Amanda sits down with Christie Hinrichs, President & CEO of Frasier (Boulder, Colorado) and LeadingAge (national) Board Chair. From her first job at 15 in a rural Nebraska nursing home to leading one of the most prominent life plan communities in the country, Christie's career is a masterclass in persistence, purpose, and servant leadership.

The conversation covers the thirty years she spent growing into nearly every role at Tabitha in Nebraska, what legacy meant when it was time to go, along with the burnout she navigated and finding renewal at Frasier in Boulder. Christie speaks candidly about the workforce challenges she sees at the national level, the tension between technology and human connection, and her deep conviction that a person's ZIP code should never determine their access to care.

Takeaways

• The concept of "servant leadership" gets thrown around a lot. Christie is someone who actually lives it — and she breaks down what that looks like when the pressure is real, and the resources are thin.
• Legacy is about leaving a place better than you found it and trusting that the mission carries on.
• Burnout is real, even for the most seasoned leaders. The antidote is not going it alone.
• Technology gives us tools. Compassion gives us meaning. Both matter, and neither replaces the other.
• The field acknowledges the access and equity gap of care. Christie pushes further and asks what it will actually take to move the needle.
• Christie will be co-presenting the Closing Keynote with George Linial, President & CEO of LeadingAge Texas to close out the LeadingAge Texas Annual Conference & Solutions EXPO in Austin this May. 

Special Links & Resources

• Frasier — Christie's community in Boulder, CO
• LeadingAge — National association of nonprofit aging services providers
• "Rebel with a Cause: Christie Hinrichs" — McKnight's Long-Term Care News, James M. Berklan, March 2026
• LeadingAge Texas Annual Conference & Solutions EXPO — Register (use promo code: UPLIFT) to attend and see Christie and George Linial close out the 2.5-day event

This episode is made possible by LeadingAge Texas' Partners: Communities of Faith, RRG, LeadingAge Texas Health Plan, Inc., Value First, and Ziegler.

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The Uplift Aging Podcast is a production of LeadingAge Texas.