Senior Dining Association

Senior Dining Association The only dedicated association providing resources education and networking opportunities for all food service professionals in the senior living industry.

Building a Workplace People Don't Want to LeaveTurnover continues to challenge dining operations, but retaining great em...
09/11/2026

Building a Workplace People Don't Want to Leave

Turnover continues to challenge dining operations, but retaining great employees takes more than better pay or occasional recognition.

Join us for a practical conversation with senior living dining leaders who are building stronger workplace cultures and creating teams people want to be part of.

Panelists will share what is working in their organizations, including strategies for leadership, communication, scheduling, recognition, career development and onboarding. They will also discuss how they build trust, develop supervisors, create a sense of belonging, manage different generations and address workplace issues before they lead to turnover.

Panelists:
Daniel Spicer, Vice President of Dining Services, Agemark Senior Living

Brandon Kiefer, VP of Hospitality, Encore Healthcare Services

Matt Fredericks, Director of Culinary Experience, Sunnyside Communities

Moderator:
Harris Ader, CEO/Founder, Senior Dining Association

Register now: https://seniordining.wildapricot.org/event-6810711

AI can help dining leaders create flyers, menu descriptions, newsletters, digital signs and promotions faster. But the q...
09/11/2026

AI can help dining leaders create flyers, menu descriptions, newsletters, digital signs and promotions faster. But the quality of the result depends on the quality of the prompt. Strong prompts clearly define the audience, goal, details, tone, format and limits of the project. This gives AI the direction it needs to create marketing that feels more relevant and requires fewer revisions. Human review is still essential to confirm that every date, menu item, price and event detail is accurate.

Read the full article here:
https://seniordining.org/senior-dining-news/f/why-better-ai-prompts-produce-better-dining-marketing

How are you using stronger prompts to improve your dining marketing?

Build stronger culinary leaders. Elevate every plate. Strengthen your kitchen.The Culinary Leadership Series is a four p...
09/10/2026

Build stronger culinary leaders. Elevate every plate. Strengthen your kitchen.

The Culinary Leadership Series is a four part live virtual training experience created for executive chefs, sous chefs, culinary managers, lead cooks and rising culinary leaders in senior living.

Participants will gain practical strategies to improve plate presentation, create consistency across shifts, develop cooks into stronger leaders and elevate IDDSI meal presentation. The series also includes culinary demonstrations, leadership development, practical takeaways and a Certificate of Completion.

September 15 through October 6, 2026
Tuesdays from 2:00 to 3:00 PM ET

Register now: https://seniordining.wildapricot.org/event-6750852

A clear to-go policy makes dining easier for both residents and employees. It should explain exactly what is included, h...
09/10/2026

A clear to-go policy makes dining easier for both residents and employees. It should explain exactly what is included, how meals count toward a dining plan, when orders must be placed, and how leftovers, buffets, desserts, beverages, and containers are handled. Food storage and safety guidance should also be easy to understand. When the same rules are communicated and applied consistently, residents know what to expect and employees can provide flexible service without uncomfortable disagreements.

Read the full article here:
https://seniordining.org/senior-dining-news/f/building-a-to-go-policy-residents-can-understand

How clearly does your community communicate its to-go dining policy?

Growing Culinary Leaders Across CommunitiesHow does someone grow from a cook into a regional culinary leader and then he...
09/09/2026

Growing Culinary Leaders Across Communities

How does someone grow from a cook into a regional culinary leader and then help others follow the same path?

Join Harris Ader for a live conversation with Chef Sarah Wagner, Regional Manager of Culinary Services at Delmanor and a 2026 Corporate Dining Executive of the Year.

Sarah will share her journey from cook to sous chef, executive chef and regional leadership, along with practical strategies for developing future leaders, introducing new dining concepts, using resident feedback to improve menus and implementing technology across multiple communities.

She will also discuss how Delmanor achieved resident satisfaction scores above 95%, reduced food costs and waste, and developed more than 10 team members into leadership positions.

Date: September 16, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM EST

Register now: https://seniordining.wildapricot.org/event-6807195

The end-of-quarter meal plan rush is not simply a resident behavior problem. It is often a sign that balances are diffic...
09/09/2026

The end-of-quarter meal plan rush is not simply a resident behavior problem. It is often a sign that balances are difficult to track, purchasing options are too limited, or meal plan rules are unclear. Regular reminders, more ways to use dining dollars, controlled advance-order packages, and plans that better reflect residents’ habits can reduce last-minute pressure. When dining teams plan ahead, residents can use their benefits comfortably without overwhelming the operation.

Read the full article here:
https://seniordining.org/senior-dining-news/f/the-end-of-quarter-meal-plan-rush

How is your community helping residents manage their meal plan balances throughout the quarter?

One Day. Big Impact.Join the Senior Dining Association and LeadingAge North Carolina for the SDA & LeadingAge NC Hospita...
09/08/2026

One Day. Big Impact.

Join the Senior Dining Association and LeadingAge North Carolina for the SDA & LeadingAge NC Hospitality Summit, bringing together senior living professionals and dining leaders for a full day of education, collaboration and networking.

Explore practical strategies focused on hospitality, leadership, workforce development and creating stronger experiences across senior living communities.

October 8, 2026
8:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET
The Pines at Davidson in Davidson, North Carolina

Register now: https://seniordining.wildapricot.org/event-6589415

Congratulations to SDA member Matthew Fredericks on his promotion to Director of Culinary Experience for Sunnyside Commu...
09/08/2026

Congratulations to SDA member Matthew Fredericks on his promotion to Director of Culinary Experience for Sunnyside Communities. In his expanded role, Matthew will support dining operations at Sunnyside, King’s Grant and Summit Square in Virginia.

Matthew brings extensive experience in culinary leadership, team development and high volume foodservice. His focus is on strengthening systems, developing future leaders and creating dining experiences that support wellness, connection and resident satisfaction.

SDA is also pleased to welcome all three Sunnyside communities as members of the association.

Read more about Matthew’s career and new role here:
https://seniordining.org/senior-dining-news/f/member-on-the-move-matthew-fredericks

Please join us in congratulating Matthew on this exciting next chapter!

How Are Dining Leaders Actually Using AI?AI is everywhere, but how is it actually being used inside senior living dining...
09/07/2026

How Are Dining Leaders Actually Using AI?

AI is everywhere, but how is it actually being used inside senior living dining operations?

Join us for a practical conversation with dining leaders who are putting AI to work today. Hear real examples of how they’re using it to save time, improve communication, develop menus, analyze food costs, create training materials, respond to resident feedback, prepare reports, and tackle everyday operational challenges.

You’ll also hear what’s working, what isn’t, lessons learned along the way, and where the human touch still matters most.

Panelists:
Chad Lauderbaugh, Director of Culinary, The Sharon at SouthPark
Gary McBlain, National Director of Culinary Services, Amica Senior Lifestyles

Moderator:
Harris Ader, CEO/Founder, Senior Dining Association

👉 Register now: https://seniordining.wildapricot.org/event-6809590

Now Hiring: Director of Dining Services - Davenport, IACCL Hospitality Group is seeking an experienced Director of Dinin...
09/07/2026

Now Hiring: Director of Dining Services - Davenport, IA

CCL Hospitality Group is seeking an experienced Director of Dining Services to lead dining operations in a senior living community. This role focuses on developing a strong team, maintaining high standards of service and quality, managing operational performance, and creating exceptional dining experiences for residents.

Salary: $80,000 - 90,000

If you're a hospitality-focused leader with a passion for team development, operational excellence, and creating memorable resident experiences, this could be your next great opportunity.

Apply today: https://seniordiningcareers.com/job/2436926-director-of-dining-services-ccl-hospitality-group

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