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Social Work Summit:

Susan is a graduate of Iowa State University with a BS in Family and Consumer Science and has worked in Senior Care providing education and caregiving support programing for over 15 years. She is the Program Manager for the American Parkinson’s Disease Association providing Information and Referral to local resources. Susan has a passion for helping people live more fulfilling lives wherever they are on their life journey.

Crystal has over thirty years of experience in empowering individuals within her field. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from the University of Montana and a certification in Aging and Geriatrics from Boston University. Additionally, she is a certified Information and Referral Specialist and an Options Counselor.

Having dedicated nineteen years to Aging Resources, Crystal has undertaken various roles that encompass the full spectrum of services offered by the organization. She is deeply committed to serving the most vulnerable members of the community and actively collaborates with others to advance the goal of assisting those in need.

Erica Eikren is a Northwest Iowa native with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, certified as a Dementia Friend and an active advocate for families with a dementia journey like her own. She is a resource for those with Alzheimer’s and all other Dementias with their families in her role as Program Manager for the Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

She joined the Iowa Chapter staff in January of 2024, after being a volunteer for Des Moines Walk to End Alzheimer’s from 2017-2023. Some of Erica’s current roles include supporting research funding and legislation that positively impacts those living with the disease and their caregivers. She also serves the Association as a media spokesperson, acts as a support group facilitator for caregivers and provides educational programming to spread the mission of the association to the 105 counties that the chapter represents.

Sarah Trone Garriott is IA State Senator for Dallas County. First elected in 2020, she serves on several committees: Health and Human Services, Education, Natural Resources, Commerce, and Administrative Rules Review. An ordained Lutheran Minister (ELCA), Trone Garriott also works as the Coordinator of Interfaith Engagement for the Des Moines Area Religious Council Food Pantry Network.

Attorney Cynthia Letsch practices primarily in the areas of elder law, estate planning, special needs planning, guardianship and conservatorship, and post death.  She is admitted to practice in the states of Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri, and the Federal Districts of Nebraska and Southern Iowa.  She is a member of the elder law and probate sections of numerous bar associations and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Special Needs Alliance, a Certified Medicaid Planner, and is a frequent speaker on topics related to Medicaid planning and substitute decision-making. 

Michael Mortensen is a retired United States Army Non-Commissioned Officer. His military service took him to 23 different countries. He served two combat tours in Iraq and oversaw military detainee and combatant operations in both Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Mr. Mortensen has been a County Veteran Service Officer since 2014 and served as the President of the Iowa Association of County Commissioners and Veteran Service Officers from 2018 to 2023. He currently serves as the Deputy Director of Veteran Affairs for Polk County.

Jane Nady is a Human Behavior Expert and Master Certified Mindset & Resilience Coach who empowers individuals and organizations to turn obstacles into opportunities and take control of their outcomes. Drawing from her extensive experience including her role as the former Suicide & Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator for the Iowa National Guard and her time as a First Responder, Jane understands what it truly takes to build unbreakable resilience—and why maintaining it can mean the difference between thriving and merely surviving. With a unique blend of expertise and personal experience, she empowers others to get out of their own way and unlock the strength they already possess to turn their toughest challenges into their greatest victories.

Anne O’Rear holds a Bachelor of Science in Gerontology. She also holds certifications in Care Management, Dementia Care, and Activity and Program Planning. Anne brings 12 years of healthcare experience and over 18 years of personal and professional experience in dementia care to her role as Dementia Community Care Specialist for the Broadlawns Memory Clinic. Anne is committed to enhancing the lives of individuals living with dementia and their care partners through education, support, and community partnerships.

Blair A. Overton has been a licensed funeral director since 1992. Raised in Traer, Iowa, Blair was a 1986 graduate of North Tama High School and continued his education at the University of Iowa, where he graduated with a degree in economics in 1990.

Blair received his education in mortuary sciences at the New England Institute in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. Upon graduation in 1991, he received the Fredrick J. Walker Award for highest academic average and the Founders Award for the most promise of outstanding contribution to funeral service. While in Boston, Blair worked full time for the J. S. Waterman & Sons Funeral Home.

Returning to Iowa, Blair joined the family business as the fourth generation representing Overton Funeral Homes. He, along with two partners, purchased the family funeral homes and expanded the operations to the Des Moines area in 2008. In 2020 Blair, along with his business partner Sara Bering, purchased the Des Moines operations.

Blair has served families for thirty years. He has owned and operated funeral homes in small towns and the greater Des Moines metroplex, as well as a cremation society and two cemeteries. He has witnessed many changes in the end-of-life arena, and now has operated through a pandemic.

Zachary Rhein currently serves as the Director of the Aging and Disability Services Division within the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this role, he leads statewide efforts to support older adults and individuals with disabilities through strategic program development and service delivery.
With more than 20 years of experience across federal and state government and nonprofit sectors, Rhein has dedicated his career to designing and implementing programs that address essential needs and promote individual well-being.
Previously, he served as Director of Programs at the Iowa Department on 
Aging, where he led key initiatives aimed at helping older Iowans maintain independence. His roles included RSVP Program Director, where he oversaw volunteer recruitment and program development, and Compliance Officer, responsible for monitoring Iowa’s six Area Agencies on Aging to ensure alignment with the Older Americans Act.
Following the state’s agency alignment initiative in July 2023, the Department on Aging’s functions were integrated into Iowa HHS, enhancing coordination and service delivery across related areas.
In addition to his public service, Rhein has been an adjunct faculty member at Des Moines Area Community College, Iowa State University, George Mason University, and Washburn University, teaching courses in persuasive writing, communication, and interviewing skills.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Kentucky and a Master of Arts in English Literature from Southern Illinois University.
Rhein resides in West Des Moines with his wife, Sara, and their four children.

Shelby Ridley has a Bachelors in Social Work from the University of Northern Iowa and Masters in Social Work from the University of Iowa. Shelby joined Primary Health Care, Inc's Homeless Support Services in 2012 as a case manager for veterans experiencing homelessness. She continued working with people experiencing homelessness and helped implement the Centralized Intake system within Polk County and worked as the Homeless Support Services Program Director for the last 8 years before becoming the Director of Programs this past year. Shelby's job includes grant writing, community building, policy creation and daily program management.

Jenna Schuck has a Bachelors from the University of Iowa. She joined Primary Health Care in 2019 as a Centralized Intake Worker and was promoted to Centralized Intake Program Manager in 2023. Her job includes grant writing, community building, policy creation and daily program management.

Lila Starr has worked for the Iowa DHHS for 40 years. She has been Iowa’s Older Adult Mental Health Specialist since 1999, and Iowa’s PASRR Program Manager since 2011, currently working in the Division of Aging and Disability Services. She has held a variety of responsibilities including Child Protective Treatment Worker, Adult Mental Health Specialist, Mental Health Block Grant Planner, Olmstead Coordinator, PATH Coordinator, and Disaster Mental Health Coordinator. She has managed a host of contracts and projects in areas including mental health and corrections, homelessness and homeless outreach, peer support, disaster mental health, evidence-based practices, and more for adults and older adults with mental illness and other disabilities. Lila created and managed the Iowa Peer Support Training Academy 2005 - 2014. She has served as Iowa’s designee to the Older Persons Division of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors since 1999 and continues to serve on the Executive Committee. Lila has been a member of the National Association of PASRR Professionals, NAPP, since its creation in 2007, and presently serves as a member of the Board of Directors and Vice-Chair. Lila is the co-founder and creator of the Iowa Coalition on Mental Health and Aging, which launched in 2005 and grew to have over 500 members in Iowa and around the country. In November of 2011, Lila began her current role as program manager for the Preadmission Screening and Resident Review program (PASRR), which addresses federal and state standards for mental health and disability screening, care panning, and service delivery for all persons who may enter nursing facilities in Iowa. She oversees a contract with Maximus to implement PASRR in Iowa.

·Greg has been the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) Program Coordinator at Iowa HHS since the program’s inception almost five years ago. Prior to that Greg worked for five years as a Program Coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter where he covered north-central Iowa and was based in Fort Dodge. Originally from Newton, he has a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Drake University and a Master of Public Health degree in Community and Behavioral Health from the University of Iowa. He was a CNA and has previously been involved in research surrounding Fragile X syndrome, spinal cord injuries and a variety of public health issues.

Danielle Workman is an Advocate and Outreach Coordinator for Disability Rights Iowa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a Social Work Concentration from Simpson College. Additionally, Danielle obtained her Master of Social Work from the University of Iowa and is licensed in the State of Iowa. Prior to joining Disability Rights Iowa, Danielle’s human services career started at Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) working in Home and Community Based Services. Danielle has worked as Direct Support Professional, Caseworker, Program Supervisor, and Service Coordinator while at LSI. This progression in her career has helped Danielle develop into a strong advocate for Iowans with Disabilities. Danielle is able to bring a wide range of experiences to her advocacy work at Disability Rights Iowa, and looks forward to continued systems change work on behalf of Iowans with Disabilities.