Register for AI Possibilities for Guardianship Presentation

Presented by Dr. Pamela Teaster and Tracey Bowles

March 19, 2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming professional practice. Learn what it could mean for guardianship in this timely virtual presentation featuring Dr. Pamela Teaster, a national leader in elder justice and the protection of vulnerable adults and Tracey Bowles, a Nationally Certified Guardian.

Registration

Artificial intelligence is rapidly shaping how professionals work, make decisions, and support vulnerable populations. This virtual presentation explores what AI could mean for guardianship—both the opportunities it presents and the ethical considerations it raises.

Presented by Dr. Pamela Teaster, a nationally recognized leader in guardianship, elder justice, and the protection of vulnerable adults, this session explores how emerging AI tools may intersect with guardianship practice, policy, and human rights. Co-presenter Tracey Bowles, a Nationally Certified Guardian, holds degrees in Psychology and Counseling and Educational Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno. Her experience includes serving as a mental health counselor for Washoe County Social Services and as Acting Deputy Administrator for Nevada’s Division of Child and Family Services. She currently serves as the Public Guardian for Washoe County, Nevada.

This presentation explores the proliferation of AI in general and is designed for guardians, attorneys, court professionals, social service providers, and others interested in understanding how AI may impact guardianship now and in the future.

Date: March 19, 2026

Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm (CDT)

Location: Virtual (virtual login information will be sent after registering)

Cost: $10

CEUs: You are encouraged to pursue CEUs through your own organization as long as the training offered qualifies under the applicable licensing or credentialing guidelines and complies with appropriate documentation.

Dr. Pamela Teaster

Pamela Teaster is a professor of human development and family science at Virginia Tech and director of the Virginia Tech Center for Gerontology.

Teaster has a long history of serving the public interest in ensuring that older Americans receive protection from exploitation and abuse by those in positions of power or trust. Her ongoing research focuses on the mistreatment of elders and vulnerable adults, public and private guardianship, end-of-life issues and decision-making, ethical treatment and human rights issues of vulnerable adults, and public affairs and policy. She is the coauthor or coeditor of four books and more than a hundred peer-reviewed articles, reports, and book chapters.

In addition to her scholarship, Teaster is on the editorial board of the Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect. She is a fellow of both the Gerontological Society of America and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. She is an active board member and former president of the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse. She also serves as secretary on the Board of Trustees for the Center for Guardianship Certification and secretary general of the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse.

Tracey Bowles

Tracey Bowles was appointed Public Guardian for Washoe County in Reno, Nevada effective March 11, 2019. Tracey was born and raised in Reno, attending the University of Nevada, Reno obtaining a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling and educational psychology.

Tracey began her career working with vulnerable populations in 1997, at Washoe County’s emergency shelter for abused, abandoned, and neglected children, while working on her master’s degree. Following graduation, Tracey pursued her licensure as a Marriage and Family therapist in both Nevada and California at a non-profit located on the shores of Lake Tahoe, where she focused on trauma treatment for children and adults. After 11 years of working directly with individuals, couples, and families in therapy, Tracey returned to Washoe County to work as a clinical care manager with foster children and their families for Human Services Agency. After 6 years, Tracey took advantage of an opportunity to lead a dynamic team running seven different children’s mental health programs in Northern Nevada for the Division of Child and Family Services. It was here that her passion for leading dynamic teams, focused on quality care for the people they serve, blossomed.

Tracey loves working with her team at the Public Guardian’s Office and enjoys dedicating time to furthering ethical guardianship practices with her work on the board of the National Guardianship Association (NGA) and on the State of Nevada’s Guardianship Commission.