Center For Healthy Aging

Center for Healthy Aging is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to integrating public, private and philanthropic resources to help educate and train caregivers, enhance wellness and provide models of care that demonstrate efficiencies and cost savings while improving the quality of life for elders.

Meet our Board of Directors

Lawrence Weiss, Ph.D.

Center for Healthy Aging Founder, Board President, CEO

Dr. Weiss has been committed to improving the quality of life for elders for more than 45 years. In 1989, Dr. Weiss moved to Reno to take the position of Director for the Sanford Center for Aging at the University of Nevada, Reno.  He held that position for 15 years prior to founding the Center for Healthy Aging. He has developed many programs for elders in our community over the past 28+ years. He is renowned in the field of aging throughout the country and notably in our local community. Dr. Weiss’ philosophy is not to promote anti-aging, but to focus on maintaining a good quality of life until the end of life. He lives the Center for Healthy Aging’s mission: Adding life to years!

Leslie Daane, CPA

Board Secretary/Treasurer

Leslie Daane is a shareholder and managing director of Barnard, Vogler & Co. and the firm’s Director of Taxation. With more than 20 years experience in public accounting, Leslie has provided a full range of audit, tax and consulting services to a wide variety of clients. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She is a certified public accountant licensed to practice in Nevada, and is a member of the Nevada Society of Public Accountants (NSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Leslie’s community involvement has included a term on the State Board of Equalization, President of a private school board, and a board member of various charitable organizations. She currently serves as immediate Past President of the Estate Planning Council of Northern Nevada and vice president of SAFE (Special Advocates for Elders).

Diane Ross, MS

Director

Diane is the founder and CEO of The Continuum, which she started in 1993. The Continuum is an intergenerational community rehabilitation agency providing Speech, Occupational and Physical Therapy. A child care center and adult day program are also part of the services. The Continuum also contracts with Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) to provide eligibility information for Washoe County citizens seeking to use the paratransit system. Diane has worked in most health care settings as a speech-language pathologist and director for over 30 years. She has a BA in Education and MS in Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Nevada-Reno.  Diane created and currently manages the statewide website which provides resources and information for people with disabilities, caregivers and seniors with a grant from the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Department (ADSD). She created a home safety and modification program for low income seniors that is funded by the Independent Living Grant funds from the ADSD.

Caroline Ford, MPH

Director 

Caroline Ford has more than 20 years experience in rural health issues. She was instrumental in crafting the legislation that created the Nevada Health Service Program, where rural health professionals receive education loan debt repayment in return for service to their rural program. This program is responsible for many physicians and nurse Practitioners to stay in Rural Nevada and this program led to the creation of the physician assistant training program for rural residents. Thus the majority of the geriatric rural care in Nevada is an outgrowth of programs created and/or maintained through the Office of Rural Health within the School of Medicine under the direction of Caroline Ford.

Mary Liveratti

Director

Mary has 39 years of professional experience in the field of health and human services and more than 25 years as a licensed social worker in Nevada. Mary came to Nevada in 1974 as a VISTA volunteer for the senior center at the Economic Opportunity Board of Clark County and later worked at the Southern Nevada Catholic Charities Senior Nutrition/Meals on Wheels Program. She then worked for 33 years with the State of Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. During that time, she worked 24 years for the Division for Aging and Disability Services, including four years as Administrator and nine as the Deputy Director for the Department of HHS. She was responsible for a number of programs for older persons and persons with disabilities, including home and community based services, elder protection, grants  management, suicide prevention, prescription programs, consumer health assistance, and minority health. Since her retirement, Mary volunteers with the Alzheimer’s Association and AARP. She serves on the Commission on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Advisory Council for Oral Health and the Governor’s Council on Food Security.

Jane A. Gruner

Director

Jane acquired her masters of Counseling and Personnel degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. In her 44 years of experience, she has worked in many facets of mental health, family support and older adult models and programming. Jane currently works for Nevada Senior Services, Inc. as Director of Special Projects. Most recently, she was the Administrator for the Department of Health and Human Services Aging and Disability Services Division. Jane also served as the Deputy Director of Programs for the Department of Health and Human Services. Her resume is extensive in her work in mental health and family support programming. She has dedicated a lifetime of helping families, older adults, and persons living with mental health issues. And she’s an outstanding advocate and a pillar of our community.

Wendy Simons

Director

Wendy is the owner of Wendy Simons Consulting and has had lifelong involvement in the healthcare industry. She has been involved in numerous aspects of the assisted living industry for more than 35 years. She literally grew up in the senior care environment, as her mother developed the first residential care home in Nevada in 1948. She has operated large and small facilities; served as a leader in legislation and regulatory issues; charted industry trends; and worked with aging services agencies, the UNR School of Medicine and networking entities for the industry. She was a founding member of the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) and participates as a speaker in seminars and workshops for an extensive list of healthcare industry partners. Wendy served five years working for the Nevada State Health Division’s Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance as a regulatory compliance consultant for 18 months then as Chief of that Bureau for 2 ½ years. Her commitment to communication, collaboration and cooperation with a multitude of government entities, stakeholders and health care provider types has earned her statewide recognition.