Saratoga News

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City lends a hand to senior center in search for an executive director

By Shannon Burkey

Just months after its executive director resigned in a cloud of controversy, the Saratoga Senior Center is on its way to rebuilding itself with a little help from the city.

"The city has offered us some temporary executive director assistance while we take a more rational and cautious approach to hiring an executive director that may be more appropriate for us," board member Bill Green said.

At its April 24 meeting, the board voted unanimously to allow Saratoga senior recreation supervisor Kim Saxton-Heinrich to serve as its interim executive director until a new one is hired.

Saxton-Heinrich, who has worked at the city's recreation department for 23 years, said she is looking forward to being of help to the center and its members and staff.

"My sense is that everybody seems to be optimistic about the future and they hope they will find a wonderful director, but in the interim I'll be around to help them," she said. "The board of directors are so helpful and so kind and they have such good intentions and spirits that I want to be good for them and help support them."

The center's former executive director, Genie Dee, left her position in February after her management style was called into question. Several members and center volunteers said she had turned the center into an unfriendly and unwelcoming place and that she was not senior-friendly. They said that, along with members not renewing their memberships, several volunteers quit because of their interactions with Dee.

At the time, the board of directors was criticized for not addressing the complaints of its members. But it's now hopeful that it can move forward and leave the controversy behind.

Since Dee's departure, the board has interviewed two potential candidates, but neither seemed to be the perfect fit.

The city offered its human resources department and expertise to the center to help expedite the process.

"They'll advertise the job and pre-screen some of the applicants so that we won't be spending our time looking at those who don't qualify," Green said.

The board, however, will conduct all the interviews and make the final decision.

While George Bunyard, chief financial officer for the board, said he feels good about the direction the center is headed in, he would like to see the process speed up.

"I feel we're moving too slowly, but we're moving with care and in a good direction," Bunyard said. "We just want to find a good, qualified director."

In her first few days on the job, Saxton-Heinrich said she is getting that feeling from everyone.

"Everyone is just trying to hold it together in the absence of a director," she said. "You can tell they really feel they need their leader."

Over the past year, Vice Mayor Ann Waltonsmith, city council liaison to the senior center, said she received numerous complaints from people no longer using the center because of the problems occurring with Dee. But, despite its past problems, she said she has great hopes for the center.

"I'm very positive about the direction they're moving in," Waltonsmith said. "I think some of the board members are nervous because it's the unknown, but I think they're going to have a really good program with a lot more coordination and cooperation between the city and the center. They're wanting us to really help now rather than keeping us at arm's length."