SHELBURNE FALLS — Having started on Sept. 8, Amanda Joao has spent the past couple of weeks settling into her new role as Senior Center director by connecting with members and introducing herself to the community to the extent she can given pandemic-related restrictions on social gatherings.
Joao, a Granby resident who served on that town’s Council on Aging, said she was drawn to the director’s position because of the uniqueness of the Senior Center, which serves residents of Shelburne, Buckland and Ashfield. The former director, Cathy Buntin, retired in May after 14 years.
“As I read articles about the towns and center happenings prior to my interview, I quickly learned how dedicated and involved town members were with the center,” Joao said. “I was really excited to be joining such a supportive and tight-knit community.”
Joao has an educational background in public health sciences and health-care management, which she said provided her with knowledge of health disparities experienced by seniors and how to mitigate them through social services and programs like those offered at the Senior Center. While in college, she worked as an event assistant for UMass Conference Services, where she gained experience in program coordination, business operations and working with diverse groups of people.
“I also participated in a volunteer program that matched UMass students with residents at the Amherst Center for Extended Care in order to alleviate their feelings of isolation and loneliness,” she added.
Before becoming director of the Senior Center in Shelburne Falls, Joao was a member of the Granby Council on Aging — her hometown. She was responsible for overseeing the daily nutrition program, supervising volunteers and organizing recreational activities for seniors.
“I worked closely with the director there and we came up with some great innovative ideas that kept Granby seniors active, learning and excited,” she said. “This position gave me direct experience in working at a Senior Center and familiarized me with what it takes to be an effective leader at a non-profit organization.”
Joao was picked for the Senior Center director’s position from a pool of 18 applicants, four of whom were interviewed, according to Shelburne Town Administrator Terry Narkewicz. Although the town of Shelburne is the hiring authority and members of the Selectoard conducted the interviews, Narkewicz said representatives from each of the three member towns were present during each interview.
“Amanda was the group’s unanimous choice,” Narkewicz said. “She had prior experience working in a senior center setting and was familiar with day-to-day operations. … In addition to her administrative, leadership skills and impeccable references, she cares a great deal about our aging population.”
Narkewicz also cited Joao’s relevant educational background as a factor in her being selected.
Since Buntin retired in May, there hasn’t been an interim director, Narkewicz said. However, she said the Senior Center’s staff kept operations running smoothly.
Since she’s been in her new role, Joao said she has been helping with to-go meals and food pick-ups so she can get to know those who use the center’s services. She is also attending Zoom meetings with members of local organizations to introduce herself and get to know the area, and has been reading about past events the Senior Center has offered to familiarize herself with where Buntin left off.
What she looks forward to most is creating relationships with the residents of Ashfield, Buckland and Shelburne, and coming up with innovative ways to deal with the “new normal” that life has become. Joao said she is interested in creating a monthly rotation of programs, which could include anything from cooking classes and therapeutic dog visits to foreign language courses.
“I want seniors to know that we can learn new skills at any age,” she said.
Starting a new role during the pandemic has affected her responsibilities, Joao said, because a lot of her focus is on developing a safe reopening plan for the center, which has been closed to the public since March. As fall approaches, she added, doing activities outside will get more challenging.
“Since we are closed, I have been unable to see first-hand what our in-house activities look like,” Joao said. “This has made it hard for me to get a real picture and sense of how our programs flow. I also do not have the pleasure of meeting clients and town members on a walk-in, in-person basis. I’ve done my best to (overcome) these challenges by engaging clients through phone calls and emails, as well as running outside to introduce myself to anyone who is walking by the center. Slowly but surely, things will fall into place.”
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.