Connections: Women's Leadership Retreat
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Save the Date | September 20 - 22, 2026
Registration opens in July
Lake Raystown Resort, 3101 Chipmunk Crossing, Entriken PA 16638
Connections is more than a leadership retreat. It is an intentional space for women leaders in aging services to pause, reflect, reconnect, and grow alongside others who understand the realities of this work.
Leadership is rewarding, but it can also be exhausting and isolating. Women leaders often carry the weight of decision-making, team support, crisis management, and caring for others while leaving little space for themselves.
Set against the natural beauty of Lake Raystown Resort, Connections blends leadership development, meaningful conversation, creative exploration, and renewal into an experience designed to strengthen both the leader and the person behind the title.
AGENDA
5:00 pm Registration - main floor lobby
5:30 pm Cocktails
6:30 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Cocktails & desserts by the fire
7:00 am Morning walk (optional)
8:30 am Breakfast
9:00 am Sound Meditation – Maria Hilton
Maria’s session will explore the restorative power of sound meditation, creating space for participants to quiet the noise of daily leadership demands, reconnect with themselves, and experience a sense of calm, clarity, and renewal.
10:40 am The Weight We Carry – Heather Bleiler
A powerful reflection on the invisible expectations, emotional labor, and self-imposed pressure women carry every day, and the intentional choice to release what no longer serves us. Through storytelling, journaling, and a symbolic hands-on activity, participants will explore what it means to lead with awareness, balance, and intention.
11:30 am Lunch
12:30 pm Creative Activity - Part 1 - Marianne Lake
Inspired by the morning sound meditation, this reflective creative activity invites participants to consider what they are carrying forward and what they are ready to release as the “wind” of change moves through their lives and leadership.
1:30 pm Leadership isn’t Pretty – Interactive Panel Discussion
An honest and engaging conversation with women leaders about difficult personalities, emotional exhaustion, generational dynamics, boundaries, and the real experiences that shape leadership in aging services.
3:10 pm Creative Activity – Part 2
3:45 pm Free Time
4:20 pm "Proud Mary" for Dinner
8:00 pm Campfire Social
7:30 am Morning Walk and Talk (optional)
8:30 am Breakfast
9:00 am Dangerous Damsels – Monica Brogan
Monica’s session will encourage participants to build confidence, increase personal awareness, and strengthen both their mindset and practical self-defense skills through an engaging and empowering Dangerous Damsels experience.
10:00 am Through Others’ Eyes: An Unfiltered Perspective Exercise – Marianne Lake
A guided reflection exploring how others experience our leadership, communication, and presence to deepen self-awareness and strengthen authentic connection.
12:00 pm Final Gathering
12:30 pm Lunch
1:30 pm Depart
WHY ATTEND / BENEFITS
At Connections, you will:
- Step away from daily demands to focus on your own growth and well-being
Gain practical tools to lead with confidence and clarity
Explore leadership through creativity, reflection, and shared experiences
Reconnect with your purpose and strengths as a leader
Leave refreshed, inspired, and supported by a community of peers
CONNECTION & COMMUNITY
One of the most meaningful parts of Connections is the opportunity to build authentic relationships with other women leaders who understand the realities of aging services leadership.
Through shared experiences, thoughtful conversation, and intentional reflection, participants will build trust, encouragement, and lasting connection.
You spend your days supporting others. This retreat is an opportunity to support yourself.
MEET THE GUIDES & GUEST SPEAKERS
Marianne Lake
Marianne Lake is Senior Vice President of Education and Professional Development at LeadingAge PA, where she leads leadership and workforce development initiatives across the aging services sector. With more than 17 years of experience in healthcare, she specializes in leadership development, governance, and helping organizations navigate complexity and change. A skilled educator and facilitator, Marianne creates engaging learning experiences for professionals at all levels, from emerging leaders to executive teams. As a certified DiSC trainer, she brings a strong focus on self-awareness, communication, and team effectiveness.
Known for her engaging style and ability to foster meaningful dialogue, Marianne helps participants turn insight into practical action and lasting growth.
Maria Hilton
Maria Hilton is a certified Sound Healer and Yoga Instructor based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who is passionate about helping people reconnect with themselves and cultivate greater authenticity, presence, and inner steadiness. After experiencing burnout and the pressures of corporate leadership firsthand, Maria turned toward practices that support clarity, resilience, and nervous system balance. What began as a personal healing journey evolved into her life’s work of creating restorative spaces where individuals can slow down, reflect, and reconnect. Trained in Radiant Body Yoga and certified in Sound Healing through Carnegie Mellon University, Maria blends movement, breathwork, and sound healing to support overall well being and renewal.
Monica Brogan
Monica Brogan is a nationally respected martial arts instructor, women’s self-defense advocate, and the founder of Dangerous Damsels, a premier women’s self-defense program rooted in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo. She holds a 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a 2nd degree black belt in Judo, making her Pennsylvania’s first female dual black belts in both disciplines. Monica is known for empowering women through practical self-defense training, confidence building, and resilience both on and off the mat. Her dynamic teaching style combines strength, skill, and encouragement in a way that inspires women of all backgrounds to discover their own power.
Heather Bleiler
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Heather Bleiler is Senior Director of Education & Professional Development at LeadingAge PA, where she oversees educational programs, conferences, webinars, and professional development initiatives for aging services professionals across Pennsylvania. With extensive experience in association education and member engagement, she is passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences that connect and inspire others. She earned her Master of Science in Education in Learning Design & Technology from Purdue University and her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Rutgers University.
Nicole Bowser
Nicole Bowser has over 20 years’ experience in the senior services legal industry. She joined Presbyterian Senior Living in 2011, after spending several years in private practice representing healthcare communities and individual clients on elder law issues. In her role as Vice President Legal/In-House Counsel, Mrs. Bowser is responsible for the direct oversight, supervision and management of Presbyterian Senior Living’s corporate in-house legal department. This includes providing legal advice, legal guidance and legal representation to Presbyterian Senior Living’s communities and its corporate office.
Vicki Deitzler
Laura Long
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Laura Long has served as Vice President of Independent Living at Fellowship Community for more than a decade. A graduate of the LeadingAge PA Fellows in Leadership program, she currently serves on the Alumni Council Steering Committee and was recognized as a 2022 Lehigh Valley Business Women of Influence honoree. Active in her community, Laura has served on several Lehigh Valley boards and is a past Charter President and current President of the Whitehall Area Rotary Club. She is also a longtime voice over artist, author, and speaker. In 2025, she published “When Did I Become My Parents’ Parent”, a guide for adult children navigating caregiving conversations with their families.
