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Knabenshue steps into executive director post for Wood County Senior Citizens Association

The new executive director of the Wood County Senior Citizens Association Inc. E. Mark Knabenshue officially took over on Tuesday. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — E. Mark Knabenshue officially took over as the new executive director of the Wood County Senior Citizens Association Inc. on Tuesday.

Knabenshue takes over after the departure of former Executive Director Kelleyn McClain last fall who had the position for about a year after replacing Mike Dennis. Officials with the center did not discuss why McClain left.

Knabenshue has a variety of experience in senior services in the state.

”This is my 16th year of serving in the West Virginia Aging Network,” he said.

He had previously served as executive director at Hancock County Senior Services and led them to develop new programs and services, build buildings and improved the fiscal standing of the agency.

”Non-profits are hurting these days,” Knabenshue said. ”Our previous sustained revenue sources are not as sustained as they once were.”

Funding from state and federal sources has continually been subjected to numerous cuts and tightening of budgets.

”That is especially true here in West Virginia,” Knabenshue said. ”That hurts us, but we have to find new and creative ways of generating new revenue sources.”

He comes to Wood County after the passing of his wife, Sally, over the last year.

”I needed a new normal,” Knabenshue said. ”I have watched this agency from afar for many years and when the opportunity became available I decided I would throw my name into the hat. The rest is history.”

In looking at the Wood County Seniors Association, he feels it is meeting certain needs while work is needed in other areas.

”They are doing certain things right or they wouldn’t still be in business,” Knabenshue said. ”At the same time, there are areas where I have identified a need for improvement.”

Wood County is the fifth-largest county in the state with an estimated senior population of around 20,000.

”For me, that is 20,000 reasons to do a better job, to be a better agency and to be a stronger agency,” Knabenshue said. ”I am talking about transportation, I am talking about nutrition and I am talking about our home and community based programs.

”We are here to serve and we need to expand all of our services to the seniors, aged and disabled in Wood County.”

The aging babyboomer society continues to be a factor in American society with needed services.

”Funding has not kept up with that explosion,” Knabenshue said. ”The state has done a much better job than the federal government. When the federal government takes five years to reauthorize the Older Americans Act, that is a problem.

”Seniors need to be a priority for our elected officials.”

Many seniors have given a lifetime to their communities and when the time comes that they will need services, those need to be available to them, he said.

”That is what we are going to do around here,” Knabenshue said.

Knabenshue is in an evaluation period over the agency.

”I plan to evaluate policies and procedures, staffing and everything that revolves around this agency will be evaluated by myself,” he said. ”Some of it will be done within the next 30 days.”

The Wood County Seniors Association has 45-50 employees and 5-10 volunteers per day who help deliver services

”My philosophy is pretty straight forward … we are here to serve,” Knabenshue said. ”If we don’t have clients then we might as well shut our doors.”

Around 25 percent of the nation’s workforce work for a non-profit.

”We have to do it right,” Knabenshue said. ”We have to find new and alternative ways in serving our clients. If we can’t then someone else will get to do it.”

Knabenshue has served on numerous state and federal boards on aging and senior services and has chaired many boards. He was West Virginia’s representative to the National Institute of Senior Services, which is part of the National Council on Aging from 2008-2012. While there, he chaired the State Associations Committee.

He also served as the president of the West Virginia Directors of Senior and Community Services for a short time before his wife passed away.

”I believe I have networked enough that I have some connections to help this agency moving forward,” he said. ”Believe me, I plan to use them.”

Knabenshue wants seniors to come to the seniors center and take advantage of their programs. He wants to instill a feeling of confidence among local seniors.

”I want them to know we are going to do what we say we’re going to do,” he said. ”It is all about customer service. We are a business and we are going to run this place like a business.”

That means employees being kind and respectful of clients. He wants to make sure seniors have the information they need for services and the information they need to make the best decisions for themselves. He also wants seniors to come to the Senior Citizens Center.

”If I hear an employee is rude to a senior, we will talk,” Knabenshue said. ”You are not going to do that, because they are your client. If you don’t have them, you don’t have anything and you are out of a job.”

He will be working with the association’s board and the staff on developing long range and short range goals. They will assess, plan, implement those plans and then evaluate those plans even further.

They are the Wood County Senior Citizens Association and Knabenshue wants seniors to know they are there for them.

”No one can take better care of a Wood County senior than this agency,” he said. ”That is what we are here for.

”We are the agency of record for this county. We are going to do it right or we aren’t going to do it. It is as simple as that.”

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