Risk Management, OneAmerica Financial
- Theresa Roma, Head of Insurance Solutions, Wellthy
- Moderator: Indivar Dutta-Gupta, Blue Lotus Strategies
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Panel Six: Navigating the LTC Landscape: Other Resources For Caregivers
- Daniel Wilson, NCOA
- Rita Choula, AARP Public Policy Institute
- Andrea Lynn White, President & CEO, CareScout Insurance
- Moderator: Merrill Friedman, Elevance Health

Meet Our Speakers:

Jamala Arland

President & CEO, U.S. Life Insurance/Genworth

Jamala Arland is the President & CEO of US Life Insurance at Genworth. Her responsibilities include the stewardship of the industry’s largest private Long-Term Care (LTC) Insurance block, covering more than one million Americans. She has also held leadership roles at Genworth in inforce management, reserving, and product development.

Prior to joining Genworth, she worked at Ernst & Young in New York City. Jamala holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics, Actuarial Science and Statistics from the University of Waterloo in Canada. She is a Fellow in the Society of Actuaries (SOA), a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (AAA), and is a Charter holder at the CFA Institute.

Jamala serves on the American Council of Life Insurers’ (ACLI) CEO Steering Committee on Consumer Issues, SOA’s North American Employers Council, and on the Foundation Board of the Science Museum of Virginia. She served as 2020 Chair of the SOA’s Long-Term Care Section, 2021 Chair of the SOA’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee, and 2021-2023 Chair of the AAA’s Long-Term Care Reform Subcommittee. Jamala is a past Vice President of the International Associate of Black Actuaries. From 2021-2023, Jamala also served on a California LTC Task Force, as a representative from the LTC insurance industry appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules to explore the feasibility of establishing a statewide LTC Insurance Program.

Jean-Pierre Aubry

Associate Director of Retirement Plans and Finance, Center for Retirement Research, Boston College

Jean-Pierre Aubry is associate director of retirement plans and finance at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. He oversees and conducts research and data collection, develops new analytic techniques for evaluating retirement plans, and secures funding support.

Aubry is recognized as a leading expert on state and local government plans and co-founder of the Public Plans Data. He also studies single and multiemployer plans in the private sector, as well as state-run auto-IRA programs. He has co-authored numerous studies that have received broad attention, and presented to professional and academic groups such as the Municipal Analysts Group of New York, Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Mr. Aubry leads CRR’s retirement plan consulting unit, supporting states and localities considering policy reforms. In that capacity, he has performed large-scale pension analyses for the State of Connecticut and the City of Houston (through the Kinder Institute), as well as smaller initiatives for the city of Philadelphia and the Town of Queen Creek, Arizona. More recently, he has led the CRR’s production of state-specific feasibility analyses to support policy discourse in states considering auto-IRA programs.

Aubry is a member of the Boston Economic Club. He received his B.A. in economics and psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and his M.S. in finance from Boston College.

Alison Barkoff

Harold and Jane Hirsh Associate Professor of Health Law and Policy and Hirsh Program Director, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health

Alison Barkoff is the Harold and Jane Hirsh Associate Professor of Health Law and Policy and Hirsh Program Director at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Prior to joining GW, she led the Administration for Community Living (ACL) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from January 2021 to October 2024, where she served as the advisor to the HHS Secretary on aging and disability policy, oversaw national disability and aging programs, and led cross-agency initiatives related to long-term services and supports (LTSS), civil rights, housing, direct care workforce, family caregiving, healthy aging and public health. She previously served as Special Counsel for Olmstead Enforcement in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, was a senior advisor at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Department of Labor, and held leadership roles at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and Center for Public Representation. For more than 25 years, Ms. Barkoff has focused on legal and policy advocacy to improve the lives of people who face the most significant challenges in accessing health care and other critical community services. She has testified before Congress and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and is a nationally recognized expert on LTSS, disability and aging policy, Medicaid and civil rights.

Bridget Bearden

Research and Development Strategist, Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI)

Bridget Bearden is a Research and Development Strategist and member of the leadership team at the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). She helps to establish new strategic partnerships, expand membership, execute proprietary survey research, and contribute to EBRI’s in-person events. Her current research projects include EBRI’s biannual Spending in Retirement Survey, and examining benefits that can improve women’s financial security, like on-demand pay, long-term care, and caregiving. She has nearly two decades of experience in developing research and thought leadership in retirement and investing. She has a Ph.D. and MS in Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts Boston, an MBA in Finance from Suffolk University, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Connecticut.

Amy Chinn

Vice President of Long-Term Care Claims and Risk Management, OneAmerica Financial

Amy Chinn, CLTC, is Vice President of Long-Term Care Claims and Risk Management at OneAmerica Financial, bringing over 25 years of experience in financial services and a passion for serving others through claims. Known for combining strategic insight with genuine empathy, Amy leads with both head and heart, transforming claims organizations into powerful opportunities to support people, drive innovation, and manage risk with intention.

Her work spans disability, life, dental, and long-term care insurance, where she has spearheaded initiatives focused on early intervention, operational excellence, and customer-centered service. As a Certified Executive Coach through the Hudson Institute, Amy inspires high-performing and purpose-driven teams. She holds multiple financial services designations and serves on the board of Dollars for Scholars, advancing access to education.

Outside of work, Amy enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, reading, listening to music, and hiking.

Rita Choula

Interim Vice President, Family, Home and Community and Senior Director of Caregiving, AARP Public Policy Institute

Rita B. Choula, MA is Interim Vice President, Family, Home and Community and Senior Director of Caregiving at the AARP Public Policy Institute. In her role, she drives the strategic direction and development of family caregiving initiatives both within AARP and in partnership with a range of external stakeholders. Her work bridges policy and research to practice, centered on identifying and supporting needs of family caregivers. Rita advances caregiver-centric policies and practices by elevating the unique nature of each caregiving experience and promoting their health, well-being, and financial security.

In collaboration with clinical experts and key partners, Rita leads the development of programs and tools that enable health care and social service professionals to better recognize the diverse needs of family caregivers and provide supports to them across settings.

Rita holds a Master’s degree in the Management of Aging Services from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

She is currently Chair of the Board of Directors for the Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) and a Board member of the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC). She is also a member of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), American Society on Aging (ASA), and the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI).

Mark Cohen

Professor of Gerontology, UMass Boston

Marc A. Cohen, Ph.D. is a Professor of Gerontology at UMass Boston. In his role at UMass, Dr. Cohen is the Co-Director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston and he also serves as a Research Director at the Center for Community Engagement in Health Innovation at Community Catalyst. Prior to joining UMass in the fall of 2016, Dr. Cohen served as the Chief Research and Development Officer and former President and co-founder of LifePlans, Inc., a long-term care research and risk management company.

Over his career, Dr. Cohen has conducted extensive research on public policy issues affecting the financing and delivery of long-term care services (LTSS). He has testified before Congress, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and other organizations, served on Governor Patrick’s Task Force on LTSS Financing for Massachusetts, was a Steering Committee member of the Long-Term Care Financing Collaborative, and served as a Chair for a National Academy of Social Insurance Study panel on Designing State-Based Social Insurance for LTSS. More recently he has been working on an initiative with the California Department of Aging to research issues and challenges associated with LTSS financing for the overlooked middle as well as with Representative Tom Suozzi on a new way to finance LTSS, through the Wish Act. He has also been examining ways to improve person-centered care, add services to senior housing, improve patient engagaement in the research process, evaluate and strengthen family caregiving advocacy, and address issues related to caring for individuals dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare.

Dr. Cohen received his Ph.D. from the Heller School at Brandeis University and his Master’s Degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Allison Cook

Founder, Better Aging and Policy Consulting

Allison Cook is the founder of Better Aging and Policy Consulting. She works with an array of organizations to build a system that better supports older adults and those who care for them. Recent projects have included exploring alternative LTSS financing models with MIT CoLab, exploring how to invest in the home care workforce with the National Academy of Social Insurance, facilitating philanthropy’s role in building publicly-supported care infrastructure across the lifespan with the Care for All with Respect and Equity (CARE) Fund, and supporting innovative start-ups in the field of aging with Mary Furlong and Associates. Prior to opening her business she worked at PHI, focusing on policies that support the direct care workforce. She started off her career as a home health aide, going on to work at the Medicare Rights Center after receiving her Master’s in Public Health from Brown University. She also volunteers on the Advisory Committee for EmergingAging NYC, a networking group for emerging professionals in the field of aging. This varied background provides her with unique insight into our system and how to improve it.

Indivar Dutta-Gupta

Founder and CEO, Blue Lotus Strategies, LLC

Indivar Dutta-Gupta is the founder and CEO of Blue Lotus Strategies, LLC, based in Washington, DC. He is a recognized researcher, analyst, advocate and policy influencer on U.S. economic policy. Indi is currently an advisor to Community Change, a Visiting Researcher at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, a Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the National Academy of Social Insurance. He frequently advises political candidates and campaigns on child, family, and economic policy, testifies before Congress, and speaks to the media. His earlier work includes serving as a Doris Duke Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, and in senior roles at the Center for Law and Social Policy, Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality, U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and Freedman Consulting, as well as local work at DC Hunger Solutions.

A member of the National Academy of Social Insurance, Indi also serves on the National Academies (NASEM) Committee on Federal Policy Impacts on Child Poverty, on several nonpartisan boards and advisory groups, and as US-Japan Leadership Program Fellow.

Indi is a graduate of the University of Chicago, a Congressional Hunger Center Alumni Leadership awardee, one of Washington Life magazine’s most Influential 40-And-Under Leaders, and twice a Rising Star 40 And Under. He is a former Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellow, Harry S. Truman Scholar, a First Focus Campaign for Children “Champion for Children”, and co-chair of President Biden’s 2020 campaign’s economic policy committee.

Merrill Friedman

Regional Vice President, Inclusive Policy & Advocacy, Elevance Health

Merrill leads inclusive policy and advocacy for Elevance Health. She works collaboratively with advocates, community leaders, and stakeholders to ensure the diversity of individuals and personal experiences inform Elevance Health’s health benefits approaches and healthcare programs. Ms. Friedman advances the integration of the independent living philosophy, self-determination, lived experience, and person-centeredness, along with the National Advisory Board (NAB) on Improving Healthcare Services for Older Adults and People with Disabilities six foundational principles, throughout policy, programs, individual interactions, and business practices. In addition, she leads strategic partnerships with national and local organizations to improve whole health and inform inclusive public policy.

Previously, Ms. Friedman was interim director at a nonprofit foster care agency serving children and adolescents who experienced neglect and abuse. She also served as president and chief executive officer of a private organization that owned and operated residential treatment facilities, group homes, and home and community-based services in several states for adolescents with mental health disabilities, substance use disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and/or justice involvement.

Ms. Friedman has served on numerous national boards and commissions. She was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities and by Governor Jennifer Granholm to the MI Statewide Independent Living Counci,l where she served as Board Chair. Currently, Ms. Friedman serves on the board of directors for Mental Health America (MHA), the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI), and EveryLife Foundation, and is an Advisory Board member for the Institute for Exceptional Care (IEC), and ADvancing States’ MLTSS Institute.

Connie Garner

President and CEO, Garner Public Policy Strategies

Connie Garner focuses her practice on policy development and analysis, implementation, and advocacy strategy related to vulnerable populations. In addition, she continues to serve as the Executive Director of “Allies for Independence” – a nonprofit coalition dedicated to addressing long term service and support needs of the disability and aging community.

Connie’s current consulting work involves advising state programs, health insurers, and provider groups on needed services and supports as they continue to include vulnerable populations in Medicaid managed care. Another primary area of consultation involves the implementation of mental health parity, and working with health insurers and employers in the development of systemic reforms to address the national crisis of mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUD).

For 17 years, Garner served as Policy Director for Disability and Special Populations to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), and served as the primary consultant to the Democratic caucus on disability and special population issues. Garner also served in the U.S. Department of Education as Director of the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council for Children with Disabilities, and as the Secretary of Education’s principal liaison to HHS on interagency healthcare matters, including early intervention and prevention initiatives across the public health domain.

Connie completed her ED.S in Education Policy from George Washington University, her MS in Nursing from George Mason University, and her BS in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania. She is also certified as a Pediatric and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

Dawn Huckelbridge

Founding Director, Paid Leave for All

Dawn Huckelbridge has served as founding director of Paid Leave for All since 2019. She has spent her career in gender policy, political organizing, communications, and building early-stage programs and campaigns.

Dawn most recently served as Communications Director for Supermajority during its launch and as the Senior Director of the Women’s Rights Initiative at American Bridge. During the 2016 election cycle, she served as Coordinated Program Director for the Community Outreach Group at Planned Parenthood Action Fund, where she recruited and managed a campaign team to implement their largest coordinated campaign programs in battleground states to date. Previously, she served as Senior Advisor on Gender, Managing Director, and Policy Director at People For the American Way. Dawn also consulted for the Center for Women Policy Studies and served as Deputy Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation and Political Office. She has worked in political and issue communications with GMMB and has consulted on a number of political and public interest projects. She has served on the boards of Emerge Massachusetts, Square One Politics, Family Values @ Work Action, and the DC Abortion Fund, and she founded the Paid Leave PAC in 2022. She has appeared on network and cable TV and published in outlets including Newsweek, The Hill, The Nation, InStyle, Glamour, and Marie Claire.

She graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science with a master’s degree in gender and social policy. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, where she studied communications and political science.

Narda Ipakchi

Vice President of Policy and Programs, The SCAN Foundation

Narda Ipakchi, MBA, is Vice President of Policy and Programs for The SCAN Foundation.

Narda is an experienced health and aging policy professional with deep expertise in policies and programs that support older adults, including Medicare, Medicare-Medicaid integrated programs, and long-term services and supports. Prior to joining the Foundation, she served as the Medicare & Medicaid Policy Director for the United States Senate Aging Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Bob Casey of Pennsylvania. In this role, she advised the Chairman on key issues impacting older adults and people with disabilities, including nursing home policy changes, expansions in home and community-based services, Medicare prescription drug policy reforms, and Medicare-Medicaid integration. Prior to the Senate, Narda spent approximately 15 years in the private sector, primarily in Medicare and Medicaid policy consulting at Avalere Health, Manatt Health, and Health Management Associates, where she provided quantitative and qualitative policy research and analysis, project implementation support, and other advisory services to a wide array of health care stakeholders including foundations, providers, health plans, states, and other organizations.

Narda earned her Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park. When Narda isn’t pondering ways to improve health and aging policies, you can find her exploring the great outdoors with her husband and daughter, traveling somewhere she can immerse herself in a different culture, or spending the day honing a well-loved recipe.

Nicole Jorwic

Chief Program Officer, Caring Across Generations

Nicole Jorwic is an experienced policy professional supporting advancements in disability, aging and direct care workforce policy and mobilization. Nicole is the Chief Program Officer for Caring Across Generations. Prior to her current roles, Nicole was Senior Director of Public Policy and Senior Executive Officer of State Advocacy at The Arc of the United States. Before coming to DC to work on Federal Advocacy, Nicole served as Senior Policy Advisor and Manager of the Employment First Initiative in Illinois. Prior to that appointment, Nicole was the CEO/President of the Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities. Nicole is also an accomplished special education attorney.

Nicole leads and supports many coalitions to advance the priorities of the care movement, including strengthening and expanding access to Medicaid, home and community-based care and better pay for direct care workers. Nicole is a member of the Presidents Committee on People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Nicole is most importantly a sibling to her brother Chris who is 35 and has autism, a former direct care worker, and on the care team for her three grandparents in their 90s.

Spencer Look

Associate Director, Retirement Studies and Public Policy, Morningstar Investment Management LLC

Spencer Look is an associate director for Morningstar’s Center for Retirement Studies. He conducts research across many topics but primarily focuses on U.S. household retirement-income adequacy, long-term care, and in-defined-contribution-plan annuities. Before joining Morningstar in 2022, Spencer held roles as a life actuarial manager and a life-cycle advice senior analyst, specializing in goals-based financial planning, lifetime asset allocation, and retirement income.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science and finance from Drake University in Des Moines. Spencer is also a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries.

Mark Miller

Journalist and Author

Mark Miller is a journalist and author who is a nationally-recognized expert on trends in retirement and aging. His writing offers a holistic view of retirement security, including healthcare and Medicare, Social Security, retirement investing, midlife careers and housing. He also writes frequently about retirement-related public policy issues, including those related to Social Security, Medicare and long-term care. Mark’s work appears in the The New York Times and at Morningstar; he also publishes a free Substack newsletter. Mark’s latest book is Retirement Reboot: Common Sense Strategies for Getting Back on Track (Agate Publishing, January 2023), which was named one of the top three personal finance books of 2023 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.

Kevin Prindiville

Executive Director, Justice in Aging

Kevin joined Justice in Aging in 2006 and became Executive Director in 2013. As Executive Director, Kevin works to promote Justice in Aging’s mission with communities, partners, policymakers, funders, donors, and the media. Kevin is passionate about issues of poverty, justice, and equity. Kevin has a long history of developing partnerships and directing impactful strategic advocacy efforts. The author of numerous articles, reports, and briefs, he frequently testifies before legislators, presents at national conferences, and works closely with both federal and state policymakers. He is quoted often in national media.

Kevin’s interest in aging is rooted in his family. He is from a large Bay Area family that cherished time together above all else and that modeled deep respect for older generations. His family and the broader community he grew up in impressed upon him the values of social justice and service that still drive him today.

Before coming to Justice in Aging, Kevin worked as a Staff Attorney at the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, representing low-income individuals to afford and access health care services. Kevin is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the University of California, San Diego. Kevin served on Governor Newsom’s Master Plan for Aging Stakeholder Advisory Committee, and is a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance and the American Society on Aging. From 2022-2023, Kevin was a Mel King Fellow.

Jason Resendez

President and CEO, National Alliance for Caregiving

Jason Resendez is a nationally recognized care advocate. He currently serves as the President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving, where he leads system change efforts to value and support our nation’s more than 53 million family caregivers. In 2023, Jason was named one of the most consequential leaders in health and medicine by STAT News.

Prior to joining NAC, Jason was the founding executive director of the UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Center for Brain Health Equity where he pioneered the concept of Brain Health Equity through peer-reviewed research, public health partnerships, and public policy. In 2020, Jason was named one of America’s top influencers in aging by PBS’s Next Avenue alongside Michael J. Fox and former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. He has been quoted by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, STAT News, and Univision on issues related to caregiving and healthcare. Jason is from South Texas and graduated from Georgetown University.

Theresa Roma

Head of Insurance Solutions, Wellthy

Theresa Roma brings 17 years of experience in the insurance broker and carrier space to her current role as Head of Insurance Solutions at Wellthy. Inspired by her own caregiving journey—navigating complex care for her medically fragile twins and supporting her grandparents—she has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the “sandwich generation.” At Wellthy, Theresa partners with group benefit carriers to integrate caregiving support into their portfolios, making care concierge services accessible to millions of employees across organizations of all sizes.

Based in Buffalo, NY, Theresa lives with her husband, their three hockey-loving children, and the family dog. Together, they share a family goal of vacationing in all 50 states.

Chantel Sheaks

Vice President, Retirement Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Chantel Sheaks is the Vice President, Retirement Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She has 29 years of experience in employee benefits law, including both policy and practice. Chantel has held a variety of positions, including partner at a major international law firm, government relation consultant for a global benefits consulting firm, and fund director/general counsel for a national multiemployer health fund. She was also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center for 17 years. Chantel has a BA in Spanish and Russian from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and a JD from Northeastern University School of Law.

Ben Veghte

Director, WA Cares Fund

Benjamin W. Veghte is Director of the WA Cares Fund, the nation’s first universal long-term care insurance program in Washington State. He is a Board member of the American Society on Aging, an MIT CoLab Mel King Community Fellow, and a member of the Care Guild, a group of 125 innovators redesigning care for the 21st century. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. Veghte is an expert on U.S. and OECD social policy with recent publications on the German and Dutch long-term care systems. His research and policy work focus on developing new policies that improve the economic security of families and support them in balancing work and care. He taught comparative social policy and comparative politics as an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Bremen, Germany, until 2008. He worked as a Social Policy consultant for the European Union, working on projects that advised EU accession countries on how to harmonize their social policies with EU standards. Veghte was Vice President for Policy at the National Academy of Social Insurance from 2015-18. From 2018- 2020, he led the research portfolio at Caring Across Generations.

Andrea Lynn White

President and Chief Executive Officer, CareScout Insurance

Andrea Lynn White is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Genworth Financial, Inc’s new long-term care insurance business, CareScout Insurance. She previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Genworth Financial, Inc., and was responsible for leading external and government affairs, including Genworth’s advocacy efforts before federal and state lawmakers, governors, and insurance regulators, and its corporate social responsibility/ESG initiatives.

Lynn joined Genworth’s predecessor company, GE Financial Assurance, in 2001 and held several different positions in its Human Resources before assuming responsibility for implementation of Genworth’s ethics programs as the company’s Corporate Ombudsperson in 2005. In that capacity, she investigated and resolved ethical complaints and other concerns directed to Genworth’s Corporate Ombuds Office and its Board of Directors.

Lynn previously was employed by LeClair Ryan in Richmond, Virginia, and practiced in its Labor/Employment and Litigation groups. She began her career at Aetna Life Insurance Company in Middletown, Connecticut, where she was an Associate in its Management Development Program before becoming an Account Executive in Aetna’s Employee Benefits Division in New York City.

Lynn earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, summa cum laude, from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. She was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1996.

Lynn is affiliated with several professional and public service organizations. She formerly chaired the American College of Life Insurers’ Long Term Care Committee and is on the Board of the Life Insurance Council of New York. Lynn also serves on the Boards of the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Richmond, the United Way

Daniel Wilson

Senior Director of Government Affairs & Advocacy, National Council on Aging

Daniel Wilson is the Senior Director of Government Affairs & Advocacy for the National Council on Aging, where he advocates for aging priorities in front of Congress and the Administration. Prior to joining NCOA, he served as the Director of Marketing and Outreach for UnitedHealthcare and Director of Engagement and Advocacy.

Prior to his positions at UnitedHealthcare, Daniel served as a lobbyist for AARP, Director of Federal Affairs for PHI, formerly known as the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, and as the National and Federal Programs Director for Compassion and Choices. Prior to this for more than 10 years, Daniel served as the Director of Policy and Program Development for the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, Inc., Wilson’s political experience includes serving as Staff Assistant to Senator Charles Schumer (NY), Public Affairs Officer in the Office of Management and Budget under then President William Jefferson Clinton and Regional Finance Coordinator for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee under the leadership of Congresswoman Nita Lowey.

Daniel served as the 2016 Co-Chair for the Aging in America Conference that was held in Washington, DC. In 2017, Daniel was recognized by Next Avenue as one of the “Top 50 Influencers in Aging”. Daniel’s memberships include serving as a board member of TERRIFIC, Inc., a DC-based non-profit organization that serves the needs of the elderly through housing, congregate meals, transportation, and case management, the Montgomery County & Prince Georges County Hospice Association, and a Trustee at the Lab School of Washington, DC. In November of 2022, Daniel was elected to the Prince George’s County Maryland Democratic Central Committee representing District 23.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Daniel is a May 1999 graduate of Hampton University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He also holds an associate degree in Mortuary Science from the University of the District of Columbia.

Brandi Wolf

Policy and Research Director, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2015

Brandi Wolf is the Policy and Research Director for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2015, representing over 550,000 long-term care workers in California, including homecare providers and nursing home workers across the state.

Brandi has been advocating on behalf of the members of Local 2015 (and formerly the SEIU United Long Term Care Workers) since May 2011. Prior to that, Brandi worked for three years as a Legislative Aide in the office of State Senator Curren D. Price, Jr. (D-Los Angeles) where she handled legislative issues relating to Health & Human Services, Business & Professions and the State budget. During one of the worst economic crises of a generation, Brandi saw first-hand the devastating cuts being made in California, and in particular, to social services programs like the state’s Medicaid home care program – the In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program – a workforce that is predominantly women of color and immigrants. It was during these years of economic decline that Brandi understood the importance of advocating for those who do not often have a seat at the table.

In 2019, Brandi was appointed by the California Health and Human Services Secretary, Dr. Mark Gahly, to the Stakeholder Advisory Committee for the California Master Plan for Aging, with a goal of Creating a California for All Ages by 2030. In 2022, Brandi was appointed by Assembly Speaker (emeritus) Anthony Rendon to the California Long Term Care Insurance Taskforce and Brandi also served as a 2022-23 Mel King Fellow through the Community Innovators Lab in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT.

Brandi graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from California State University, Chico, and in 2011 earned her Master’s in Government from California State University, Sacramento.

Jaimie Worker

Senior Director of Policy and Research, Caring Across Generations

Jaimie Worker is the Senior Director of Policy and Research at Caring Across Generations. She leads the organization’s state and federal policy, advocacy, and research strategies for affordable, accessible care at every stage of life, support for family caregivers, and good jobs in the care economy. Jaimie is committed to ensuring that equity is a public policy priority and that leaders of communities most impacted by structural racism and oppression are key collaborators in developing public policy. She holds an M.S.W. from University of Michigan School of Social Work and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Michigan. Jaimie is the proud daughter of immigrants and is originally from Detroit, Michigan.