Welcome to SCCIn’s temporary home on the Mill Race Center website. We’re still young as an organization, so this landing page will serve us for the time being.
But we are expecting our membership, activities, and content to grow quickly. And when it does, we will have our own site.

So come here for updates about the April 22, 2020 kickoff meeting, resources for senior center professionals, news relating to seniors, and more.

Need to get in touch? Contact the planning committee.

Jump to:

• SCCIn Launch Meeting – April 22, 2020
• Panel Discussions
• Other Resources

SCCIn Launch Meeting – April 22, 2020

8:45	REGISTRATION	Continental breakfast provided
9:30	WELCOME	Stephanie Bramlett Mayor Dennis Buckley
9:45	WHY WE ARE HERE	Bob Pitman Dan Mustard
10:00	TRANSITION/INTRO PANEL 1	Bob Pitman
10:10	Who are we? Community centers or senior centers - the impact of label on perception, funding	Moderator: Bob Pitman Panelists: Kyle Cook, Bill Glick, Patti Davis
11:00	TRANSITION/INTRO PANEL 2	Dan Mustard
11:10	Funding Models From whom? How much? Is it (ever) enough?	Moderator: Dan Mustard Panelists: Holly Saunders, Dennis Buckley, Beverly Ferry
12:00	LUNCH	Buffet provided
	The State Perspective Indiana’s State Plan on Aging: Opportunities for Senior Centers	Speaker: Erin Wright; Division of Aging, Family & Social Services Administration, State of Indiana
1:20	TRANSITION/INTRO PANEL 3	Marina Keers
1:30	Wheelin' and Dealin' Transportation's role as a center service	Moderator: Marina Keers Panelists: Janis Holiday, Bob Long, Kim Smith
2:20	TRANSITION/WRAP-UP/SURVEY	Deborah Jones
3:00	NEXT STEPS	Dan Mustard
3:30	NETWORKING
4:00	ADJOURNMENT

Map

The Beech Grove Senior Center is conveniently located in the city’s business district at 602 Main Street, Beech Grove, Indiana.

View in Google Maps

Learn More about the Panel Discussions

Panel discussions will take on key challenges faced by senior centers: perception of who we are (and what we do), cultivating sources for funding, and transportation as an essential service. Meet the panelists and moderators below.

Who are we? (Perception)
Funding Models
Wheelin’ and Dealin’: Transportation’s role as a center service

Panel One: “Who Are We?”

Since the first senior center was established in New York City in 1946, the answer to this question has evolved to meet the changing needs and interests of older adults. Has your center recently dropped “senior” from its name? Does it matter? Is there a trend? This session explores an evolution in Indiana from more traditional senior centers to community centers with dedicated programs and space for older adults. Panelists will also speculate about how programming might evolve in the future.

Panelist: Kyle Cook
Kyle has served as Executive Director of the Jay County Community Center since 2013. His organization began as the Jay County Boys Club in 1z953 and evolved into a major community center in 2004, featuring two multipurpose gyms, a fitness center, walking track, and more. Center staff includes an outreach coordinator for senior programs, and there is a significant discount for senior membership. In addition to his Community Center leadership responsibilities, Kyle is a managing real estate broker and is involved in his family landscape design and nursery business.

Panelist: Patti Davis
As Manager of the Ft. Wayne Community Center, Patti leads an organization that, in 1992, was one of the first in Indiana to complete the transition from senior center to community center. She began her career there with a Preschool youth program, was appointed assistant supervisor of the Community Center in 2000, and has served as Center manager since 2014. The center features a substantial array of “Fun After 50” programs. Patti possesses a B.S. in Education from St. Francis College, and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan.

Panelist: Bill Glick
Bill spent 15 years as Executive Director of the Indiana Juvenile Justice Task Force before entering the senior field as the Executive Director of Tippecanoe Council on Aging in 2014. In 2015 his agency, the Center at Jenks Rest, was honored with the inaugural Spirit of Jane Award, recognizing “your extraordinary caring spirit and amazing zest for life.” In 2018, the Tippecanoe Senior Center opened its new offices in the Northend Community Center, a 114,000 square foot facility housing nine nonprofits, a homeless shelter, a car repair center and a fitness center complete with pool and gyms. Bill has also served on the State Legislative Team for Indiana AARP.

Moderator: Bob Pitman
Bob Pitman served as Executive Director of Mill Race Center (formerly the Bartholomew County Retirement Foundation) from 1985 until his retirement in 2014. He also was the Chairperson of the National Institute of Senior Centers from 2006- 2008. In 2011, after 20 years of effort, the Mill Race Center for active adults, was built in a downtown Columbus park. The 25,000 square foot facility co-locates a therapy and fitness center under the auspices of Columbus Regional Hospital and Just Friends Adult Daycare Center, in addition to a wide range of older adult programs addressing the Six Dimensions of Wellness. Upon his retirement, the Pitman Institute for Aging Well was established at MRC in his honor.

Panel Two: Funding Models - From Whom? How Much? Is It Enough?

In 2019, when senior center leaders responded to a survey about challenges in serving a senior population, funding rose to the very top. This panel takes on the challenge with questions and answers about government sources, donor relations, ethics, entrepreneurship, and fund-raising. Do you have fund-raisers or “friend”-raisers? What’s the difference, and what are the risks and rewards of each?

Panelist: Mayor Dennis Buckley
Dennis is a lifelong Beech Grove resident. He attended and graduated from Beech Grove High School and received training in Executive Leadership from the National Fire Academy and the ATF National Academy. Dennis began his career with the Beech Grove Fire Department in 1980. In 1998, he was promoted to Fire Chief, a position in which he served with pride and integrity for over 11 years. During Dennis’ leadership, the fire department grew to a service level that often exceeded that of departments of a much larger size. After retiring as fire chief, Dennis ran successfully for the office of Mayor of Beech Grove and is currently in his third term. Dennis and his wife Patty, raised two children, Christopher and Lyndsay, in Beech Grove and now have four beautiful grandchildren.

Panelist: Beverly Ferry
Beverly is the CEO of Living Well in Wabash County COA, Inc., a county-wide non-profit focused on empowering seniors to maximize the autumn and winter of their lives. She started in community recreation as a teenager, has a bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University in Recreation Administration with a business concentration; worked with senior populations with mental illnesses and/or Alzheimer’s Disease in the early 1980’s, and returned to the field of senior services in 2003 as Executive Director of Wabash County Council on Aging, now called Living Well. She oversees the general operation of Wabash County Public Transportation, a 5311 transit program and senior transit. She and her family have lived in Wabash since 1993.

Panelist: Holly Saunders
Holly is marking 15 years as Executive Director of Huntington County Council on Aging. Her prior four years as Assistant Director provided basic knowledge in all areas of the Council on Aging, and a varied work background – including newspaper advertising and accounting – gave her additional relevant experience. Holly stays abreast of policies and regulations in public transportation from her involvement with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), Indiana Council on Specialized Transportation (INCOST), the local Transportation Advisory Committee, and Rural Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP). She holds Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Management. Holly has “three awesome sons”: Michael (22), Marcus (22), and Noah (16) and two of the cutest dogs ever: Bernie and Bailey.

Moderator: Dan Mustard
Dan is a native of Michigan, but has been a resident of Columbus, Indiana since 1991. Dan attended college in Kentucky, and then returned to Michigan where he worked for a guitar manufacturer, and eventually became a full time, professional musician. Dan transitioned from the music industry into Disabilities Services, where he served as a supported employment specialist for Stone Belt ARC. After several years with Stone Belt, Dan went to work for Gateway Services in Franklin as the Director of Employment Services, and later as Director of Operations. He joined Mill Race Center, a senior center in Columbus, as the Director of Operations, and now serves as the Executive Director. Mill Race Center was established in 1956, and serves over 2,000 members.

Luncheon Address: Indiana’s State Plan on Aging: Opportunities for Senior Centers

Speaker: Erin Wright, MGS
Erin is the Director of Access and Engagement for the Division of Aging, part of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. In her role, she administers multiple federal and state-funded home and community-based service programs. Erin earned her master’s degree in gerontology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Prior to joining the Division of Aging in 2017, Erin worked on behalf of the older population in various public and nonprofit organizations, including two area agencies on aging.

Panel Three: Wheelin’ and Dealin’ – Transportation as an Essential Service

When Mill Race Center leaders surveyed peers throughout the state in Summer 2019, two-thirds of respondents said their centers provide transportation – in some cases, the only “public” transportation in their service area. What are the challenges? Opportunities?

Panelist: Janis Holiday
Janis Holiday is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, with a B.A. in Psychology and Computer Applications. Janis began working at Marshall County Council on Aging in 2007, as a part-time event programmer, and has since moved on to the transit and accounting manager. In that time, Marshall County Public Transit has seen the number of annual trips triple to over 26,000. Marshall County Public Transit currently has 11 vehicles and 15 drivers to serve Marshall County. Janis resides in Plymouth with her husband and their four children.

Panelist: Kimberly Smith
As Executive Director of Johnson County Senior Services, Inc. since 2012, Kimberly Smith oversees multiple activities, including transportation. Nearly two decades ago she became an ordained pastor specializing in Outreach Ministry and Women’s Ministries. This experience cultivated a heart to serve others, making older adults her focus now. Kimberly is a 2017 graduate of Leadership Johnson County and was nominated as Franklin College’s Women of Distinction Award. Born and raised in Johnson County, Kimberly married her high school sweetheart Steve Smith 37 years ago. They have two children; Lauren is 27, and Harrison is 25.

Panelist: Bob Long
Bob joined Hancock County Senior Services as executive director in May of 2018. Before that, he was Executive Director of LaPorte County Habitat for Humanity from 2013 to 2018. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a master’s degree from Ohio University, both in communications. Bob’s experience prior to joining HCSS has been in administration, fundraising and community relations. He has served with organizations in the field of health care, home health, hospice, Meals on Wheels, workforce development, and senior services.

Moderator: Marina Keers
Marina Keers is a committed advocate for individual self-sufficiency and a champion for the needs and desires of vulnerable people and aging adults in her community. She was hired as the Executive Director of Hendricks County Senior Services in February 2012. Marina has a degree in Advertising and Public Relations from Franklin College and a Master’s in Public Affairs from Indiana University. Prior to joining the team at Hendricks County Senior Services, she worked in fundraising and development for Coburn Place Safe Haven and Sheltering Wings. Marina serves on the board of Leadership Hendricks County. She is married to Dustin Keers, and they have two children, Margaret (10) and Joseph (6).

Other Resources

Below is an excellent article about 21st century senior centers. The article was a project funded by AARP’s Louisiana state office. Its findings are still highly relevant nearly a decade after it was published.

Transforming Senior Centers Into 21st Century Wellness Centers

Contact Us

In Summer 2019, staff at Mill Race Center in Columbus, sent out the survey that many of you answered. An overwhelming majority of respondents (94%) expressed interest in exploring a statewide association to advocate for senior centers in Indiana. We are in the formative stages under the working title Senior Center Coalition of Indiana – SCCIn. Please contact any member of the meeting planning committee below if you have questions, comments, or ideas.

Dan Mustard, Executive Director
dmustard@millracecenter.org

Bob Pitman, Executive Director Emeritus
bjecp@aol.com

Deborah Jones, Meeting Coordinator
djones@millracecenter.org