Seniors stepping forward

Torrey AndersonSchoepe

With Laguna Beach seniors about to break ground on a new facility,

the city’s senior center has now hired its first executive director.

Robert Rodriguez will be in charge of developing programs for the

new senior center as well as leading daily operations at the current

one.

Plans for the new center are well under way. The land has been

purchased, and construction will start in September 2006. Its

projected opening is in 2008. The new senior center will be located

on Third Street in downtown Laguna.

The new senior center will be called the Susi Q center, named

after the mother of one of the two main donors.

Members of the Quilter family granted Laguna Beach Seniors Inc.

$750,000 to build the new center, which will be named after their

mother, Susi Quilter.

The other major grant came from the Hearts of Montage Foundation.

Rodriguez’s mission will be to bring more outside services right

to the present senior center as well as the new Susi Q center.

Center officials said the position of executive director was

created because the new facility will have more space to allow

additional services such as tax consultations and eye examinations to

take place at the facility. Seniors then wouldn’t have to spend time

driving out of Laguna Beach.

Rodriguez is also in charge of the capital campaign to raise money

for the new senior facility.

“I really like working with senior citizens,” Rodriguez said. “It

is really worthwhile. “You feel good at the end of the day.”

Rodriguez, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, has worked in

senior social services for 21 years.

After 13 years at the Watts Labor Community Action Committee in

South Central Los Angeles, he became chief operating officer of the

Oldtimers Foundation in Southeast Los Angeles, where he developed

services for seniors in 10 municipalities.

Rodriquez was the clear choice for the job, said Seniors Inc.

board president Pauline Walpin.

“There was a great response from the applicants for this position

but we felt Robert had the most extensive experience with senior

citizens,” Walpin said. “We welcome Mr. Rodriguez to this position

wholeheartedly and feel very fortunate to be able to hire an

executive director.”

What is now Laguna Beach Seniors Inc. was a small club when it

started in the early 1970s to create programs and services for

seniors.

The group soon formed a “council on aging,” which led to the

creation of Senior Citizens of Laguna Beach in 1975.

Over time, the name of the organization changed to Laguna Beach

Seniors Inc. For years, its 900 members met in different locations

for services, classes and socialization.

In 1986 the group leased its current location at 384 Legion

Street.

For more information on the center, call (949) 497-2241 or e-mail

ProjectSeniorCenter@cox.net