Keynote Speakers
James Lawrence
James Lawrence is known as The Iron Cowboy for the signature cowboy hat he wears while running races so his five kids can see him coming from far away. James is an ultra-endurance athlete who has pushed himself beyond what many doctors previously believed to be physiologically possible. In so doing, he has redefined both mental toughness and physical endurance. In 2012, James did 30 Ironman triathlons which put him in the Guinness Book of World Records. In 2015, he completed The 50-50-50; 50 Ironman distance triathlons, in 50 consecutive days, in 50 different states…all while raising money to combat childhood obesity. That astounding accomplishment is the subject of the critically acclaimed Amazon Prime documentary; "Iron Cowboy | The Story of the 50.50.50." In 2021, he did the unimaginable, completing The CONQUER 100, 100 Ironman distance triathlons, in 100 consecutive days! That’s 140.6 miles per day, every day, for 14 straight weeks, for a total of 14,060 miles! He is a best-selling author and the subject of a critically acclaimed feature film. James continues to redefine the impossible in his life, while teaching audiences around the world to do the same in their own lives.
Speaking Events
Governor Mark Parkinson
The Honorable Mark Parkinson is the president and chief executive officer of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, which represents more than 12,000 for- and not- for-profit nursing homes, assisted living residences, and centers for the care of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Before leading AHCA/NCAL, the native Kansan was a successful businessman, state legislator, and most recently served as the 45th Governor of the State of Kansas. In 1996, Parkinson focused on a new passion—helping to enhance seniors’ quality of life by providing first-class, elder care centers. His experience as founder and CEO of centers offering skilled nursing care, assisted living, and dementia-related care has given Parkinson a perspective that spans the continuum of care.
Speaking Events
Tuesday, July 23
8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
LaShuan Bethea
LaShuan Bethea is the executive director of the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) – the assisted living voice of the American Health Care Association (AHCA). Bethea joined NCAL from Genesis Healthcare, Inc. where she served in various leadership roles from 2007 – 2021. Bethea, a registered nurse and attorney, has a depth of long term care experience. She began at Genesis HealthCare in February 2007 and quickly advanced to the director of regulatory and program development before being promoted in 2015 to vice president of legislative affairs. She assumed a dual role as vice president of reimbursement in 2020 and was appointed to chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee in June 2020. Bethea received her law degree from Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg, PA. She earned a Master’s degree in Education from American Intercontinental University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Phoenix.
Speaking Events
Tuesday, July 23
8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Legislative Panelists
FHCA CEO & Government Affairs Team: FHCA Chief Executive Officer Emmett Reed, Lead Lobbyist Toby Philpot, Senior Director of Policy and Reimbursement Tom Parker are the lead advocates for Florida Health Care Association who lobby for the long term care priorities that will make a positive impact on resident quality care and facility operations.
Speaking Events
Kimberly Smoak
Kim Smoak has been with the Agency for Health Care Administration since August 1995. She is the Deputy Secretary of the Division of Health Quality Assurance. The Division licenses and/or certifies and regulates 40 different providers, including, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home health agencies. Ms. Smoak is also the State Survey Agency Director for the State of Florida. She holds a Master of Science in Health with the program emphasis in Aging Studies and is also a Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP). In 2009 and 2017, she received Survey & Certification Achievement Awards, presented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for her work in Survey and Certification.
Speaking Events
Kyle Scheele
Kyle Scheele has been called "the patron saint of crazy ideas.” Whether he's having a Viking funeral for the regrets of 21,000 people, hosting the world's first fake marathon, or gaining a million TikTok followers in just 25 hours, Kyle is always on the lookout for crazy ideas that produce wildly outsized outcomes. Over the last decade, his projects have been featured in outlets like Fast Company, WIRED, The Washington Post, Yahoo!, BuzzFeed, UpWorthy, Goalcast, and more. His videos have been viewed over 250 million times, and he has spoken to hundreds of thousands of audience members across the United States. More than anything, Kyle hopes that his story can inspire others to chase their own crazy ideas and become the people they were meant to be.