Pooled Trusts Intensive
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
8:00a.m.-8:10 a.m.
Welcome and Announcements
8:10 a.m.-9:00 a.m.
How Media Cover Stories of People with Disabilities
Jennifer LaFleur
This session will highlight disability journalism, disability language and best practices around telling stories about people with disabilities. It will provide resources for learning more, including several tools from the National Center for Disability and Journalism, which works to improve news media coverage of disability.
9:00 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
The Role of Technology
[TBD]
[Description coming soon]
9:50 a.m.-10:10 a.m.
Break and Visit with Sponsors and Exhibitors
Sponsored by Special Needs Alliance
10:10 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
My Cloudy Crystal Ball
Stephen Dale and Peter Wall
[Description coming soon]
11:10 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
From Tragedy to Triumph and Everything in Between
Eric LeGrand (via Zoom)
Eric will dive into his childhood story, which will paint a description of who he was before his injury, and then everything that took place after. The ups, the downs, and finding a new positive perspective of life.
12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Lunch
Sponsored by Life Enrichment Trust
1:30 p.m.-2:20 p.m. Breakout Session 1
- Technology is a Reasonable Expense
Eric Einhart
[Description coming soon]
- Missing Beneficiaries and Other Hard-to-Find Individuals: Practical Strategies for Trustees and Administrators
Haley Greer
Trustees and trust professionals are increasingly faced with the challenge of locating missing beneficiaries, family members, fiduciaries, and other individuals connected to a trust. This presentation explores practical and legally defensible methods for conducting searches, documenting efforts, evaluating privacy concerns, and deciding when additional action is necessary. Topics include common search tools and reducing liability when beneficiaries cannot be located. Real-world scenarios and practical tips will help attendees build effective procedures for trust administration.
2:25 p.m.-3:15 p.m. Breakout Session 2
- Benefits Counseling and Discretionary Distribution Decisions
Lee Ann Fulena
[Description coming soon] - The Jen & Ken Show
Ken Brown and Jennifer Burdick
[Description coming soon]
3:15 p.m.-3:35 p.m.
Break and Visit with Sponsors and Exhibitors
Sponsored by Special Needs Alliance
3:35 p.m.-4:25 p.m. Breakout Session 3
- There’s a New Marshall in Town: Trustee Duties When Trust Payments Go Off Track
Megan Brand and Susie Germany
Pooled and individual special needs trusts often depend on funding sources governed by court orders, settlement agreements, or statutory obligations. Trustees must not only understand their fiduciary duty to secure these payments but also navigate the legal mechanisms available when payments lapse. This presentation examines the intersection of trust administration and enforcement: identifying funding obligations, pursuing delinquent payments, coordinating with counsel, and documenting compliance. We will also discuss scalable tracking systems that help trustees manage recurring payments across multiple beneficiaries and avoid gaps that could jeopardize benefits or trust viability. - When Caregivers Face Deportation
Art Rios
[Description coming soon]
4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Legislative Update/Call to Action
Kerry Tedford-Coles, Roxane Chang, and David Goldfarb
Staying current with legislative, regulatory and policy updates that impact people with disabilities is a necessity to properly support pooled trust beneficiaries. 2026 continues to pose significant uncertainty and continuing challenges for individuals with disabilities and trustees. The panel will review the most current legislative, regulatory, and policy updates that trustees need to know. Session experts will also provide an overview of any new proposed changes along with what the disability community has accomplished over the past year along with what pooled trust administrators can do to continue to promote education and awareness regarding public benefits.