By: Nancy Dowling
After nearly two years as manager of the Crofton Senior Center, Cathy Thierolf has retired.
Theiroff said that though she will miss the daily connections with board members, staff and patrons, she’s looking forward to completing some home remodeling, resuming activity with her church, traveling with her husband and playing some more golf.
The new management will consist of a team of three women who bring with them a variety of experience and enthusiasm.
Joan Stewart and Cheri Leader will provide a physical presence and the friendly faces one will encounter during regular business hours.
Stewart, who is the owner/operator of Cedar Tree Cabins, has worked in the Santee School System for 21 years, including eight years as Early Childhood Director.
She is looking forward to the challenge of learning the computer work of record-keeping and plans to continue the important meal deliveries to Bloomfield, Niobrara and Creighton, encourage social gatherings and extend health services and various health screenings such as early detection of skin cancers. Garnering local talent to schedule craft days is also on her list of goals.
Cheri Leader is no stranger to the Crofton community and the Center.
Leader has been conducting exercise sessions at the Center twice each week, and her mother Pat Wakeley serves on the board. She continues to work two days a week as a pharmacy technician at the Yankton Medical Clinic where she’s been employed since 1998. Leader wants to continue promoting the Senior Center as a hub for health and socializing. Her aspirations for the Center include ideas for karaoke, line dancing classes and utilizing the city pool for water aerobics.
Mary Sawatzke will be the third member of the management team who prefers to stay in the background while performing a vital task for the Center.
Sawatzke will function as the “financial officer” working remotely doing the bookkeeping and government reporting. Sawatzke contributes a wealth of experience having served as manager from mid- 2019 through 2021.
While the Center was closed during the Covid outbreak in 2020, Sawatzke spearheaded several improvements, including moving the dining area to the west side, purchasing new round tables and chairs, new flooring and painting in the east portion of the building, and moving the manager’s desk to the east side closer to the entrance.
A vestibule was also constructed to restrict cold air at the entrance during the winter months. One of Sawatzke’s first duties will be preparing for an audit scheduled for later this month. She will meet monthly with the five board members who are the decision-making body.
Presently, the board members are Janet Lammers, Pat Wakeley, Mindy Zavadil, Deb Meyer and Helene Hegge.
The new team welcomes suggestions from the community and looks forward to sharing their talents for many happy things on the horizon.