Senior Center director will retire

After being the Golden Hour Senior Center's executive director for a little over three years, Sheela Schermetzler is ready for a new chapter in life when she retires.

Schermetzler's last day will be Sept. 21 and her replacement is someone the center is already familiar with. Jackie Grubb, who is the office manager, will be taking over the director's position then.

"She's been kind of shadowing me for the last two years," Schermetzler said. "It's going to be pretty tough for her for a couple of months until she gets someone for her spot."

When Schermetzler started at the center one of her goals was to enhance the healthy lifestyles of seniors.

Often times, when seniors retire, they get stuck in the chair, she said.

Since Schermetzler came on board, a few more exercise classes have started. She said there are times of the year when a senior could fill their entire morning with various fitness classes if that's what they wanted.

Along the same healthy living theme, Schermetzler helped obtain a grant which allowed the center to provide healthier meals for home delivery and the dining room. They have also added a salad bar to the dining room, which is available three times a week.

"We make sure seniors are getting a balanced meal," she said. "There's been a little bit of a challenge with all of this, but it's moving along well."

The size and convenience of the home-delivered meals has changed. The hot food is now separate from the cold food, so the food that's supposed to be hot stays that way and the cold food remains cold.

"I think we've really improved that whole operation," she said.

Finances

One area Schermetzler is proud of is how the center currently has a six-month operating fund in reserves. She said if for some reason the center would lose all of its grants, the center could operate for six months on the reserves, which would allow employees time to find different funding options.

This additional money was built up through fundraisers, including bake sales, a Christmas Craft Fair and yard sales. They have also obtained some corporate sponsors.

The size of the staff has has also been cut, mostly through attrition, she said, which is savings on the budget. The center operates on four full-time and six part-time employees.

"I think that's a big accomplishment," Schermetzler said.

While at the center, Schermetzler was instrumental in developing financial and volunteer policies. This has lead to fiscal accountability, detailed budgets and expenditure reports and a balanced budget.

She has also made sure to create a step-by-step process on counting all of the money that the center takes in every day and making sure it balances. There was no accountability before.

"It was so crazy to me," she said.

Future plans

Even though Schermetzler is retiring in September, she won't be free from work until October. Schermetzler has her own grant writing and consulting business and a big project is due by October. Schermetzler plans to get up at the same time every day after retirement to get that project done on time.

"I'll be working my head off trying to get is all done," she said.

After that, she will visit her family and start making 20 fleece tie blankets for her grandkids. She also plans to make some improvements to the house that she's been wanting to do.

"They always say you should leave on a high note and I feel I am doing that," she said.

She wanted to thank the center's hardworking employees, its patrons and all of the community support she has received.

"I feel positive about this transition," she said.

 

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