Tennessee State Conference on Aging

DDA is excited to announce the first-ever Tennessee State Conference on Aging, a landmark event dedicated to advancing best practices, sharing innovative solutions, and addressing the critical needs of our aging population. This historic conference will bring together renowned experts and thought leaders from across the country, collaborating on some of the most pressing issues facing older adults. The event will be held on September 9-10, 2026, and more details will continue to be shared on this page. 

The conference will feature:

Nationally recognized speakers and experts in aging and caregiving
Interactive sessions and networking opportunities with policymakers, providers, and advocates
Best practice sharing to strengthen programs and services

Bo Watson is a Tennessee State Senator and has represented part of Hamilton County in the Tennessee General Assembly since 2004. Since 2017, Senator Watson has served as Chairman of the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee. As Chairman, Senator Watson’s top priority is that the State of Tennessee is a good steward of taxpayer dollars. Under his leadership, Tennessee has ranked #1 in the nation for fiscal stability, maintained a AAA-bond rating, and developed a $1.8 billion rainy day fund – all with no state income tax.

From 2011 – 2016 Watson served as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Tennessee Senate and from 2009 – 2010 was Chairman of the Senate Government Operations Committee. In addition to his public service, Senator Watson is a licensed physical therapist and market director for therapy services at HCA Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.

Watson serves on several advisory boards such as the Tennessee Information Systems Council (ISC), Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR), Tennessee Steering Committee for K-12 Education funding, Council of State Government’s (CSG) Governing Board, and is Co-Chairman of the Innovations in HealthCare National Task Force with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and National Co-Chairman for CSG Healthy States National Task Force.

Dr. John Dunn, a Nashville native, has built a career dedicated to protecting public health in Tennessee and nationwide. After earning his BS, DVM, and PhD from Louisiana State University, he later completed an Executive MBA in Strategic Leadership from the University of Tennessee. His early work spanned animal health, epidemiology, and food safety, reflecting his long-standing commitment to the connection between animal and human health. Dr. Dunn began his public health service as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the CDC in 2003 before returning to Tennessee in 2005. Over the next two decades, he served in multiple leadership roles at the Tennessee Department of Health, including State Public Health Veterinarian, Deputy State Epidemiologist, and State Epidemiologist. In 2025, he was appointed Interim Commissioner of Health. He remains active in national professional organizations and is widely recognized for his leadership, collaboration, and dedication to strengthening the public health system.

Marie Williams is the longest-serving Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, first appointed in 2016 and reappointed in 2019. She leads the state’s public mental health and substance use system, overseeing an annual budget of about $680 million and more than 1,850 employees who serve roughly 750,000 Tennesseans each year. Throughout her tenure, she has guided major statewide efforts addressing workforce challenges, youth mental health, the opioid crisis, criminal justice reform, and the expansion of peer-led and faith-based supports. She is also known for her long-standing commitment to housing, including establishing the Creating Homes Initiative, which has leveraged more than $1.3 billion to create over 36,000 housing opportunities. Commissioner Williams has been widely recognized for her leadership, earning national and state awards such as the Excellence in Advocacy Individual Achievement Award from the National Council for Behavioral Health and the George Goodman and Ruth P. Brudney National Social Work Award from Mental Health America. She lives in Nashville and is the mother of Nikki Williams.

Director Rausch, born in Louisville, Kentucky, holds both a BA in Political Science and an MS in Justice Administration from the University of Louisville. He served in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps, attaining the rank of Sergeant, and went on to spend 25 years with the Knoxville Police Department, including seven years as Chief of Police and ten years on the SWAT team. He is a graduate of numerous prestigious law enforcement leadership programs, including the FBI National Academy, the Southern Police Institute, the Senior Management Institute for Police, the FBI National Executive Institute, and the U.S. Army War College Commandant’s National Security Program. Appointed in 2018 as the 9th Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and reappointed in 2022, Director Rausch has also contributed at the national level, serving on the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. He currently serves as President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, represents the organization on the Department of Homeland Security’s State and Local Intelligence Council, and is an assessor for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

Dr. Crane is a fellowship-trained geriatric medicine physician who has been nationally recognized as an expert in multidisciplinary dementia care. Her sole career focus has Alzheimer’s disease and the neurodegenerative dementias. She completed her undergraduate degree at Yale University, medical school training at Jefferson Medical College, and residency and fellowship training at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2017, Dr. Crane founded the multidisciplinary memory disorders clinic Genesis Neuroscience Clinic. In 2020, the clinic transitioned to a board-governed nonprofit 501c3 and was renamed Tennessee Memory Disorders Foundation (TMDF). TMDF serves over 6900 active patients. Since 2017, Dr. Crane has been the PI of 16 studies and mentored over 100 undergraduate and graduate students.

Allison Massari knows healthcare professionals have the power to transform lives. After surviving two life-threatening car accidents—one leaving her with second and third degree burns over 50 percent of her body—she experienced firsthand the critical value of compassionate, personalized care. Raised by two clinicians, Allison grew up immersed in medicine, shadowing her father and working in hospitals and medical offices. Sharing her riveting journey from absolute loss to a hope-filled life, she illuminates the immense value caregivers bring to suffering patients. Her artistic storytelling inspires confidence, self-leadership, and resilience within the challenges of today's high-pressure healthcare environment.

Kathy Greenlee J.D. is the Senior Director for Elder Justice Initiatives for ADvancing States, the national membership organization of state agencies on aging, disability and Medicaid home and community-based services. Her work is focused on elder abuse, adult protective services, guardianship, and rural aging. From 2009 to 2016, she served as Assistant Secretary for Aging at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, a position to which she was appointed by President Barack Obama. During her time at HHS, Kathy led the team that created the Administration for Community Living and served as the agency’s first Administrator. Kathy worked 18 years in Kansas state government, including serving as Kansas Secretary for Aging and Kansas State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. She is currently a board member and past chair for the National Council on Aging. Kathy is a University of Kansas graduate, having received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a J.D. from the School of Law.