About the Conference

This conference is designed to help raise awareness of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, provide a space for our community to Bring the Light to this difficult disease, and share information on resources that can help with the dementia journey. It is geared towards caregivers, future caregivers, and healthcare professionals. At the conference, we will have a panel of caregivers who will share their experience caring for their loved ones, breakout sessions, and conversations that will cover the following:

Making Difficult Decisions during the Caregiving Journey
Finding Resources & Advocating as a Caregiver
Risk Factors and Challenges Our Community Faces with Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Join us in Bringing the Light as we fight Alzheimer's and dementia together through understanding and Awareness, Acompañamiento, and Equity for our community.

This event is free of charge. Registration is required and can be done online via Eventbrite or via phone at 800.272.3900. A light breakfast and boxed lunch will be provided. Doors open at 9am with the formal program beginning at 10am.

Parking at the Event

Parking is available on-site at the Instituto del Progreso Latino. The event will be taking place in Building A and we recommend parking in Lot A, D, or C seen in the image below.

Photography & Filming Notice

Please note by reserving a ticket to our event you agree to having your photo and video taken at the event by the Alzheimer's Association photographer or staff members and to the Alzheimer's Association livestreaming the event. Should you or anyone in your party wish to not have your photo taken or be out of the viewing area of the live stream, please connect with a staff member who will be wearing a Purple Polo on the day of the event and we can help meet your request.

Agenda

9 am

Breakfast & Vendors

Breakfast will be served. Attendees are welcomed to come between 9-10am to grab breakfast, see the conference vendors, and get seated before the session starts at 10am.

10-10:30am

Opening Session

The conference will open up with remarks from Regional Vice President and Illinois Chapter Executive Director, Delia Jervier, followed by an Awareness Presentation from the Alzheimer’s Association.

10:30-11:30am

Keynote Session - “Navigating Life After a Diagnosis”

The keynote session will be a deeply meaningful one to witness. It will be made up of a panel of caregivers who have navigated different journeys with the disease. They will share their stories and what they have learned as a caregiver.

11:30am- 12:30pm

Lunch will be served and attendees will be invited to eat in the breakout session rooms.

12:30-1:30pm

Breakout Sessions

Making Difficult Decisions during the Caregiving Journey
Finding Resources & Advocating as a Caregiver

1:45-2:30pm

Closing Session - “Risk Factors and Challenges Our Community Faces with Alzheimer’s and Dementia”

The closing session will consist of experts in the field discussing the risk factors and challenges the Latino/a/e community faces with Alzheimer’s and dementia. The group may also touch on the latest treatments and research that the community can participate in.

2:30pm

Keynote Session - “Navigating Life After a Diagnosis”

Closing Remarks

speakers

Perla Castro is deeply committed to Alzheimer's research, advocacy, and education. She passionately fights stigma and actively advocates for increased aging-in-place support services for all those affected by the disease, particularly within the Latino community. For 22 years, Perla was a dedicated caregiver for her mother, who was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer's in her early 50s. She volunteers her time and expertise as a Project Manager for various community organizations in Chicago and Guatemala.

With over 20 years of experience, Perla has driven significant global program success for Fortune 500 companies, government entities, and non-profit organizations. As the owner of Alpha PM Consulting, she excels in building team consensus and cultivating exceptional relationships across cultures, industries, and organizations. Fluent in both Spanish and English, Perla is a dedicated entrepreneur and community advocate.

Dr. Leticia Villarreal Sosa is Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and Professor in the School of Social Work at UTRGV. Her current research focus on utilizing Photovoice with the Muslim/Arab American and Latinx communities as a tool for advocacy, and a Spencer funded immigrant student equity project. Her forthcoming book (University of Illinois Press) focuses on the testimonios of Latinas in Chicago who were activists in the 60’s and 70’s, making a significant impact in the areas of health, education, policy, and social services. She was also awarded a three-year grant from New York Life Foundation to develop a culturally informed response to grief and loss certificate for school based professional. She has received several honors including the book of the year award for her book, School Social Work: National Perspectives on Practice in the Schools, the best conceptual article published in 2021 in the International Journal of Social Work Education for her de-colonizing and human rights approach to study abroad, the Davlin Diversity Leadership Award in 2022, and the Gary Lee Shaffer award in 2023 for faculty who have made significant contributions to the field of school social work.

Thanatologist, Co-founder of Somos Ancla and Mission Coordinator at Medical Missionaries of Mary. She is dedicated to raising awareness of the daily challenges of being a caregiver to her husband by embracing her faith and trusting in the greatness of God’s will.

Tanatóloga, Co-fundadora de Somos Ancla y Coordinadora de Misión en las Misioneras Médicas de María. Está dedicada a crear conciencia sobre los desafíos diarios de ser cuidador de una persona mayor, abrazando su fe y confiando en la grandeza de la voluntad de Dios.

Elizabeth Gonzalez has over 30 years of experience as an Accountant and Payroll Manager. Specialist in U.S. and Global payroll taxes. She joined Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorder on May 2022 as a Payroll Tax Specialist. She is motivated to educate the Hispanic community about Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. As a caregiver, she is eager to teach the importance of mental fitness and preventing Alzheimer’s by following a MIND diet.

A native of Tamaulipas, Mexico, Florencia Carmona was raised in the Pilsen neighborhood as a young immigrant of 4 years old, and has since lived in the Chicagoland area for most of her life. Florencia’s previous experience in corporate environments with AT&T and BP Global, has afforded her with extensive experience in Management and Project coordination. Since 2013, she has worked at Sinai Community Institute on multiple assignments. Most recently, she is a Health Educator with Community Relations focusing on educating families with better living habits. She is the resource point of contact for community organizations in the Sinai and Holy Cross serving zip-codes. Her bi-cultural background and commitment on community collaboration has led her to a number of community leadership roles. Florencia served as Board Member at Centro Communtario Juan Diego and Westside Pastor’s Coalition for Aids and Inner City Health and is an active member in the Westside Minister Coalition.

Marta Cerda believes in leadership that brings transformational growth to the corporate world using innovation, strategic governance, intentional oversight, and ambitious goal setting.

Her board experience has taught her to be an intuitive leader who doesn't waste time, understands the value of tact, knows when to use straight talk, and brings energy and a can-do attitude to the table.

With more than 35 years spent in corporate, not-for-profit, philanthropic, and political arenas, Marta is CEO of ASI. This $10 million dollar not-for-profit organization provides home care services and employment and training programs.

During her tenure, she streamlined operations, converted the agency from traditional home care to an innovative care continuum, and introduced new technology to increase service hours and improve efficiency.

A dynamic leader who is directly credited with leading a hospital away from the edge of bankruptcy and closure, Marta has a clear understanding of corporate P&L, knows how to institute change in critical areas, and meet needs in real-time. She has had to make difficult decisions and master the art of being firm and friendly at the same time.

Marta has proactively impacted those around her by serving on many different boards, both nonprofit and corporate. The organizations where she has served as a board member and chairman have addressed some of the most challenging issues facing society today, especially health equity.

Working with municipalities and agencies at all levels—with the City of Chicago, Cook County, the federal government, and other agencies--is like walking a tightrope, but Marta continues to meet those challenges with wit and grace, understanding the nuances of negotiation and the reward for patience.

Marta earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College and a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University's Chicago School of Law. She is a candidate for the Northwestern-Kellogg School Executive Scholar Program and was a National Hispana Leadership Institute Fellow, where she attended the Center for Creative Leadership and a Harvard Kennedy School public policy course. She is currently a How Women Lead- Women Leaders of the World fellow.

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David X. Marquez, PhD, earned a doctoral degree and a master's degree in kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Loyola University Chicago. He is a Professor and Interim Department Head of Kinesiology and Nutrition and Director of the Exercise Psychology Laboratory at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). He is also Leader of the Latino Core of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center. His research focuses on reducing health disparities, and primarily focuses on older Latino adults and individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease.

He has been involved with many federally-funded, interdisciplinary, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the cognitive, functional, and psychosocial changes as a result of physical activity interventions. The BAILAMOSTM dance program he co-created is at the heart of his work. Dr. Marquez is a fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the Gerontological Society of America, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the National Academy of Kinesiology.

Dra. Judith Susan Rocha is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and Director of Field Education for the Master of Social Work Program at Northeastern Illinois University. She obtained her social work degrees (BSW, MSW, Ph.D.) at the University of Illinois Chicago, Jane Addams College of Social Work. As a Mexicana born in Chicago and raised in the Little Village and Gage Park neighborhoods (both Chicago working class ethnic enclaves), by a hard-working single mother and loving older siblings, all Mexican-born, Dra. Rocha has always been interested in helping Latine/x/a/o families navigate systems in order to have full access to a more just and prosperous life.

Her work in the last 25 years has included parenting education and counseling for children and families in the southwest and southeast sides of Chicago, where resources are oftentimes few and opportunities for a higher quality of life can be challenging to reach. Research interests include Latine-relevant social issues with a focus on family caregiving of Latina/o elders living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (ADRD). With input from dementia family caregivers, content area experts, service providers and other stakeholders, she developed Caring of Caregivers Organically (CoCO), a culturally responsive health education program for Latinas that are caring for a family member with dementia. The intervention aims to address the higher risk of developing health conditions that impact the physical and mental health of this population. As a caregiver to her mother who was diagnosed and lived with Alzheimer’s disease for 16 years, there is a personal passion and commitment to this work. She is invested in finding practical ways for family members who provide care to someone with this complex disease, to stay healthy. Included in her service to the community is a program called La BROCHA which she co-founded in 2016, that carries out free art workshops and activities for the Latine community with a focus on elders 60 years of age and older. More recently, in response to the COVID- 19 pandemic, she began co-facilitating the support group Somos ANCLA for Spanish-speaking individuals that provide care to a loved one living with dementia.

She started as an aviation flight major at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1995, never imagining she would instead be reaching these heights in the Social Work profession as a Ph.D., a couple decades later, inher own hometown of Chicago.