AMHERST — The town has hired a new Senior Center director with a background in senior services administration, human services support and mental health counseling.
Lisa Borchetta, who recently oversaw senior services in Holliston, has been appointed to the position by Town Manager Paul Bockelman. The appointment is subject to Town Council review on Monday. If approved, Borchetta would start in the role Sept. 8.
“Joining Amherst as director of Senior Services is an exciting opportunity to listen, learn and work together to make this community an even better place for older adults to thrive,” Borchetta said.
Borchetta would replace Hayley Bolton, Amherst’s previous director for more than three years, who left the position in late March to become town administrator in Shutesbury. Health Director Kiko Malin has been serving in a temporary capacity since then.
“Her (Borchetta) extensive experience in senior services, combined with her dedication to community engagement and well-being, will be a tremendous asset to Amherst and our senior residents,” Bockelman said in a statement.
Borchetta has supervised staff, managed volunteers and budgets, developed programs, written grants and collaborated with community partners.
As director in Holliston, she worked with the Council on Aging, town staff and others to offer growth, learning, health, social and recreational opportunities for residents 60 and over, and she played a key role in transforming a traditional senior center into a more modern, inclusive resource hub. That happened by leading a community needs assessment in partnership with UMass-Boston’s Gerontology Institute, expanding inter-generational programming, creating culturally diverse offerings, and laying the groundwork to achieve an Age and Dementia Friendly community designation.
Jeanne Horrigan, who chairs Amherst’s Council on Aging and served on the screening committee, said she looks forward to Borchetta taking Amherst’s Senior Center to the next level.
“I was impressed with Lisa’s experience, creativity and her passion for working with the seniors,” Horrigan said.
Borchetta’s tenure will begin as an overhaul of the Bangs Community Center’s infrastructure is about to begin and other improvements have been made, such as a new game room, though there are continued space limitations in a building that is shared with other departments.
Borchetta has a master of arts in counseling psychology from Antioch New England University and a bachelor of arts in psychology with minors in gerontology and women’s studies from the University of Vermont.
The search committee screened 23 applications for the position and invited seven candidates to participate in interviews. In addition to Horrigan, the committee members were Malin, Friends of the Senior Center Chairman Dennis Vandal, Personnel Board Chairman Tony Butterfield, Human Resources Manager Serena Harris and Executive Assistant to the Town Manager Angela Mills.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
