Jean Abbott, MD, MH is a retired physician who practiced and taught emergency medicine in Denver for 48 years. She led an acute care hospital ethics consultation service for 15 years and still serves on the community hospital and hospice ethics committees as well as an ethics consultation service for the national clinicians’ group supporting professionals caring for patients considering medical aid in dying. She has taught ethics in a training program for professionals in hospice and palliative care. Jean is one of the founders 10 years ago with good colleagues of The Conversation Project in Boulder County. She leads an initiative at her home church, First Congregational Church in Boulder, called The Ministry of Last Things.

Kay Adams is a licensed clinical social worker, certified dementia consultant and trainer, and the founder of Compassion Works, LLC. She has more than 30 years of experience counseling and coaching individuals and families around a broad array of complex emotional and health-related challenges. Kay has worked extensively in geriatrics, hospice, palliative care and mental health counseling over the course of her career. Kay has developed a strong passion and expertise for supporting, educating, coaching and training personal and professional caregivers around issues related to life-limiting illnesses, grief and loss, and the disease of dementia.

Karen Barela of GingerSugarMove specializes in senior move management, ensuring a stress-free experience for everyone involved. Karen began offering these services after helping her own dad downsize from his home of 50 years, moving him into an assisted living community. Since 2014, Karen assists clients with space planning, organization, downsizing, and functional space improvements. Karen holds an M.B.A from the University of Colorado, Denver, and B.A. with an emphasis in sculpture from the California State University, Fullerton. She serves on the Board of Directors for Coal Creek Meals on Wheels in Louisville, Colorado.

Deborah Brandt knows the weight of grief, not just as a grief educator, but as someone who has walked through it. By her mid-40s, she had lost both parents, navigating memories while closing estates and selling her childhood home. The journey was isolating, with few resources to guide her. Determined to be the support she once needed, she trained in Dr. Alan Wolfelt’s companioning model, an approach that honors grief rather than trying to fix it. Today, Deborah helps individuals, workplaces, and faith communities create grief-sensitive spaces where loss is met with compassion, not discomfort. Whether coaching, consulting, or speaking, she fosters environments where people feel seen, supported, and safe in their mourning. 

Pastor Julia Horne is a retired ordained minister who has dedicated more than 15 years of service to both the United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church, with a strong focus on elderly congregations. A lifelong volunteer, she has been a steadfast supporter of Hope Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care since its inception, bringing a compassionate, loving presence to every guest she serves. Julia’s diverse background includes experience in education, having taught both high school and adult basic education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in cross-cultural education, a master’s degree in business administration, and a Master of Divinity. Committed to lifelong learning and the betterment of elder care, she is pursuing a certificate in older adult ministry through Columbia Theological Seminary.

Rev. Dr. Jae Hong Kim served for 10 years as the pastor in charge of senior ministry at the Korean Community Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. To systematize the knowledge and experience he gained during that time, he earned a D.Min. degree from Columbia Theological Seminary with a focus on senior ministry. In 2020, he founded the Well-Aging Mission, through which he travels to Korean-American churches in the U.S. and churches in Korea, offering seminars and lectures on topics such as: “Exploring a New Paradigm for Senior Ministry,” “The Life Journey of Abraham and Well-Aging,” “Preparing for Retirement,” and “Senior Mission Training.” Additionally, he writes a regular column for Korean community newspapers.

Rev. Dr. Lorraine Leist, BCC-PCHAC, is the associate pastor for congregational care and older adults at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado. She is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and has an advanced certification in palliative care chaplaincy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College, a Master of Divinity, and a Doctor of Ministry from the Iliff School of Theology. With over a decade of experience in acute care chaplaincy, Lorraine has worked in hospitals in Colorado and Washington, including as a palliative care chaplain at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. She also served as affiliate faculty at the California State University Shiley Institute for Palliative Care.