The Powell Senior Center has a new director, but not a new employee. 

Linda Dalton, who has been the center’s full-time bookkeeper for 16 years, is stepping into the director role.

Dalton has served under three directors in the time she’s worked at the center. She would often fill in when they were on sick leave or vacation, and she served as the interim director between the hiring of permanent directors. 

Right now, center staff is in the middle of its grant writing season — a busy time for any nonprofit — and they don’t really have time to train anyone. So, rather than recruit someone new, Dalton stepped into the role permanently. 

“I think it was the natural thing to do,” Dalton said. 

Dalton was born and raised in Powell. She has been married to Dan Dalton for 42 years. She has a daughter, Melissa Lynn, who lives in Powell, and two grandchildren. 

It’s been a tough year for the center. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had to shut down in March 2020, leaving many seniors in Powell without a place to gather and socialize. With the clients isolated in their homes for months, the center sprang into action, providing meals, supplies, books, games and checking on seniors to make sure they were all right. 

Due to the pandemic, Dalton said more seniors started using the center’s services. And after learning how valuable the resource is, more are continuing to avail themselves of what the center offers. Add to that the growing number of retirees moving into the area to escape the challenges of urban life, and the demand for the center’s services has never been greater. From March 2020 through February, the center provided nearly 3,000 more meals than the previous year. 

Dalton said the center’s team is a group of dedicated people, and she gave them a lot of the credit for making it all work. 

“Everyone is just filling in where they can. We’ve been so short-handed, but our receptionist, the kitchen crew — everybody is just stepping up to help,” Dalton said. 

Dalton will continue filling the role of bookkeeper for the time being and provide consultation to seniors on their Social Security and Medicaid. 

She will also be helping to pursue the new building for the center. The center moved into the current building on North Gilbert Street in 1975, and it has three levels that are accessed by stairs, with no elevator. It also has limited space.

“There are times we’re at capacity,” she said. 

The pandemic shifted most funding away from capital projects into COVID-related support, but Dalton is hopeful new opportunities will spring up as the novel coronavirus fades into history. 

Once the center is past grant writing season and things have settled, Dalton said they will be looking for someone to fill the bookkeeper position. 

The center’s long-time director, Cathy Florian resigned in October. Sheryl Kysar filled the position in December, but resigned last month.