Senior Center Board elects new officers

The White County Comprehensive Multipurpose Senior Citizens Center Board held their first scheduled meeting of the new year, on Jan. 3, and one of the first orders of business was to appoint new officers.

While the Senior Center has been struggling with operational and legal issues for several months, in October, it was determined that a new board would be put in place effective Jan. 1. The new board was to be comprised of five members appointed by the city of Sparta, four members appointed by the White County Board of Commissioners, two active members from the Senior Center, and both the city mayor (currently Jerry Lowery) and the county executive (currently Denny Wayne Robinson).

With a new board in place, it was necessary new officers be elected so the board could go about the business of getting the Senior Center re-opened and daily activities in place for the members of the community who had been used to frequenting the center for the purpose of socialization, education, eating meals, and participating in entertainment events.

James Douglas was elected, unanimously, as the new chairman of the board after which Robert McCormick was elected as vice-chairman. Sheila Robinson was selected to be the board’s treasurer, while Amy Bailey was chosen as secretary. While it was determined that choosing two members from the active members of the center to serve as board members would wait until the Senior Center had been re-opened, a committee consisting of some of the current board members was chosen to review and update the center’s bylaws. That committee consisted of Karen Lafever, Barbara Lancaster, Robert McCormick, Amy Bailey, and James Douglas.

Another pressing matter before the new board was the fact the Senior Center currently has no director. The board instructed interim director Jim Floyd to accept applications for the position and narrow them down to the three most qualified candidates, with the board set to interview the chosen applicants Jan 10. After a new director is chosen, the board will task him or her with the job of interviewing and hiring any additional staff that may be needed.

Before the meeting was adjourned, the new chairman, James Douglas, addressed the crowd that had assembled to be present at the meeting to voice their concerns. Douglas assured the citizens – most of whom had been members who frequented the senior center before its abrupt closing in October of last year – that the new board was there to help the center to thrive. He also told them he personally would listen to their concerns and questions.