Kym holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Work and is a Certified Care Manager. Kym is a seasoned aging and senior care professional with over 30 years of experience dedicated to improving the lives of older adults. She currently serves as the Director of Client Care Services at Herzog Law Firm in Albany, NY, where she provides expert guidance to seniors and their families navigating the complexities of aging and long-term care planning. With a career built on advocacy, education, and resource development, Kym is committed to empowering older adults to live independently with dignity and the highest possible quality of life.

Ms. Schaeffer joined the Herzog Law Firm in 2016. Ms. Schaeffer focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning, elder law, special needs planning and estate administration.

Jane-Marie’s strength is her ability to listen to clients and explain complex planning in easy to understand terms.  Jane-Marie has a rich background in estate and tax law from over 30 years of experience working at both law firms and CPA firms.  She is able to use this knowledge to develop plans for clients, from the most simple to the very complex. Jane-Marie received her J.D. from St. John’s University in Jamaica, New York in 1993, and received her B.A. from New York University in New York, New York in 1990.  She is admitted to practice in both New York and Massachusetts.

Erica has spent more than 24 years serving those impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and currently serves as the Director of Community Outreach for the Coalition of New York State Alzheimer’s Association Chapters. In this role, Erica serves as an ambassador for statewide Alzheimer’s Association efforts and works collaboratively with key stakeholders to promote a greater understanding of Alzheimer’s disease as a public health issue, the importance of an early and accurate diagnosis and the awareness of services available through the Association.

Carl Thomsen is a long-time contractor, and building-trade teacher. His entire life has been about homes. From an early age, he was involved with home repair, maintenance, and building around his family home in NJ. As a general contractor, he has been fixing peoples’ homes for over 40 years.

Carl is also a NYS licensed home inspection (Thomsen Home Inspections). His inspection reports provide prospective buyers (or diligent sellers) with unparalleled clarity and insight into the safety, operation, and condition of the home systems. It is this degree of clear communication that helps clients make rational, informed buying decisions.

Ashley, the owner and instructor of Studio One Dance has a deep-rooted passion for dance and commitment to making it accessible to all. With a background in Speech Therapy and over a decade’s experience working with seniors and people with disabilities, Ashley has tailored her classes to be inclusive, supportive and fun. Her approach combines therapeutic movement with the joy of dance, ensuring that every participant feels valued and empowered.

Greg Olsen is the director of the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA). Mr. Olsen oversees the day-to-day operations of the office and the administration of federal and state-funded programs designed to assist the more than 3.7 million older adult residents in the state, as well as programs that assist family members and others involved with helping older adults needing greater levels of assistance. NYSOFA assists older New Yorkers to be as independent as possible, for as long as possible, through advocacy and the development and delivery of programs and services that support and empower older New Yorkers and their families, in partnership with the network of public and private organizations that serve them. Mr. Olsen has served in a variety of executive management positions within the agency.

Prior to joining NYSOFA, Mr. Olsen served as chief of staff and legislative and policy director for Assemblyman Steve Englebright, former chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Aging.

Mr. Olsen was executive director of the New York State Alliance for Retired Americans, a union supported organization representing hundreds of thousands of union retirees. He also served as executive director of the New York State Coalition for the Aging, a nonprofit membership organization representing over 200 community-based organizations providing non-medical long-term care to the state’s older adult population.

He received his master’s degree in social work with a specialty in gerontology from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School.

James Globe, CISSP is the Vice President, Strategic Advisor Cybersecurity Capabilities at Center for Internet (CIS)®.  Globe serves as the senior leader within OSS responsible for advising on strategic cybersecurity capabilities, cybersecurity workforce, data analytic analysis, frameworks, emerging and enabling technologies for use by State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) members.

He has more than 20 years in technology leadership including extensive experience engineering signal intelligence mission systems, workflow management systems, financial and banking systems, modeling and simulation systems, and web-based information portals for top-tier banking and defense contracting organizations including Bank of America, SAIC, BAE Systems, and L3 Harris Technologies.

James earned a Bachelor of Science in computer science and mathematics from Georgia State University. He also holds a Master of Science from John Hopkins University in telecommunications and security engineering.

DeeDee M. Bennett Gayle, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC) at the University at Albany, State University of New York. She is the lead director of the Extreme Events, Social Equity, and Technology Lab. Her research broadly examines the influence and integration of advanced technologies on the practice of emergency management and for use by vulnerable populations, in particular older adults, people with disabilities, as well as racial and ethnic minorities. Recently, her studies have also focused on workforce development and participation in disaster management fields.

Dr. Bennett-Gayle has led several research grants and contracts as PI or Co-PI, including from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security. Employing experimental designs, qualitative one-on-one and focus group interviews, and quantitative survey analysis, her research explores ways to increase disaster preparedness, reduce vulnerability, and shorten recovery primarily in the United States. Her work spans all hazards, focused on micro-level impacts from tornadoes, hurricanes, extreme winter weather, infectious diseases, wildfires, and flooding, among others. Her studies also include investigating the use of a wide range of technologies for disaster preparedness, such as mobile wireless devices, social media platforms, mobile applications, virtual reality, personal intelligence devices, and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Bennett Gayle’s work has been used in the formation of policy. She has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging regarding disaster planning for people with disabilities and older adults and presented in town halls for the NYS Assembly members regarding COVID-19. She is co-author on five Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulatory filings and White House comments, many of which were cited in rulemaking. Her work has been covered or quoted in Spectrum News, Washington Post, Newsweek, USA Today, CNBC, WURD Philadelphia, and Honolulu Civil Beat, among others.

With over 60 publications, her work is published in various journals and conferences related to emergency management, disability, wireless technology, and future studies. She co-authored the book Empowered or Left Behind: The Use of Technology During COVID-19 and co-edited the edited book volume Social Vulnerability to COVID-19: Impacts of Technology Adoption and Information Behavior. In 2023, she was selected as one of the Ocean Decade Champions by the National Science Foundation and the Kaleta A. Doolin Foundation for research on marginalized populations. Dr. Bennett Gayle received her PhD in Fire and Emergency Management from Oklahoma State University. She has a unique academic background, receiving her MS in Public Policy and BS in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

500 RYT, Chair Yoga certified

Barbara’s teaching and yoga practice is informed by a lifetime of dance and movement.  She holds a deep belief that dance, yoga, and qigong all have great value for every “body” and every heart in navigating this experience called life.

Barbara is a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, and holds multiple certifications including Lakshmi Voekler’s Chair Yoga, Daisy Lee’s Radiant Lotus Women’s Qigong, and Roger Jahnke’s Tai Chi Easy.

For information about her class schedule (including Zoom) visit:

riverandmountainhealingenergies.com

Erting Sa is a Certified Health & Well-Being Coach and Ph.D. Candidate in Health Communication at the State University of New York at Albany. She supports driven individuals navigating chronic conditions and low energy in building personalized ecosystems of self-support that foster self-exploration, sustained well-being and performance. Grounded in evidence-based strategies, her coaching makes meaningful health behavior change both attainable and enduring. Her doctoral research explores how spouses of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease perceive changes to their sense of self, with particular attention to how disruptions in marital reality shape identity and well-being.

Erting is dedicated to advancing whole-person well-being and meaningful human connection through both scholarship and practice. She has shared her research insights at leading conferences including the International Communication Association (ICA), the International Association for Relationship Research (IARR), and the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC). She has also facilitated group health coaching sessions for higher education leaders at international conferences and for community groups at the local level.

Erting is actively involved in community initiatives, integrating health education, coaching, and volunteer service to empower family caregivers. Her commitment to supporting this community is a tribute to her grandfather, who cared for her grandmother with Alzheimer’s disease for 26 years.

Prior to her health coaching career, Erting taught undergraduate courses at SUNY Albany, served as Vice President of the Chinese Community Center in New York’s Capital Region, and worked a for the United Nations Volunteers in Germany.