GREENFIELD — Hancock County Senior Services recently hired a new executive director after the previous director’s unexpected resignation.
Teasa Thompson was named to the position in November after a months-long search by the senior services board of directors; she tendered her resignation in early April. The board of directors underwent a second search for a leader for the agency, with incoming board of directors chairman Mike Gill serving as interim director throughout April.
Robert Long, who currently serves as the executive director for the LaPorte County Habitat for Humanity, will begin May 14 in the role of executive director for Hancock County Senior Services, a Greenfield-based nonprofit organization that provides legal advice, insurance assistance, handyman services, social events and more to seniors, in addition to overseeing the Hancock Area Rural Transit transportation system, which provides low- or no-cost rides to Hancock County destinations.
Long has been the director of the Michigan City-based nonprofit since 2013, but prior to leading the Christian organization promoting home ownership, he served for five years as the director of development and community relations for the Cass County Council on Aging, where he served on a team that created a 7,000-square foot facility for senior services in Cassopolis, Michigan.
Long looks forward to serving seniors again, he said, adding he hoped to move closer to the Indianapolis area to be closer to his adult children.
“This position looked like something I could be very passionate about,” Long said. “I’m impressed with the community, with the board and with the way the organization is set up.”
He was excited to hear about the existing programs HCSS offers, including ongoing intergenerational events that pair seniors with young adults. There were programs like that in Cassopolis, where Long saw the benefits, he said.
“Our seniors have so much they can teach the new and upcoming generations,” he said. “There were many instances where a mutual appreciation develops.”
Long said encouraging mentor relationships between seniors and young adults is increasingly important, because youngsters often do not live in the same communities as their own grandparents.
“Any way we can get people together and foster understanding is great,” he said.
While the organization was without an executive director, Linda Hart, the former leader who retired last year has served in an advisory capacity, helping with grant writing and other areas of expertise, Gill said.
Hart has helped with both ongoing grants the agency applies for every year and researching new opportunities for funding in and outside of the community, she said.
“It’s going very well,” she said. “I think with the experience I have with the agency, it’s a win/win.”
Gill said the board of directors appreciated Hart’s help with working to keep the agency funded while they searched for a new leader.
Help from the board of directors and Hart has been beneficial to keeping operations normal, Gill said. He began serving as interim director April 2, which he said has been a seamless, albeit temporary, transition for him.
“I’ve been on the board since 2012,” he said. “I knew the staff, they knew me — that’s been helpful.”
Hancock County Senior Services officials declined to discuss the reasons behind Thompson’s departure. She had been selected from a field of about 30 applicants, officials said in November.
