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Faculty
Ken Arp has 15 years’ experience working as a senior industrial hygienist for the OSHA program in both consultation and enforcement. He also conducted air monitoring for the World Trade Center cleanup and provided compliance assistance for the Katrina disaster relief operation in the New Orleans area.
Kristi Eley, RN, is nurse manager for Cedar Place Assisted Living and Bethany Life Home Services. She started her nursing career at MGMC on the oncology unit in 1991. After working there for 3 years, she transferred to Homeward Hospice of MGMC and provided nursing care and bereavement care for 14 years. In 2007, Kristi came to Bethany Life as the Cedar Place Assisted Living nurse. She has enjoyed providing care in people’s homes over the many years she has been a nurse.
Steve Givens is a managing partner of Ryun, Givens, & Co., P.L. which has a client base that is predominantly health care related – nursing facilities, skilled nursing facilities, CCRC’s, etc. He is a partner in charge of Ryun, Givens, & Co., P.L. Health Care Practice and has 30 years’ experience in providing auditing, tax, consulting, and Medicaid and Medicare cost reporting. Fiscal consultant to the Iowa Department of Human Services Division for Medical Services – Medicaid Reimbursement – 1986 - 2005.
John Griffin joined Lifespace Communities Inc. in January of 1993 as a facility director of human resources and retired in 2011. He became corporate director of human resources in May of 1994. John has more than 40 years of experience in the field of human resources. He has been a member of the Advisory Council to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission since 1998 and has investigated employment discrimination charges for the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. He has taught human resources management at the college level for four years as an adjunct instructor and was honored as the Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Member. John holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from St. Francis College in New York and has done graduate work in economics at Texas Tech University. He served as a founding member of the LeadingAge Human Resource Steering Committee and served as the vice-chair of the Iowa Governor’s Conference on the Aging Steering Committee.
Julie Halfpop is the director of nutrition services at Martin Bros. Distributing. She has devoted 35 years to inspiring dining strategies to maximize client satisfaction and wellness in senior living. She currently oversees 10 dietitians who work closely with senior living professionals in menu development, provision, and staff education.
Stacy Hejda is co-owner and consultant with Healthcare of Iowa, formerly Assisted Living Partners. She provides consulting services to assisted living facilities focusing on program development and regulatory compliance monitoring as well as elderly waiver and HUD rental assistance programs. Hejda has more than 20 years’ experience working with assisted living programs in Iowa.
Amber Jedlicka is currently the operations director of home and health services for the Meth-Wick Community. Amber has 14 years of experience working as an upper level manager in top notch, full-service retirement communities in Iowa. Five of those years she served as the director of a dementia specific assisted living. Amber has conducted numerous training seminars over the years with a focus on her passion of employee growth and development, having fun in the workplace, customer service skills, communication skills, and working in a people-centered business model. Amber is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, with a bachelor of arts in family services. She is also a past-president of the Downtown Waterloo Rotary. In the fall of 2009, at the age of 30, Amber was recognized as one of the Cedar Valley’s top twenty business professionals under the age of forty. Amber was also a member of the Waterloo Toastmasters where she earned recognition as a Competent Communicator (CC).
Julie Johnson received her RN at Des Moines Area Community College. She has been a nurse consultant with Healthcare of Iowa, formerly Assisted Living Partners since June 2019. In her capacity, she completes regulatory compliance reviews, providing written reports with recommendations on improving assessments and tenant charts. Julie also goes to assisted living communities as an RN completing assessments, updating service plans, and implementing new systems. She has worked in long term care for many years (15+) serving as a director of nursing and director of assisted living. She is currently working on her BSN in nursing through Grand Canyon University.
Linda Kellen has been with the Department of Inspections and Appeals as a surveyor/monitor and bureau chief in the special services and adult services bureaus since 2008 and currently holds the position of bureau chief. As part of her current duties, Kellen oversees the division's complaint unit, direct care worker registry, and the abuse coordinating unit. Kellen is a registered nurse with a bachelor’s degree from Morningside University in Sioux City, and a master’s degree in administrative studies (health care emphasis) from the University of South Dakota. Prior to joining DIA, Kellen worked as chief operations officer for a brain injury rehabilitation facility in Sioux City and as director of nursing and staff nurse in other facilities and hospice in the Sioux City area.
Cindi Martin is the assisted living program manager at Timberland Village in Story City. Timberland is part of Bethany Life. Cindi holds a bachelor of science degree in education from the University of South Florida in Tampa. Cindi has been with Bethany Life for 17 years and has been assisted living program manager at Timberland the last 7 years.
Scott P. Moore is a partner in the labor, employment and benefits section of Baird Holm LLP. Scott is widely recognized as a national expert in housing law and litigation. He represents individuals, developers, property management companies, nonprofit associations, real estate agents, architects, and engineers in all fair housing and public accommodation matters.
Cyndi Rohret-Schmidt, MHA, MEd, BSN, CHPN, CHPCA, is a registered nurse with more than 35 years’ experience. She has worked the continuum of life from “womb to tomb”. She started her career in pediatrics and currently still works in end-of-life care in hospice and palliative care. She is a certified hospice and palliative care nurse. She also works full-time as an improvement advisor for the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative (IHC). Her responsibilities are to be a resource, educator, and support to hospitals and health care organizations in the state of Iowa and parts of Illinois. Primary goal is to increase awareness and knowledge of patient safety and promote a climate of quality patient care.
Mark Sand is a Lead Inspector for the newly formed Fire Prevention Bureau within the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Mark’s role will be Life Safety Code Inspections and assisting with Plans of Corrections. Mark retired in 2020 after 34 years with the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Mark served as a Iowa Capitol Police Officer, Iowa State Trooper, Fire Inspector, and most recently a Special Agent in the Arson and Explosives Bureau.
Sue Schmitt, director of health services at Meth-Wick Community in Cedar Rapids, has been a nursing home administrator for 17 years but has worked with programs and services for elders since 1986. Sue began as a case manager, then became an elder protective worker in the Massachusetts state home care system. Since moving to Iowa in 1990, Sue has worked as a social worker, assisted living director, and as a human resources specialist working on staff recruitment and retention before becoming an administrator. Sue holds a BA in English and Communications from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. As director of health services, she is the administrator of The Woodlands, Meth-Wick’s 65-bed skilled nursing facility. She also oversees the operation of two assisted living programs.
Bryan Shupe is a Lead Fire Prevention Inspector within the newly formed Fire Prevention Bureau at Iowa’s Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Bryan will be performing Life Safety Code Inspections and assisting with Plans of Corrections. Prior to taking this role in 2023, Bryan retired as a Special Agent within Iowa’s State Fire Marshal’s Arson and Explosives Bureau and Fire Prevention Bureau after 30 years of service. Prior to assignments with the State Fire Marshal Division, Bryan spent eight years as a Technical Accident Investigator with the Iowa State Patrol and served in the United States Navy.
Kellie Van Ree is the director of clinical services for LeadingAge Iowa. She has more than 20 years’ experience in the health care industry. In addition to a Registered Nurse license, Kellie also holds an active Nursing Home Administrator’s license. Kellie has served in many capacities in the long-term care field including Director of Nursing, Corporate Consultant and most recently Administrator. Kellie has also served as a health facilities surveyor for a short time.
Kathy Weinberg has been a nurse for more than 30 years. She received her diploma in nursing from Mercy School of Nursing in Des Moines, her baccalaureate in nursing from Grand View University, and her masters of science in nursing from Drake University. Kathy has held a variety of nursing positions. She has worked as a cardiac nurse, a nursing education faculty member, a school nurse, and an emergency room nurse. Kathy has been employed with the Iowa Board of Nursing since 2003; she was initially hired as the associate director of practice/education. She was appointed executive director of the Iowa Board of Nursing in June of 2013.
Denise Wiederin is the director of corporate compliance for the assisted living and independent living at Friendship Haven in Fort Dodge. For more than 30 years, Denise has worked in the social work arena of Friendship Haven, including 12 years as the director of social services for the nursing facility. Denise handles the day-to-day processes and procedures in the River Ridge Assisted Living, along with developing the policies for the assisted living neighborhoods of Friendship Haven and works closely with the marketing office. She has a degree in human services and extended education on dementia and memory loss.
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