Addressing the Needs of LGBT Seniors

Bio: Britta Larson is the Senior Services Director at Center on Halsted, the Midwest's most comprehensive community center dedicated to building and strengthening the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community. Ms. Larson is responsible for overseeing the older adult programs at Center on Halsted which serves over 500 seniors annually. Additionally, she manages the nation’s first homesharing program designed for LGBTQ older adults. Through a partnership between Center on Halsted and Heartland Alliance, Ms. Larson is assisting in the creation programs and services that will be provided to the residents of the Midwest's first affordable housing development dedicated for LGBTQ seniors, expected to open in 2014.

Education: Augustana College, Rock Island, IL, Bachelor of Arts, 2002; North Park University, Chicago, IL, Master of Nonprofit Management, 2009

Past Assignments: The National Conference on LGBT Equality, January 28, 2012, HIV and Aging: Why HIV and Aging Policy Matters (or Should Matter) to the LGBT Community; American Society on Aging, March 28, 2012, HIV and Aging Amoung LGBT Older Adults; American Society on Aging, Thursday March 29, 2012, Sexual Activity and Health among Older Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Adults; American Society on Aging, Friday March 30, 2012, Delivering Services to Populations at the Margins: Meeting the Needs of Older LGBT and HIV+ Adults; American Society on Aging, Saturday March 31, 2012, Key Indicators of Successful Adaptation to Senior Housing for LGBT Seniors

Bio: Serena Worthington is the Director of Community Advocacy and Capacity Building at SAGE (Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders) where she oversees SAGE’s policy advocacy efforts at the national, state and local levels and enhances the capacity of partner organizations across the country working with LGBT older people. In this role, she oversees the National LGBT Aging Roundtable and SAGENet, our network of 24 affiliates across the country. Serena’s most recent position was as the Senior Director of Public Programs of Chicago’s Center on Halsted, the Midwest’s largest LGBT community center. Prior to this, Serena was the founding director of SAGE Center on Halsted. Before joining Center on Halsted, Serena served as the Life Enrichment Director at Norwood Crossing, a non-profit assisted living and long-term care facility where she founded a comprehensive Expressive Arts program.

Education: She attended Fairhaven College where she completed an interdisciplinary bachelor’s in art and cross-cultural psychology. Serena received her Masters of Art in Art Therapy from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago.

Past Assignments: She is frequent presenter on LGBT aging topics and has taught at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the Art Therapy department.

Bio: Tony LaColla is a certified Senior Planner for the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission where he works as the Staff Liaison to the City of Temple Terrace. His duties include comprehensive planning, community planning, and historic preservation in the cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Plant City, as well as Unincorporated Hillsborough County. LaColla previously worked as the agency’s Public Participation Manager. Prior to joining The Planning Commission, LaColla worked as a Neighborhood Coordinator for Hillsborough County where he served as the County’s liaison to over 800 neighborhood and homeowner associations. LaColla served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Bolivia between 2000-2002 working in eco-tourism infrastructure development and capacity building in rural regions around La Paz. LaColla is the current Vice-Chair of the American Planning Association’s Gays & Lesbians in Planning Division as well as Vice-President of Section Affairs for the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association. Between 2007 and 2009 he chaired the Suncoast Section of the American Planning Association which represents over 750 planners in the Tampa Bay Area. Outside of his professional career, LaColla is very active in his community serving as President of the Historic Ybor Neighborhood and Civic Association, and as a member of the Ybor City Community Development Corporation Board of Directors, currently serving as Chair of its Planning and Infrastructure Committee. Between 2004 and 2008, he served as chairman of the City of Tampa Affordable Housing Advisory Committee which worked to identify and develop affordable housing incentives. While he does not work in the assisted living field, Mr. LaColla is also a Certified Assisted Living Facility Administrator in the state of Florida.

Education: Master of Science in Planning, Florida State University, 1998-2000. Bachelor of Science in History and International Affairs, Forida State University, 1994-1998