Story posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009
From Senior Center To Glaciers Of Alaska
Senior board president Roger Hall, Sharon Smith and Transition Committee chairman Ron Buch have been instrumental in the Des Plaines Senior Center's success.
Director Sharon Smith Leaving To Pursue Dream As Pilot
By TODD WESSELL Journal & Topics Editor
Sixteen years ago, the Des Plaines Community Senior Center was a tiny not-for-profit organization housed in a small area at Prairie Lakes Park Community Center that was barely big enough for a few billiard and card tables and some program space.
The annual budget was $44,000 and the Des Plaines Park District handled much of the programming.
Today, the story of the senior center is much different. Not only does it serve tens of thousands of suburban seniors by providing services that range from recreation to financial advice, but it also now owns and operates out of a modern 20,000 sq. ft. building on Northwest Highway and is landlord to six tenants. Plans are in the works to open a resale center later in the year. It's considered one of the best senior centers in the country having earned distinction, as a self-sustaining operation financed primarily through local corporate donations not tax revenue.
The individual recognized as the main person responsible for that meteoric rise---Sharon Smith---told the 15 member Senior Center board last week that she now feels the time is ripe to move on to her dream job of becoming a helicopter pilot. She will leave her post here within the next few months and take her knowledge about flying----and her Harley Davidson motorcycle---to Alaska where she will eventually fly tourists to the top of glaciers.
Admitting a bit of heartache with Smith's decision to leave, senior board president Roger Hull and Transition Committee chairman Ron Buch said they hope to have a new director hired by the end of the year or in early 2010. Smith, they said, has agreed to stay on for a few months to allow for a smooth transition.
"I will be leaving the center in capable governance hands," said Smith during a visit to the Journal & Topics Newspapers office last week with Hull and Buch. "We have a true community commitment here."
Known for her sharp wit and humor, Sharon Smith replaced Julie Tortorelli in 1994 having been hired by then center leaders Fred Pfeifer, Larry Gillie and Greg McDonald. One of the first things she worked on was to take control of programming.
"They hired me with the understanding that I'd put a plan in place. I had to increase membership and membership benefits," Smith explained.
What's made the Des Plaines center stand out over the years is the fact that its existence does not rely on government tax revenue.
"There are very few independents," said Smith. "We get some money from the city and park district, but the bulk of our revenue comes from 43 corporate donors of $1,500 and up." That cash flow finances a plethora of activities and services for the 12,000 to 14,000 "unduplicated seniors" who pass through the facility's doors every year.
"It's incredible," said Buch. "And you don't have to be a Des Plaines resident to join."
"I will probably do some grant writing and I'm training to become a helicopter pilot," explained Smith, who has a small aircraft pilot's license and is single. "I will fly tourists to the top of glaciers in Alaska. I always wanted to be a pilot."
While the Des Plaines Senior Center has seen some corporate donations dry up in the last year or so due to the shaky economy, "we're OK," said Hull. He, Smith and Buch explained that the center plans to soon open a resale shop next door. Revenue generated will be used to support senior center services for a growing clientele that will only get bigger as more and more Baby Boomers reach the status of senior citizen.
Meanwhile, explained Buch, efforts to hire a new executive director will pick up steam. He said they are looking to hire someone who has experience in the non-profit field, who has respect for and an understanding of the needs of senior citizens, and has the ability to foster good community relations.
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