Upcoming Meetings & Events
GCA Annual Conference
Schedule
8:00 AM - Breakfast Service Begins
8:15 AM - 8:45 AM Business Meeting
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Session I - State of the State in Protective Proceedings - Jefff Petty
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM Session II - Legislative 125 Work Group
11:15 AM - 12: 15 PM Session III – Guardian Partners - Ellen Klem & Jeni Bennett
12:15 PM - 1:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Session IV - Sage Advice to Fiduciaries from a Veteran Probate Attorney (and Past GCA President) - Attorney Tim McNeil
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM Session V - Medicare Basics - Bob Earnst
Presentation Material
Presentation materials will be located in the Member Portal (login required)
Registration (Closes Nov 10)
Registration is managed through Squarespace. Visit the Member Meeting Registration page to register. You must be signed in to your GCA account to complete registration.
Please note: Registration is $100 for all attendees and is separate from annual membership dues.
Virtual Option will be available
Conference Presentations & Speakers
Get to know this year's presenters and explore the topics featured in the 2026 GCA Annual Conference. Presentation descriptions and speaker biographies are provided below.
Session I | State of the State in Protective Proceedings
Presenters: Jeff Petty & Carley Pouland
Speaker Bios
Jefff Petty is the probate legal policy advisor in the Civil Courts Program Division (CCPD) of the Oregon Judicial Department (OJD). He is a member of the OSB and has been working for OJD since 2013 in various probate- and protective proceeding-focused positions. Questions, concerns, comments via email at jeffrey.m.petty@ojd.state.or.us.
Carley Pouland is the Protective Proceedings Analyst and Conservatorship Audit Program (CAP) auditor in the Civil Courts Program Division (CCPD) of the Oregon Judicial Department (OJD). She is a member of the OSB and prior to her current position was a practicing juvenile law attorney. She can be reached at carley.c.pouland@ojd.state.or.us.
Session II | Legislative 125 Work Group
Prsenter Details
Kali Jensen, Karen Fabiano, and Christian Hale are professional fiduciaries and members of the GCA Legislative Committee. Kali is current GCA President and owner of Succession PDX, LLC. Past President Karen Fabiano is the owner of Fabiano Fiduciary, LLC, and brings 16 years' experience as a fiduciary in Oregon. Rounding out the panel is past President Christian Hale, owner of Senior Fiduciary Services, LLC.
Session III | Guardian Partners
Presenter: Ellen Klem
Speaker Bios
Ellen Klem is an attorney and nationally recognized advocate focused on improving the lives of vulnerable adults through legal, policy, and community-based work. A former advisor under Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, she testified before the U.S. Senate and appeared on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, and is especially excited to return to Cleveland for this conference as a graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
A social worker at heart, Jeni Bennett has dedicated her career to advocating for our most vulnerable populations. Her work has spanned supporting adolescents in dual-diagnosis treatment facilities, giving a voice to foster children involved in dependency and delinquency courts, and promoting dignity and empowerment for individuals legally deemed incapacitated.
Session IV | Sage Advice to Fiduciaries from a Veteran Probate Attorney (and Past GCA President)
Presenter: Attorney Tim McNeil
Speaker Bio
Tim received a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Notre Dame in 1990, and his law degree from Lewis & Clark’s Northwestern School of Law in 1995. After law school, Tim worked for non-profit and governmental land conservation organizations before developing into an elder law attorney in 2000. Tim became a partner in The Elder Law Firm in 2007.
Tim’s practice covers all of the basic elements of elder law, including long term care and estate planning, guardianship and conservatorship, and probate. He has been a highly rated speaker on elder law topics at Oregon State Bar continuing legal education programs since his first presentation in 2003. When he is not working, Tim enjoys listening to live music, backpacking, and sharing a cold beer on the patio with friends.
Session V | Medicare Basics
Presenter: Bob Earnst
Speaker Bio
Bob graduated from Portland State and went to work for the State of Oregon, Department of Human Services, where he started as a Case Manager and then was promoted to Management and worked for 20 years managing several branch offices throughout the State. He was with DHS for 24 years and then worked for DOJ for 6 years where he was the Regional Manager for the Child Support Program serving Multnomah County, Clackamas County, Washington County and several surrounding Counties. Upon retirement he became a SHIBA (Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance) Volunteer and have been a volunteer for 22 years. In retirement, he worked part time for Multnomah County Aging Disability Veterans Services for 11 years as a Medicare Outreach Specialist. He has been presenting the Medicare Basics class at Mt Hood Community College for 14 years.
GCA Quarterly Members Meeting
GCA Quarterly Members Meeting
Schedule
8:00 AM - Breakfast & Networking
8:30 AM - Member Meeting
9:00 AM - Break & Vendor Introduction
9:15 AM - Oregon Care Partners Presentation
10:15 AM - Break & Vendor Introduction
10:30 AM - Chapter 125 Workgroup Project
11:30 AM - Break & Vendor Introduction
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM - SHIBA Presentation
Presentation Details
This carefully curated lineup promises a diverse range of topics and expertise, ensuring an engaging and informative event for all attendees.
Presentation 1: Oregon Care Partners
Explore normal vs. non-normal aging, featuring brain slides detailing what happens when Alzheimer's develops. This session centers on Teepa Snow’s compassionate approach to dementia care alongside our presenter's firsthand experience developing resources for the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC).
Presenter: Suanne Jackson
Speaker Bio: Suanne Jackson is a certified Teepa Snow Positive Approach to Care Trainer/educator for people supporting folks living with Dementia. She volunteers for Villages NW and the WLLO Village, helping individuals living alone stay in their homes as long as possible with volunteer support. With more than 35 years of experience in staff development and training, she was an Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) program analyst for the Oregon State Unit on Aging, where she provided training and coordination for Oregon’s ADRCs and Area Agency on Aging offices. Previously, she worked as a project coordinator and trainer for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s national initiatives "Jobs to Careers" (2006–2009) and "Better Jobs Better Care" (2003–2006). She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Humboldt State University.
Presentation 2: Chapter 125 Workgroup Project
GCA’s Legislative Committee is actively involved with the statewide Chapter 125 Workgroup to rewrite the guardian/conservator statutes based on the Uniform Guardian Act. This could become law within the next couple of years. Come get involved in the process and voice your thoughts on the future of your daily practice!
Speaker Bios: Kali Jensen, Karen Fabiano, and Christian Hale are professional fiduciaries and members of the GCA Legislative Committee.
Kali Jensen is the current GCA President and owner of Succession PDX, LLC.
Karen Fabiano, Past President of GCA, is the owner of Fabiano Fiduciary, LLC, and brings 16 years of experience as a fiduciary in Oregon.
Christian Hale, also a Past President of GCA, completes the panel and is the owner of Senior Fiduciary Services, LLC.
Presentation 3: SHIBA
Get a clear overview of how SHIBA counselors guide Medicare beneficiaries through complex choices—including Medigap comparisons, Part D reviews, and Medicare Advantage vs. Original Medicare. Learn exactly how SHIBA can support your clients, understand the boundaries of their services, and discover how they connect clients to income-based program agencies. A Q&A session will follow.
Presenter: Ann
Speaker Bio: Ann is a program specialist with SHIBA of Lane County, working alongside a dedicated team of certified volunteer counselors to help individuals navigate the complexities of Medicare. She works directly with community members to break down the core differences between Original Medicare ("the system of parts") and Medicare Advantage plans ("all-in-one" bundled coverage). Beyond Medicare guidance, Ann assists clients by connecting them with local partner agencies for financial assistance eligibility screening. Through attentive listening and practical guidance, she is passionate about empowering callers to make confident healthcare decisions and serves as a collaborative resource for fiduciaries advocating for their clients' Medicare needs.
Presentation Material
Presentation materials are located in the Member Portal (login required)
Registration Details
Click HERE to register for the conference
Please fill out a separate form for each individual attending.
Meet & Greet Happy Hour
Join other GCA members at 5:00pm on Thursday, August 13 (the night before the Quarterly Members Meeting).
The PublicHouse (Inside “The Study” room)
418 A Street, Ste. 4606
Springfield, OR
Well drinks, beer, soft drinks, and snacks provided by co-hosts Sara Hoadley of S.J. Guardian Services and Karen Fabiano, of Fabiano, Fiduciary.
Attendees are encouraged to wear their most colorful, flowery summer casual outfit. Be ready to play low-key icebreaker games for prizes.
Your family members, GCA-allied professionals, and other guests are welcome!
Click HERE to register for Happy Hour
GCA Quarterly Members Meeting
Schedule:
8:00 - Breakfast
8:30 - Member Meeting
9:30 - AARP Presentation
10:45-11:00 - Break
11:00-12:30 - Medical Ethics Presentation
Presentation Information:
1. AARP ‘HomeFit’ Program - guidelines on age-friendly housing. We will hear how home modifications will enhance seniors’ safety and comfort in an age when current housing stock doesn’t suit our elders’ needs. Keeping clients at home is a ‘least restrictive alternative’ if it can be done safely and within cost parameters.
2. Erleen Whitney, PhD. will lead us in an important session about medical ethics as applied to our vulnerable clients. After learning some basic ‘pillars’ of ethics, we will break into discussion groups to review the elements of a sticky (true) case history.
Resolving Bio-ethical Dilemmas - Presentation
Register here.
GCA Quarterly Members Meeting
Our February meeting will be virtual.
More information coming soon!
GCA Quarterly Members Meeting
Would you like to be a Sponsor for one of our 2024 Member Meetings?
Meet & Greet Happy Hour
Well drinks, beer, soft drinks, and snacks provided by co-hosts Sara Joy Hoadley and Karen Fabiano, GCA members.
GCA Quarterly Members Meeting
Would you like to be a Sponsor for one of our 2024 Member Meetings?
GCA Quarterly Members Meeting
Would you like to be a Sponsor for one of our 2024 Member Meetings?