WINTER 2016
Introducing Argentum’s Silver PAC! ALFAPAC is now Silver PAC. The new name was chosen to enhance Argentum’s recognition on Capitol Hill. Argentum,
which is derived from the Latin word for silver, conveys strength while giving a nod to the “silver generation” that Argentum’s
members serve. The name Silver PAC gives the industry a distinct and recognizable name while advocating on behalf of the
senior living industry and our residents.
Silver PAC Campaign Kickoff at the Conference in May
Argentum’s Silver PAC fundraising campaign will formally launch at the
annual conference in Denver this May. The fundraising campaign will
continue through the fall when the second annual winner of the Granger
Cobb Cup for Excellence in Political Action will be crowned.
The Silver PAC Golf Classic will once again kick off the Argentum
Conference & Expo in Denver in May 2016. The 2016 Golf Classic will be
held at the beautiful Fossil Trace course in Denver on Monday, May 9th.
Fossil Trace has been named a 4 ½ Star “Places to Play” from 2006-14 by
Golf Digest Magazine and as having the “Best Starting Hole in Colorado”
in Colorado Avid Golfer. With gorgeous views of the Rocky Mountains, the
2016 Golf Classic will be an experience to remember. Click here to sign up!
Silver PAC Seeks to Break
Fundraising Record Again
in 2016
In 2015 Argentum’s Silver PAC
had its most successful year of
fundraising to date. Last year,
Silver PAC exceeded its goal of
$300,000, raising $318,289 from
484 individual donors.
Silver PAC has set an ambitious
goal of raising $350,000 in 2016.
The increased goal reflects
Argentum’s long-term objective
of becoming a $1,000,000 per
election cycle PAC which would
Silver PAC Golf
Classic Presented
by Welltower
mean raising $500,000 annually.
As Silver PAC continues to grow,
it will have greater influence on
Capitol Hill while providing more
resources to State Partner PACs
to increase their advocacy on the
state level. Silver PAC plans to
Thank You to our Golf Sponsors!
reach this goal by encouraging
Benchmark Senior Living, Brookdale,
Ciscor, Clifton Larson Allen, Country
Meadows, Direct Supply, Elmcroft
Senior Living, Five Star Quality Care,
Gardant, Genesis Quality Care,
Greenfield Senior Living, Heffernan
Insurance, Holsag, Independa, Integral Senior Living, Kensington, LCS, Matrix Care,
National Research, New Perspective Senior Living, OnShift, Pathway Senior Living,
Point Click Care, Senior Lifestyle, Stellar Senior Living, Sunrise Senior Living,
Welltower, Willis, Yardi
board companies to increase their
fundraising by 25% over their
2015 total and by working with
others on what will be their first
ever fundraising campaign for
Silver PAC.
Silverado Celebrates Winning the First Annual Granger Cobb Cup
Silverado was awarded the first annual Granger
Cobb Cup for Excellence in Political Action at the
Argentum Board meeting in December. They
have since taken the Cobb Cup back to their
office where it is proudly displayed.
Loren Shook, the President & CEO of Silverado
recently gave the following Statement:
Silverado is humbled to be the first
recipient of the Granger Cobb Cup.
Granger was a good friend and a
pioneer in our industry and we are
exceptionally honored to work with
our colleagues in the industry to carry
on his legacy of advocacy, leadership and positive change in senior living. This cup serves as a reminder of how
important it is that we support Argentum’s Silver PAC, because together as providers and leaders, we have a powerful
voice that is responsible for shaping the future of senior care for generations to come.
Silver PAC Focusing on State Partner PACs in 2016
In 2016 Argentum will continue to support the PAC’s of its State Partners as
allowed by state law. Last year Argentum’s Silver PAC contributed $82,000 to
state PACs and plans to contribute more this year. Strengthening the PACs of
State Partners allows them to continue building relationships with their local
legislators and, in conjunction with Argentum’s Advocacy Fund, employ a
comprehensive approach to advocating on behalf of the senior living industry.
Gail Harmon, CEO of Argentum’s Texas Chapter accepting a PAC check along
with Diane Martinez, Texas’ VP of Public Policy; Renee Ramsey, CEO Mustang
Creek & Patricia Will, CEO Belmont Village
Argentum to Introduce
New Individual
Membership Category
In 2016 Argentum will begin
implementing an individual
membership category for
participation in Silver PAC. The
individual membership option
will supplement the existing
Prior-Authorization to Solicit,
allowing individuals the option to
affirm their personal membership
in Argentum. There will be no
cost for this membership and
individual members will be able
to receive communications from
Silver PAC and have the option to
participate in the PAC by making
contributions. Stay tuned for
more details to come in future
newsletters that will tell you how
to become an individual member
of Silver PAC!
WINTER 2016
Mass-ALFA Meets with Massachusetts
Senate President
Election Update Phone Calls for
Silver PAC Donors
Leaders from Argentum State Partner, Mass-ALFA, recently met
with Massachusetts Senate President Stan Rosenberg. During the
meeting they discussed health services in assisted living and how
to make assisted living even more affordable for eligible seniors
through the Frail Elder Waiver.
Election years are always important for PACs
and other groups looking to get in front of
lawmakers since you can bet they’ll be busy
fundraising for re-election. With so much going
on this year, Silver PAC will be hosting regular
phone calls to keep its PAC members up to
date on what’s happening in DC and what the
political landscape looks like across the country.
Which issues should senior living professionals
pay attention to? Will the Democrats retake the
Senate and what will that mean for the industry?
Who will be the Republican and Democratic
nominees for President? Who will be our next
President? These are all questions that will be
discussed on the conference calls. The calls
will feature top DC lobbyists, prognosticators
and insiders and will be available to all PAC
members. The first call will be on Monday, March
28th at 2pm EST with Argentum’s lobbying firm
Cassidy & Associates. Cassidy is one of the most
respected lobbying firms on Capitol Hill and will
provide great insight into Washington and the
election cycle. For more information contact
ncohen@argentum.org.
Left to right – Mass-ALFA Treasurer Andrew Salmon, President Richard T. Moore,
Board Chair Sharon Ricardi, Senate President Stan Rosenberg, Past Board Chair
Nancy Moore, Board Member Walter Ohanian.
2016 Election Season Heating Up
The Presidential primaries are underway, the 2016 election is just around the corner and the White House isn’t the only thing
at stake as Republicans try to defend their nine seat majority in the Senate and 30 seat majority in the House. Although it is
likely that the high turnout from the Presidential election will help the Democrats pick up seats in the House, it will be nearly
impossible for them to regain the majority. However, in the Senate, Republicans must defend 24 seats to the Democrats 10
and many prognosticators predict that the Democrats have up to a 65% chance of retaking the Senate. With so much at stake
in 2016, Senators and Representatives will be looking to build their campaign war chests giving Silver PAC a great opportunity
to get in front of key legislators on the Hill and educate them on the senior living industry and our philosophy of resident
centered care.
Argentum Activity on Capitol Hill
In the closing weeks of 2015, Argentum attended events for Senate Aging Committee members Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
(D-RI), Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) and Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) and supported each with Silver PAC checks. This year Silver PAC
has attended and contributed to events for Aging Committee member Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) and Rep. Charles Boustany
(R-LA). In the coming weeks Silver PAC will support events for Caregiver Caucus Co-Chair Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Judiciary
Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Aging Committee member Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Medicaid Task Force
member Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Due to the intense nature of the campaign this year, the House will only be in session
for 111 legislative days, the fewest since 2006 and the Senate will have 149 legislative days.
WINTER 2016
THANK YOU TO SILVER PAC’S EARLY 2016 CONTRIBUTORS
Silver Circle (Personal Contribution of $5,000 in 2016)
James Balda, Argentum
Brad Klitsch, Direct Supply*
*includes contribution from PAC
Trustee Circle (Personal Contribution of $3,000-$4,999 in 2016)
Maribeth Bersani, Argentum
Chairman Circle (Personal Contribution of $1,000-$2,999 in 2016)
Vicki Clark
Argentum’s Advocacy Fund Begins Receiving Contributions
The Argentum Advocacy Fund is an essential tool to assist Argentum’s efforts to advance
the industry with government, legal and public affairs. Starting in January, Argentum’s
Advocacy Fund began accepting contributions from the board which pledged $1 Million
last fall and from State Partners. To date, Argentum’s Advocacy Fund has already
received $402,500 from the board and $54,450 from State Partners.
Argentum’s State Partners are able to utilize the Advocacy Fund to provide financial relief
from extraordinary advocacy efforts they encounter. Although the Fund cannot be used
to support day to day State Partner operations, it can and should be used to help further
their efforts at state and local levels.
Proactive use of Argentum’s Advocacy Fund will give the senior living industry a
comprehensive approach to effectively shaping the future of senior care for years to
come. While Argentum’s Silver PAC is helping advance our advocacy efforts on Capitol
Hill, the Advocacy Fund is an essential tool for furthering our industry in the states.
The first grant from Argentum’s Advocacy Fund was given to the Texas Assisted Living
Association for $12,000. This grant will be used to conduct research on the duplication
of regulations and on safety records in states using local codes for assisted living. TALA
hopes to use the research to pass new legislation in 2017 which would ensure resident
choice and improve quality of life.
State Partners are encouraged to apply for Argentum’s Advocacy Fund grants and
should contact Maribeth Bersani, mbersani@argentum.org for more information.
WINTER 2016