The Oregon White House Conference on Aging is a satellite version of the National White House Conference on Aging. It’s an opportunity for Oregon policymakers, advocates and consumers to offer their perspectives on state and national policy issues that impact older Oregonians, their families, and their communities.

The first White House Conference on Aging was held in 1961, and subsequent conferences have occurred approximately every decade since. These conferences have been integral in developing aging policy over the past 50 years, including the establishment of new programs and improvements in many programs that serve older adults including: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the Older Americans Act.  For this year’s conference, the White House has encouraged individual states to hold their own events which will help to inform discussion at the national, Washington, DC-based, conference in July.

Issues that impact older adults also impact people of all ages, and this unique conference will offer a variety of viewpoints and opportunities for diverse stakeholders to come together and recommend policies that can benefit multiple generations in communities throughout Oregon.


The first program includes the welcome, Keynotes by Nora Super and Dr. Bill Thomas and the closing recommendations and next steps for the May 20, 2015 Conference.


The second program features Panel 1 on Retirement Security. Panelists include Dave Topagna, Carole Wildermuth, Victoria Blachly and Steve Weiss, moderated by Brent Hunsberger.


The third program features Panel 2 on Healthy Aging. Panelists include Dave Toler, Carolyn Mendez-Luck, Lauren Fontanarosa, Margaret Neal and Derenda Schubert, moderated by Dr. Erwin Tan.


The fourth program features Panel 3 on Elder Justice. Panelists include Marie Cervantes, Katherine Tennyson and Ellen Klem, moderated by Fred Steele.


The fifth program features keynote speeches State Treasurer Ted Wheeler and Kelly Odegaard.


The sixth and final program features Panel 4 on Long-Term Services and Support. Panelists include Dick Weinman, LeRoy Patton, Rodney Schroeder and Kay Toran, moderated by Jim Davis.