Senior Center Seeks New Executive and Transportation Directors

By Jennifer Britt

The Parsons Advocate

Back on May 16 the Senior Center’s staff and community joined together to offer support to the continuing employment of Director Mary Alice Smith. The Senior Center Board, at that time, had called forth Smith for termination due to fraud. Smith had allegedly managed a situation improperly for which the Senior Center Board was seeking for her resignation. The situation in question was the payment for food deliveries made by one individual but paid to another. 

Smith stated she was doing what was best to get meals to the senior residents of Tucker County. The incident occurred when Smith did not have the needed drivers to take the meals and a volunteer stepped in and took the meals. Smith paid this individual through his wife’s paycheck who is employed as a cook for the Senior Center. The individual has forfeited back to the Center $250, $50 over the original paid amount of $200. 

At this meeting Smith’s job was secured with a motion from the board to accept the resignation of Smith as executive director but keep her on as transportation director. This was short lived.

The Senior Center board meet again and overturned their previous decision with the advice given by Scott Gossard from the Upper Potomac Area Agency on Aging Contract to formally terminate Smith’s employment effective immediately. Smith will receive compensation through June 30. The board stated the reasoning for the termination was due to continuing financial and employee issues, but no further explanation was stated at the time of the meeting. 

Many members of the audience were verbally upset by this announcement. Jessica Wamsley left the room stating to the board that she wanted her resume and application for Executive Director rescinded. 

All of Smith’s check signing ability was revoked and credits cards in her name are to be returned to the center. The new check signer will be board member Debbie Stevens. The board also voted to change all locks at the center and issue new keys to only essential employees. Others voiced concerns as to whether the board cared about the senior residents or not. 

The board carried a motion to extend the deadline for accepting applications for executive director to July 30. The transportation director position will post in the paper until the end of June. 

Gossard said, “During the past couple of years, this year and last year, there are some operational issues. Issues that we have identified and some that have continued to be a serious concern. So much so that it makes me worry about continuing to fund Tucker County Senior Center.” 

A motion was presented and approved asking Upper Potomac Agency on Aging Contract to assist the board with overseeing their operations for the next three months. The board also requested the agency assist with recruiting, selecting, and training the new executive director. The board will pay the agency expenses for caring out these duties. 

The tabled May 16 meeting minutes were re-presented for motion to approve. During the board’s discussion of the minutes, it was stated that the motion to accept Smith’s resignation as executive director but stay on as transportation was not seconded by another board member and therefore was invalid.

But board member Stevens spoke up and said she had, in fact, seconded the motion before leaving the previous meeting early to address another matter. The board then decided to vote in approval of accepting the minutes as presented with the correction being added that Stevens seconded the previous motion.

The Senior Center Board also accepted the letter of resignation of Savannah Hull Wilkins from the board effective immediately. The board voted to fill the vacant board members seats with Gloria Myers, Mellissa Brown, and Sandy Owens.