Speakers

Mark E. Wight, J.D. 

Attorney and Founder, Idaho Estate Planning

Mark, Founder and President of Idaho Estate Planning, is passionate about helping families plan for their futures. Mark has a degrees in philosophy and environmental studies from Utah State University and a law degree from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University.

 An expert on estate and legacy planning as well as asset protection and tax planning, he has co-authored several manuals for attorneys in the areas of Probate Administration, Estate and Estate Tax Planning, and Asset Protection. His book, “Get Real: Planning for Life, Death, and Disability” is available on Amazon.com. Mark is also an often requested speaker and facilitator on the same topics.

 Mark and his wife of 41 years reside in Boise and have six children, and five grandchildren. 

Event Host and Panel Mediator

Dee Childers

Owner and Professional Aging Life Care™ Manager, Life Changes Elder Care Consulting

 Dee Childers, owner and Professional Aging Life Care™ Manager, is certified by the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (CMC). Dee started Life Changes in May of 2012 after personally experiencing the complex and often confusing world of senior care.

Dee has a BS in Psychology and a MS in Marriage and Family Therapy. She comes to this profession with 30 years in corporate America as a Human Resources Executive with extensive experience in interpersonal dynamics, crisis management, conflict resolution, mediation, benefits, and health and safety. She worked for six years in several non-profits and private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist. She has been a caregiver for over ten years, including to her own parents and understands the demands and emotional turmoil of caregiving and the tolls it takes on you, your aging loved one and the family. 

Dee is a court ordered Guardian and Conservator, with experience with the legal and medical systems.  She is a certified Elder Mediator and volunteers for the Alzheimer’s Association facilitating the Early Stage Support Group. She is a certified Advance Care Plan facilitator. Dee has served on the board of Idaho Guardians and Fiduciary Association since 2012 served as President for 2018 & 2019. She previously served on the board for Friend in Action, a non-profit providing respite caregiving, JAVA, the Justice Alliance for Vulnerable Adults, and IHCA Foundation. She is a member of the professional association, Aging Life Care Association^®.

How Do You Afford To Age In Place: Friday, October 14, 2022 @ 11:00 am

Eric Collett

Principal & CEO, A Mind For All Seasons

Eric Collett is the Principal and CEO of A Mind For All Seasons, LLC, an innovative company specializing in helping people of all ages optimize their cognitive functioning and improve symptoms of post-concussive disorders, dementia, brain fog, anxiety, depression, ADD, and other brain-related conditions. He is a nationally recognized speaker, consultant and dementia expert, a licensed residential care administrator, and a teacher at Boise State University and the College of Western Idaho. Eric passionately believes that lifelong learning is a key to finding powerful new solutions to significant challenges and has been working to change lives through innovative dementia care techniques, brain health interventions, program development, and leadership strategies since 2000.

Keeping Your Brain Healthy At Home: Thursday, October 13th, 2022 @ 10:00 am 

Det. Edward Fritz

Crime Prevention Supervisor, Boise Police Department

Ed Fritz is the Crime Prevention Supervisor for the Boise Police Department.  He has been in this role for 9 years, with an emphasis in business crime prevention.  Prior to working for BPD, he worked in retail loss prevention and security for 17 years, holding positions at store, district, and corporate levels.  Ed is the current Chair of the Organized Retail Crime Association of Idaho, which he helped found in 2015.  He is the past President of the Idaho Crime Prevention Association and a Director for the US CPTED Association.  He is a graduate of Boise State University with a Bachelor of Social Science in Criminal Justice.  He is a Certified Law Enforcement Security Assessment Specialist, a certified Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) instructor and has his Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Professional Designation. 

In his spare time, he enjoys spending it with his family in the Idaho outdoors.

Protecting Your Team: Friday, October 14th, 2022 @ 1:00 pm 

Dr. Abhilash Desai, MD

Medical Director, Idaho Memory & Aging Center | Associate Professor, University of Washington School of Medicine

Abhilash Desai MD is a geriatric psychiatrist, medical director of Idaho Memory &
Aging Center, P.L.L.C., and an adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of
Psychiatry at University of Washington School of Medicine. He is the co-author
(along with his mentor Dr. George Grossberg, a national and international leader
in Geriatric Psychiatry) of the book Psychiatric Consultation in Long-term Care: A
guide for healthcare professionals, 2nd Edition published by Cambridge University
Press in 2017. He was the guest editor for Clinics of Geriatric Medicine special
issue titled Healthy Brain Aging: Evidence based methods to preserve brain
function and prevent dementia 2010. His practice focuses on helping patients with
dementia and their family members live the best life possible. He has been in
practice for 23 years. Dr. Desai and his wife Faith Galliano Desai PhD conduct
workshops on brain health and wellness for all age groups.

How to Be Coachable As You Age: Thursday, October 13th, 2022 @ 11:30 am 

Mike Rice, MPH

Fit and Fall Proof™ Coordinator, Central District Health

Mike has earned several specialized accreditations in addition to his formal education. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and An Exercise Physiologist and Inclusive Fitness Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine.
Mike has been a Fit and Fall Proof™ Coordinator for over nine years. In that capacity, He trains volunteer leaders to facilitate Fit and Fall Proof™ exercise classes, which are currently Idaho’s leading falls prevention exercise program.
Mike complements his pursuit of physical fitness with personal safety by providing home safety checks for seniors. He enjoys these one-on-one interactions as well as working with groups which he accomplishes by making group presentations on falls prevention and senior safety.
Physical activity and fitness are not just part of Mike’s work life. He practices what he preaches. In his off-time, he participates in 5K runs. One of his more unique pursuits is kettlebell competitions. Both allow Mike to lead by his own active lifestyle example.
When he makes time for more mental than physical endeavors, Mike enjoys reading. He likes a wide range of stories including science fiction, philosophy, and psychology. He enjoys movies in these genres as well.

Maintaining Mobility and Physical Health: Wednesday, October 12th, 2022 @ 11:00 am 

Beth Alpaugh

CEO and President, Simple Bites Meals

Beth Alpaugh, founder and owner of Simple Bites Meals is originally from Caldwell, Idaho.  She graduated from Weber State University in Ogden Utah with a BS in Communication and minor in Business Marketing.

 Beth married her husband 35 years ago and moved to Europe with the United States Air Force. They then lived in many other places, but once they had children, she wanted to come home to Idaho.  In 2002 Beth began her venture to build her own business and plan for her husband’s retirement from the US Air Force in 2007.

Beth started her business as a small coffeehouse in East Boise in December 2002. Soon there were two coffeehouses and then turned the company into a full service catering company. After spending many years as one of the Treasure Valley’s largest caterer, she was asked to make items to resell in one of Idaho’s largest convenience store chain.

In 2014 she began wholesaling some of their products locally to keep the staff busy during the slower hours of the day. 

Now, Simple Bites produces thousands of fresh deli sandwiches, salads, and other fresh grab-n-go items weekly in our USDA certified kitchen being sold all throughout Idaho. 

 When COVID changed business in 2020 for everyone, she had to figure out a way to keep going…Welcome to Simple Bites Meals, single serve frozen meals ready to reheat and eat.

This program combines all the things she loves:  business, people, food, service, simplicity, and her drive to continuously do better. 

 Beth is a natural at marketing, public relations and change. She does not let the grass grow under her feet and is always looking for new growth. Her motto is “if I am comfortable then the business is not growing!”

 “I’ve been in business almost 20 years, putting my all into cultivating my company to this point of fulfilling my true passion and living my best life. It hasn’t always been easy, but I’m proud to offer this service that Simple Bites brings to my community.”

Maintaining Mobility and Physical Health: Wednesday, October 12th, 2022 @ 11:00 am