News & Events

Region 2000 Summit on Age Wave Planning

Region 2000 Summit on Age Wave Planning a Success

By Denise Scruggs, Director
Beard Center on Aging at Lynchburg College

On November 20, 2009, ninety people gathered at Lynchburg College for the Region 2000 Summit on Age Wave Planning. Educators, seniors, business leaders, and service providers were among those who attended to learn more about the pending 2030 Age Wave and the impact it will have in the community. The summit, a first in Region 2000, was modeled after the Older Dominion Partnership’s Summit on Aging held in Charlottesville earlier this year.

Linda Nablo, Virginia’s Commissioner on Aging, set the stage for the day by talking about the aging trends and projections for Virginia and Region 2000. Other speakers who talked about the role of the aging worker, the economic implications of an aging community, and living communities for all citizens included Terry Rephann, regional economist for the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service; Hugh Keogh, president for the Virginia Chamber of Commerce; and David Shotwell, Senior Director for AARP’s Living Communities. Best practice models for Danville and Rappahannock-Rapidan were also shared by Cynthia Jones and Chris Miller.

John Martin, president of the Boomer Project, provided the highlight of the day -- a lunch keynote on “How Boomers Will Change the Future.”  He spoke about generational differences and the impact these differences will have on older adults’ expectations and future service needs.

The day ended with lively small group discussions and participants sharing their thoughts on where we go from here as Region 2000 prepares for the 2030 Age Wave.

The event was sponsored by the Beard Center on Aging at Lynchburg College, in partnership with AARP Virginia and the Central Virginia Area Agency on Aging.

Click here to view the presentation. [PDF, 10M]