Agenda

Opening Keynote

Fostering a Culture of Feedback: You Can't Lead If You Can't Receive

Trust, communication, and teamwork are essential in any organization, yet honest feedback often goes unspoken. Fear, ego, and self-protection can quietly prevent people from speaking up or receiving input, even when everyone is working toward the same goals.

You Can’t Lead If You Can’t Receive explores how feedback culture is shaped, not by policies or performance reviews, but by everyday leadership behavior. Participants will examine their own relationship with feedback, define what a healthy feedback culture truly looks like, and understand how leadership responses influence trust and psychological safety.

This keynote blends insight, reflection, and practical guidance to help leaders recognize how feedback flows, or stops, within their organization. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of why feedback feels risky and a simple, actionable approach for receiving feedback in a way that strengthens trust, collaboration, and results.

Objectives:

• Reflect on their own relationship with feedback.
  
• Define what a healthy feedback culture looks like, including both giving and receiving feedback.
  
• Recognize how fear, ego, and self-protection affect both speaking up and receiving feedback.
  
• Understand how leadership responses to feedback shape trust and psychological safety.
  
• Learn a practical approach for receiving feedback in a way that supports trust and openness.
  
  

LENA SCULLARD, LMS Productions

Lena Scullard is a top-rated keynote speaker, facilitator, and consultant who specializes in emotional intelligence and helping professionals confidently take ownership of their mindset and choices to create meaningful results. With over 20 years of experience in hospitality and leadership, and more than a decade in corporate training, Lena has dedicated her career to empowering individuals and teams to unlock resilience, purpose, and impact. Known for her unique ability to connect with audiences, Lena blends engaging stories, relatable insights, and interactive elements that encourage participants to embrace personal accountability and act with intention, especially under the pressure of stress and emotional moments. Through her “own your power to choose” philosophy, she challenges people to shift their mindset and take control of their actions to foster stronger relationships, inspire growth, and drive positive change.

Mastering Conflict

Objectives:

• Identify broad familiarity with types of conflict.
  
• Describe how to navigate team-based conflict (de-escalation, mediation, etc).
  
• Demonstrate a trainable framework for difficult conversations.
  
• Identify and commit to one difficult conversation within 2 weeks of session.

COLIN RAYMOND, Chief Executive Officer, Accra
Colin Raymond was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Accra in June 2025, bringing deep leadership experience in healthcare operations, organizational development, and service-driven innovation. As CEO, Colin is responsible for guiding the strategic direction of Accra, ensuring the organization continues to deliver high-quality, individualized homecare services to people with disabilities, older adults, and families across Minnesota.
Throughout his career, Colin has demonstrated a deep commitment to improving access to care for people who are often underserved by traditional healthcare systems. His leadership is grounded in the belief that operational excellence must be matched with human-centered values—and that meeting people where they are is essential to delivering equitable, effective care.
Before joining Accra, Colin held national and regional leadership roles at prominent healthcare organizations including U.S. Renal Care, ChenMed, and DaVita Kidney Care. His work in these settings involved managing complex operations, building and mentoring high-performing teams, and driving improvements in patient outcomes and organizational performance. Colin also served in the United States Army, where he led special projects and operational teams as an Executive Officer and Platoon Leader—experience that honed his skills in discipline, systems thinking, and service-based leadership.
At Accra, Colin is leading the organization through a period of dynamic change and growth in the homecare sector. With the demand for home-based care accelerating nationwide—driven by an aging population, policy reform, and a growing preference for community-based living—Colin is focused on scaling Accra’s capacity while preserving the mission-driven culture that has defined the organization for more than 30 years.
Colin’s approach as a leader is to listen first, collaborate across teams, and remove barriers that stand in the way of meaningful, compassionate care. He is passionate about building a more responsive, inclusive, and sustainable future for homecare in Minnesota—and ensuring that the individuals and families who rely on Accra continue to receive the care, respect, and independence they deserve.

Succession Planning: Protecting Your Home Care Agency

Objectives:

• Understand succession planning and why it is important.
  
• Learn what should be included in an effective plan.
  
• Identify next steps and create an action plan appropriate for your agency. 

KATHY MESSERLI, Executive Director, Minnesota Home Care Association
Kathy Messerli is the Executive Director for the Minnesota Home Care Association (MHCA), a position she has held since 2014. Ms. Messerli has a diverse health care background, including managing senior housing and working for long-term care and medical associations. 
Prior to coming to MHCA, Ms. Messerli served as the President of the Healthsense Care Alliance, an organization that provided training and best practices for providers who were utilizing technology-enabled care. Her minors in Gerontology and Social Work complement her bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. 
Kathy led the MHCA Executive Committee in a succession planning process and will incorporate their experience in her presentation. 

Unshakeable Care: Resilient Leadership in an AI Accelerated Healthcare World

In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, effective leadership is more critical than ever. Leaders must steer their organizations through budget constraints, regulatory changes, and rising public expectations, all while embracing the potential of AI and emerging technologies.
The future of healthcare will be shaped by those who possess not only technical expertise, but also the vision, adaptability, and ethical judgment to guide their teams through uncertainty. Strong leaders foster a culture of innovation, empower professionals to develop new skills, and ensure that patient care remains at the heart of every decision.
As AI and digital tools become integral to healthcare operations, leaders must champion responsible adoption—addressing ethical concerns, safeguarding data, and closing the skills gap. By cultivating collaboration, resilience, and a commitment to lifelong learning, leaders can position their organizations to thrive in a dynamic environment.
No matter your role—executive, provider, or policy influencer—developing and honing leadership skills will empower you to confront challenges head-on and chart a course toward a brighter, more sustainable future for healthcare.

Objectives:

• Develop Adaptive Leadership Skills and Utilize AI Tools Learn how to cultivate adaptive leadership by integrating AI-driven solutions for decision-making, problem-solving, and navigating change in dynamic environments.
  
• Strengthen Emotional Resilience Explore techniques to manage stress, maintain composure, and inspire confidence in uncertain environments.
  
• Lead Teams Through Transformation Gain practical approaches to communicate effectively, sustain engagement, and build trust during periods of transition.

MARCYLLE COMBS, MS, RN, BS, CHCE

With over three decades of experience in healthcare, Marcylle Combs has built a distinguished career as a nurse, director, administrator, and ultimately as the owner and president of a major healthcare organization. After leading her company until August 2018, Marcylle launched three new ventures—MAC Legacy, The Marcylle Combs Company, and MAC Legacy Investments—where she continues to serve as President. Her journey in business revealed a true passion for inspiring and empowering others to reach their fullest potential.

Recognized both in Texas and across the nation, Marcylle is a prominent leader in the home care and hospice community. She serves on the board of directors for the Home Care and Hospice Financial Managers Association (HHFMA), a national organization that brings together financial leaders from more than 25,000 agencies. Marcylle also chairs the HHFMA Women in Leadership Committee, championing the advancement of women in the industry.
Marcylle is a sought-after speaker, known for delivering dynamic presentations on leadership topics. Her expertise has taken her to audiences in Belize, Italy, China, and Spain. 
As a wife, mother of five adult children, and a dedicated professional, Marcylle is committed to personal growth and to leading others until her last breath on this earth.