Tina Witt said she’s looking forward to serving as director of the Perry Senior Center.
Witt was formally introduced as the organization’s new leader during an ice-cream social held at the center on June 25.
“I can’t even express to you how overwhelmed I am with emotion,” Witt said, as she addressed members of the center who attended the event.
The Perry Area Joint Recreation District Board recently appointed Witt as senior center director. She was chosen to fill a vacancy left by Christine Znidarsic, who resigned at the end of May to begin a new job.
Znidarsic led the organization for about 15 years.
Witt, a resident of Leroy Township, begins duties as the center’s top leader on July 21. She will earn a starting salary of $28 per hour for the full-time position.
The rec district board received 12 resumes after posting the job opening about two months ago. Telephone interviews were conducted with six of those applicants, said board Chairman Elias Coss. From there, the panel selected three prospects to return for final interviews.
Coss said Witt stood out as the top applicant because she possesses 25 years of experience in areas such as senior services, activity and event planning, fiscal management and cost control, and organizational development.
She also is a nationally certified activity director and has “an extremely positive attitude and a ton of energy,” he said.
“We’re very excited to have her on board,” Coss said. “I think she’s going to be a great leader, and the future of Perry Senior Center is very bright under her.”
Since January, Witt has been employed as admissions director at Cardinal Woods Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Madison Township.
Previously, she worked for 12 years at Menorah Park — now known as King David Nursing and Rehabilitation — in Beachwood.
She worked as the organization’s adult day center director for about seven years. Witt then was promoted to director of home- and community-based services and served in that capacity for about five years.
Another highlight of Witt’s employment history is working for a little more than seven years as adult day center director at Ohio Presbyterian Services — which is now called Ohio Living — in Willoughby.
Perry Senior Center, which serves more than 700 members, is located at 2800 Perry Park Road in Perry Township. The center, as well as the community’s youth sports leagues, are part of the Perry Area Joint Recreation District.
Witt, during her remarks at the center’s ice-cream social, thanked members for welcoming her as director.
“I hope I live up to your expectations,” she said. “Anybody that knows me, knows that I’ll certainly give it 110 percent.”
