Q & A with Senior Center director

Q&A
With Abingdon Senior Center Director Dexter Peltzer

What does the Senior Center do?
It’s a community center for serving the senior citizens in the community, and as part of that it also has the meals on wheels program that serves meals to homebound individuals. We have programs and activities here that cater to seniors from bridge, dance classes to nutrition.

Who funds the senior center?
We have three major funding sources (the town of) Abingdon, Washington Count County, and United Way and then beyond that we get individual and corporate contributions.

Why did you want to become executive director of the senior center?
I felt called to do it from the standpoint that I saw a need for the center – it needed leadership to make it a more vibrant place and I love it here.
My major focus is making it a fun place to be, not only the people that come here but also the volunteers and staff, I want them to be appreciated and loved. So that part I enjoy, the interaction with people but as part of that I’ve also noticed that the center has a lot of opportunity—like medical programs and nutritional programs (through Johnston Memorial Hospital).

What experience do you have?
I have led public accounting, a consulting group I built up. What I’ve done in the past was build up a business to about a 60 million business in revenue, about 120-150 people that I worked with and a co-founder from a public accountant standpoint. Beyond that, the fact that I’m pretty active in Sinking Springs Presbyterian Church and I just love working with people. I think that’s a better credential than business experience sometimes.

What do you bring to the job?
Enthusiasm, encouragement, I’ve wanted this to be a place where people enjoy working and feel appreciated and just a place where the town is proud of. I think there are not enough people in town that are aware of the senior center and what it could be so I’ll be spending a lot of time out in the community visiting with business leader to churches, this morning I met with the masters gardeners club.

What changes do you plan to make to the senior center?
Programs and activities will probably be the biggest change we’ll have and more social events, in house programs where we’ll have food and entertainment and maybe dancing. One of the major thrusts I’ve been in charge with is a new section of the building that we need $200,000 to complete. So I’m trying to obtain funding to finish that part. We could have a dance floor in there – ballroom dancing and we could have health exhibits. I’m hoping the community comes together in support of that and sees that vision.

How does the Senior Center benefit the community?
It’s to serve the seniors, a place for seniors to come, feel at home, feel welcome sometimes get a hot meal and enjoy themselves so it really is a social gathering place for seniors but I also envision it being an outreach center for seniors that can’t get here. I think it’s important to serve the entire community not just the people who can get here.
Everyone has parents and your parents stay more active the more you use your mind, like with the bridge group, so (it’s important) to have your parents participate whether it’s dancing or bridge or whatever. I see Abingdon as a retirement community in a lot of ways, there’s tourism but I think at its core is a retirement community.