Park leaving position as Senior Services director to pursue images

NORTHAMPTON — After 4 years of serving the town of Northampton, Kim Park will step down as director of Senior Services to pursue images full-time. Her final day will likely be Friday, Aug. 21.

“Although I love being a part of the Senior Center, my passion for photography has grown over the years,” Park stated in an interview with Reminder Publishing. “As a result, I made the difficult decision to step down and pursue photography as my next venture. I have met many incredible people through the past four years, and I am thankful for the relationships I have built here. Those connections are what I will miss most.”

Park joined the Senior Center staff in July of 2022 as the middle was absolutely reopening after modified operations because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout her profession, Park has labored with older adults in quite a lot of settings, together with long-term care and assisted dwelling. She additionally labored as an operations supervisor with a expertise firm that supplied communication options to retirement communities, which allowed her to journey up and down the East Coast to go to all kinds of communities.

“My journey brought me to Northampton,” Park stated. “And it has been one of the greatest privileges of my career to serve Northampton’s older adults.”

What stands out for Park is the relationships she has constructed whereas serving within the place. She particularly stated she actually loved working with the staff on the Senior Center, calling them devoted, gifted and numerous enjoyable to be round.

Park stated she can also be grateful for the many individuals she has met on the Senior Center. Every one who walks by the doorways is a part of the neighborhood and helps make the Senior Center a vibrant and welcoming area, Park added. Reflecting on her time with the town itself, Park spoke extremely of Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra and each metropolis division she had the pleasure of working with throughout her tenure. Park stated she’s grateful for the collaboration and assist.

According to the town announcement, Park was one of many first division heads Sciarra appointed as mayor. What stood out most to Sciarra was Park’s temperament.

“She is calm, empathetic, and a genuinely good listener,” Sciarra talked about. “Those qualities matter enormously in a department that serves people directly, every day. Kim has cared deeply for the Senior Center and all who use it and has grown it into a place where older adults want to spend time and feel part of a community.”

Sciarra will miss Park’s regular presence within the open and welcoming atmosphere she has fostered on the Senior Center. She has loved working together with her and may be very unhappy she’s leaving, however is actually pleased for her subsequent journey.

“She’s taking something she loves and turning it into her next chapter,” stated Sciarra. “Kim is a wonderfully talented photographer, and I know she’ll bring the same care and heart to that work that she brought to the city.”

Moving ahead, Park will likely be specializing in constructing and rising a images enterprise. One aim is to work with native small companies as a visible content material companion offering ongoing strategic images and recent advertising content material to develop their model, keep persistently seen and interact with prospects. This work will hold Park rooted within the Northampton neighborhood and surrounding communities, as effectively.

The metropolis will put up the Senior Services Director place on its web site and anticipates filling the position as quickly as doable to “ensure a seamless transition for the department.”