Following the resignation of former Emporia Senior Center Director Ian Boyd earlier this year, the ESC Board of Directors had several priorities on their plate, one of which has now been placed into a holding pattern for the time being.
During an interview on KVOE’s Talk of Emporia Friday morning, ESC Board Chair and acting ESC Director Jan Loux stated the board has chosen to hit the pause button on the search for an interim director at this time. When asked the reasoning for halting the search, Loux stated there are several procedural and structural items the board needs to address before bringing someone in to handle the day-to-day operations.
One of the biggest focuses for board members in recent weeks has been to fill many of the vacant positions currently on the board, a goal that board member Jeff Hodges says they are making great progress towards. Hodges stated Friday morning they recently approved the addition of a fifth member with plans to fill at least two more seats in the coming weeks.
In addition to updating their search efforts Friday, Hodges and Loux also addressed a past incident that has had lingering effects on the center for the past several years, the embezzlement of funds by former director Lannie Lyman. Hodges stated that while history can not be erased, the board is choosing to no longer focus on the negatives of the past but rather to put all their time and focus into the positives coming in the future.
Loux and Hodges also noted another priority for the board is to increase both transparency and communication with the residents of Emporia, something Hodges believes was lacking in years past. As part of that effort, Loux has created the Coffee and Chat event which is held each Monday morning at the center allowing residents to meet face-to-face with Loux and address any concerns or questions they may have regarding center operations.
Friday’s appearance by Loux and Hodges comes as the center has resumed its weekly bingo events on Tuesday evenings and Saturday afternoons. Loux says turnout has been tremendous in recent weeks and there are going to be some “exciting” additions coming to bingo shortly, however, she was not ready to announce specifics just yet.
For more information on the Emporia Senior Center and its upcoming activities be sure to find the center on Facebook.
