Senior Center of West Seattle is asking you: ‘Should we stay or should we go?’

It’s been three months now since the sudden ouster of longtime Senior Center of West Seattle executive director Karen Sisson brought to light a possible change in the center’s relationship with Senior Services, the citywide agency that staffs and manages it but doesn’t own its building. Tonight, we received word of a community meeting called to seek opinions on the center’s future. This is from Catherine Airola, who explains that she is working with a subcommittee of the West Seattle center’s board:

“Should we Stay or Should we Go?”

For more than the past 4 months the Senior Center of West Seattle (SCWS) has been dealing with challenges. We need your input to help us determine the direction of SCWS. Do we stay affiliated with Senior Services (SS) knowing they have proposed a different organizational model? Do we become our own entity, relying on our members and community alone?

Please attend the Town Hall and/or email questions/comments to Cing828@gmail.com . (cutoff date for emails is 11/7/14)

Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday, November 11th, 2014
2 sessions – 3 pm and 5:30 pm – SCWS, 4217 SW Oregon St.

The center, as has been pointed out, owns its building, unlike most of the other centers that are staffed and administered through Senior Services. We plan to follow up to find out more about what’s being proposed, by SCWS and by SS, before the meetings.

24 Replies to "Senior Center of West Seattle is asking you: 'Should we stay or should we go?'"

  • Orca October 18, 2014 (9:42 am)

    The Senior Center is a West Seattle group.
    Owned by the local group and staffed by locals.

    We do not need an outside group (Senior Services) directing and controlling activities and staff.
    SS has a different agenda that does not fit well with our local needs.
    Dump them.

  • Lonnie October 18, 2014 (10:53 am)

    Owning the building is a major advantage. West Seattle has always been rather independent from the rest of Seattle. My vote goes to seperate and go independent.

  • Rick October 18, 2014 (10:55 am)

    Second that.

  • CeeBee October 18, 2014 (11:02 am)

    Hey West Seattle Boomers! You’d better get to the table for this discussion. I don’t have a position that I’m advocating, but this will be really important if you plan on staying in West Seattle and want a say in how your community “works”. Unlike the community associations, this is a peninsula wide question on something you might be using in the future.

  • Thomas M. October 18, 2014 (11:15 am)

    Separate. West Seattle is wholly different from the rest of Seattle, and getting more so every day. That’s a great thing.

  • ACG October 18, 2014 (11:42 am)

    Do they get funding from the city by staying affiliated with them? If so, how much? Are there other fees will they be forced to absorb (insurance, etc) if they go out on their own That would let us know how much help they will need from the West Seattle community financially to keep them as a part of our community.

  • Kd October 18, 2014 (12:09 pm)

    I am skeptical…it feels like an important part of the story remains missing. I appreciate people feeling the need to rally around a long-time leader but something tells me that I do not know the “whole story.”

    I would hate to “break away” when I am not fully informed.

  • JanS October 18, 2014 (1:24 pm)

    Kd…so go to the meeting and become informed…

  • charla October 18, 2014 (2:27 pm)

    What do we lose by breaking off?

  • Kd October 18, 2014 (2:28 pm)

    What a fine idea JanS…this did not occur to me

  • J October 18, 2014 (4:28 pm)

    Senior Services is a very effective organization. I agree there must be a lot we don’t know about why the director lost her position. WS Sr. Center could probably use whatever funding possible by affiliation with City, County, or a well-established nonprofit. Greenwood Sr. Ctr. has flourished since joining under the Phinney Neighborhood Association umbrella. Don’t be too quick to cut off from the efficiency & financial benefits of working with a larger organization.

  • Sharon October 18, 2014 (4:59 pm)

    From a non profit perspective and funding……this awesome center would be challenged to cut ties with Senior Services without a definitive well developed
    financial plan of its own…current key and incredibly talented and committed staff are Senior Service supported…..think about that

  • G October 18, 2014 (5:37 pm)

    I agree that the senior center might benefit from being affiliated with a larger organization. My mother, who is now moved out of state, enjoyed the activities there for many years, including a great painting class.

    Just of curiosity, is there a trend going on to resurrect the whole West Seattle no-one-understands-us-we’re-different theme? It was a silly 40 years ago during and even sillier now.

  • Pendragon October 18, 2014 (8:22 pm)

    Just remember — we don’t vote for kings!

  • Elle Nell October 18, 2014 (11:47 pm)

    Drop Senior Services! Agree they are not going in the same direction and different motives that are very interesting to say the least…

  • colleen October 19, 2014 (8:31 am)

    The community has no idea why Karen Sisson was actually fired or how much funding would be lost.

  • RayK October 19, 2014 (10:04 am)

    Regardless of the circumstances behind Karen Sisson’s departure, it’s not clear that the WSSC Board was in the loop. Until Senior Services presents their plan and the WSSC Board presents its position, I say I’m inclined to escape from the Senior Services overlord.
    The financial forecast for both directions must also be disclosed. Senior Services has not updated their financial position, Annual Report, Newsletter, nor Form 990 (annual financial and operations report to IRS). Apparently this lack of communications with the community has occurred under the latest CEO, although this isn’t clear from the website.

  • Morgan October 19, 2014 (4:42 pm)

    Well…Great idea to have a town meeting ! If there is a separation from Senior Services (SS) what is lost?
    Medical for staff,paid vacations,building insurance ,all that stuff?
    Doesn’t the west seattle center pay SS for administrative services? So it seems to me there is a money issue here,along with a power struggle.
    Open up the books, what does SS get from west seattle, can west seattle pay its staff ,cover operating cost etc.if they separate ? Let the numbers show what will truly be lost and or gained.
    It seams to me that the west seattle center has been very successful in serving and giving and supporting the seniors (over 50) and local business ‘s in their community.
    Thank you WEST SEATTLE SENIOR for all that you have given to our community.

  • dsa October 19, 2014 (11:24 pm)

    Local ownership of the property or disposition of proceeds of sale may be in jeopardy under the control SS. SS is forcing a change management, so decision making is already out of control.

  • Jan Jarrell October 21, 2014 (12:37 pm)

    The West Seattle Senior Center board has had Karen on contract for the past three months. One of her primary duties was to set up a system whereby the WSSC could break away from the parent Senior services organization. That system was put in order, is ready to implement, and has been reported to the WSSC board as such. It is ready to go. What’s the holdup??

    I think the town hall meeting is a great idea. I know I’ll be there. But nothing that will be said there can *possibly* alter the fact that Ms. Houston (according to WSSC board president David Robertson) arbitrarily fired Ms. Sisson because she took personal exception to an email Karen wrote expressing her concern regarding Ms. Houston’s policies. And.. according to other WSSC board members, her concern was expressed reasonably, responsibly and with no personal animosity.

    I don’t care how you cut it, her firing was WRONG! Where IS the email in question? Why haven’t we seen it so that we can judge for ourselves whether or not her words warranted her being fired after 25 years of dedicated service without even consulting the WSSC board?

    Certainly the BOARD thought it was wrong, or at least they DID!
    “Without knowledge of the Board of Directors of the Senior Center of West Seattle, and without any consultation with Board Members, Karen Sisson was terminated as Executive Director of the Senior Center of West Seattle on Thursday, July 10, 2014.
    She was terminated by the CEO of Senior Services of Seattle/King County apparently because Karen sent an email to all staff of Senior Services voicing her concerns regarding points brought to Karen’s attention in the future direction and management of the Senior Center of West Seattle.
    I have demanded an explanation by Senior Services of Seattle/King County which I expect by tomorrow evening.
    David Robertson
    President of the Board of Directors of the Senior Center of West Seattle”

    They gave a vote of no confidence in Ms. Houston and asked that Karen be immediately reinstated. What happened to THAT idea?

    Given the complete lack of any semblance of accountability that Seattle Senior Services seems to feel toward our West Seattle Senior Center, their board, or their employees (no matter how many years they have served with unswerving devotion)… I can’t see why this isn’t a ‘no-brainer’. Why would we WANT to have any connection to such an organization?

    As a WSSC volunteer I have seen first hand the kind of dedication Karen Sisson has to serving the senior citizens of West Seattle. She serves with them with heart-felt and unswerving devotion. For her to be so dismissed is a despicable outrage and does irreparable damage the seniors that these boards are SUPPOSED to serve. If our seniors really are their top priority, then bring Karen BACK!

    • WSB October 21, 2014 (12:44 pm)

      Hi, Jan. I am working on a followup that hopefully will address some of these components, including what was in the e-mail. Waiting for a response from Senior Services first – I have not contacted them since the very start of all this, when they declined comment on Karen Sisson’s firing, but it is not just about her any more, so that’s why I need to hear what if anything they have to say. Check back either tonight or tomorrow. – TR

  • Jan Jarrell October 21, 2014 (1:28 pm)

    Thanks so much, Tracy, and trust me I will check back. I appreciate your response.

    Frankly, I agree with you that it’s not ‘just’ about Karen anymore. However what I do NOT understand is how these two issues became interdependent. Karen’s firing was without any semblance of due process and without board consultation. It was a contemptible abuse of power perpetrated by a petulant woman who Karen DARED to disagree with.

    Stay with Senior Services or don’t stay with them. Neither decision has ANYTHING to do with the wrongness of Karen’s firing and the RIGHTNESS of reinstating her to her rightful position as the unswerving advocate of the seniors of this community.

    Frankly I’m astounded that our own WSSC board wants anything to DO with the parent organization. Why would anyone want to be part of an organization where you can be fired after a quarter century of dedicated service for daring to disagree with the ‘Queen Bee’s’ ideas?

    If they stay.. they’d all better be darned careful what they say, or they’ll be next.

    As I said.. stay or don’t stay. Either way, Karen should be reinstated to her post AT ONCE. Reason? It’s whats best for our seniors. And that SHOULD be the ONLY consideration.

  • Cath October 28, 2014 (8:51 pm)

    I am part of the sub-committee working on the town hall. We are happy to see your questions and comments. Keep them coming, and we are looking forward to seeing you all at the town hall meeting.

  • Concerned Citizen October 30, 2014 (3:29 pm)

    Does anyone wonder why it is that Senior Services refused to comment to the WSSC board or the community as to what it is they plan on doing with our Center going forward? In my experience this behavior never leads to positive outcomes for anyone other than the force driving these veiled actions. This total lack of concern or respect for West Seattle began with firing Karen Sisson but has continued with it’s disregard for this community and its need for communication and dialogue concerning what they plan on doing with the Center if the Board votes to stay. I fear that this Paula will decide at any time to swoop in and take all the Centers before anyone has an opportunity to say stop. She certainly has shown her propensity to act unilaterally and with no regard for anyone else or any Board of Directors. I will definitely be at the Town Hall meeting and hopefully will be given more information than we have been provided so far.

  • Old AL November 5, 2014 (11:48 am)

    It is my understanding that the Blog has a copy of the e-mail that Paula Huston fired her for . I have read it and there was nothing fire-able in it. It merely restated what Karen Sisson’s boss told her about Paula’s new policy: all Centers will be made into ‘programs’, all property will turned over to SS, all bank accounts will be turned over to SS, the local Board will be disolved and replaced by an advisory Board with no direct power, all decisions will be made by downtown SS, but all operating funds will be raised by WSSC, excess funds will go to Downtown SS, and failure to raise sufficent funds 2 years running will result in termination of the WS Director. Old Al, long past Board Menber

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