On this episode of the Post Podcast, Center for Life Experiences executive director Ann Leiker and board treasurer Alan Scheurman share information about the search for a new executive director.
Transcript:
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James Bell
Center for Life Experiences Executive Director Ann Leikder is ready to pass the baton to a new executive director. She talks to us a little bit about that, along with board of directors treasurer, Alan Scheurman on this episode of the Post Podcast.
I am looking to retire after well, 20 some years with the Center for life experience as their Executive Director, 30, semi 30 Some years as a social worker in this community, and in a variety of different ways. But yes, I'm looking to take take a little take some time. And so I also bring in some new leadership to the my position. So at the Center for life experience. So that's what Alan is here to talk about today. And, and how someone who might be interested in my position and apply for that, and those kinds of things.
James Bell
Okay, well, Elena, and I do want to talk to that talk to talk to you about that. And we want to get there here in just a minute. But first, before we talk about that, I wonder if you want to kind of maybe talk about what like a day to day operation, you kind of don't know the right word, but you know what I mean? Like, what do you do every day?
Well, I am I am responsible for the day to day operations of the Center for life experience, and facilitating this different support groups and groups that we have healing after loss for loss of an adults in your life, healing after loss of suicide for families and people who have lost someone to suicide, Healing Hearts for families who have lost a child, and then healing kids hearts, which we had just at the end of March for children from seven to 12 years old. So I'm responsible for kind of coordinating and facilitating all those kinds of things as long as well as making sure we get our bills paid and making sure we welcome people and talk to people. And we will be continuing our support groups. We have Hughley Gutierrez, who's going to be continuing with our to facilitate the support groups for this summer, and she has been doing a super job and with me, and we're and she graduates and will be moot be in doing that, like I said, for the summer as we are as the board is searching to fill my position. So and it's not my position, but it's exciting. It's helping people to cope. The main mission mission is helping people to cope with grief and loss, and the challenges, life challenges that go with that, because there are a lot of them. So and so we'll be continuing in full operation all through the summer. And I'm presuming I'm going to be around now and then helping through the transition. But going to, to AG, I'm turning the big seven zero this year. And so time to take a little time to travel and do some things from just for the fun of it. And for myself and volunteer some in the community and just keep active.
James Bell
Yeah, I'm sure I'm sure there's no slowing you down. Even in retirement, you're gonna be just as busy as ever, but, and I take this opportunity to thank you for everything you've done. I know that so many people in the community have been helped by your services and, and everything that you guys do at the Center for life experiences. And thank you so much for all of that. And, you know, as you're moving into retirement, I told you off air to hopefully you pop in once in a while and keep us caught up on what's going on. Oh,
I you know, I have loved every minute and been so honored to meet and walk with the people that that the center has reached out to and and it's so wonderful to see the center also have having grown and welcoming more people. And you know how work the community is learning that grief and loss is a normal part of life. But there are some challenges with it. And we need to know, people need to know they're not alone. They have other people to help them walk through that and and to grow and to move forward with their life not move on but move forward and not forgetting. But you know, honoring their loved ones.
James Bell
Absolutely. So I'm curious and again when Oh, how does this search go? For somebody that's been in that position as long as an ima Ajit, it's probably going to be a challenge to find somebody to replace.
We don't know how that's gonna work out, and has just done an incredible job in this community, helping people and helping start and continue the growth of this organization. She's just done an incredible job for us. She's so empathetic towards people, and continued to provide her expertise and skill level along with her past life experiences as well. So we're so thankful for her leadership, when we move forward in this as well. And we hope that she can continue to help guide us somewhat off and on, we'll see how that all works out at this point in time, we're actually looking for to replace her and I know that's an impossibility, but we'll see what we can do, we hope that someone will step up and possibly take on responsibilities that her passion that she had towards this type of an organization, she has done an incredible job for us. And that's what we're looking for, for some of this passionate, has the skill level and life experience that might go along with that to help lead this group because we obviously we need someone who's dedicated and passionate about doing this type of work.
James Bell
Absolutely. You know, in a practical way, I imagine it's probably a social worker background is what we're looking for. Right?
Absolutely. And I think that's, that has to be a portion of the requirements so that we can move forward with it. One of the things when we do if you have any kind of that type of background, please send your resume and cover letter to emily@cflc.com. If Ellie, hope hope.org.org, sorry. But yeah, we need that type of leadership. And we look forward to anyone that has that type of passion towards the groups that we have currently in operation. And we're not afraid to expand, but we need someone that's willing to take on that type of organization, that type of passion that goes along with it. Sure, sure.
James Bell
Yeah, imagine that, again, it's probably a pretty specialized skill set that you would want to lead these groups, I would imagine, because it is kind of a delicate topic, sometimes
as trauma base. And many times it's people don't understand until you've gone through that process. And everyone will go through that process sooner or later live, if you live long enough. That's interesting. Interestingly enough, I mean, it's a it's an interesting topic to cover. And I've been fortunate enough to have been a member of this group in a couple of different ways. And I've been very thankful for that I've been very blessed to have been part of this group. And so I appreciate it every day, which brought me to the border eventually. And I'm thankful that they still want to keep me on the board.
Very cool, we have a really good board of directors to work with. And I really appreciate all of them, and want to encourage anyone and I think even social work psychology, anything in the human services area that that has some education with it, is what the board is hoping to look for. So social work is a nice fit, because of our skill set. But there are a lot of other there are some other areas too, that the that person can have their education and and have that capacity to, to understand, especially life experience is is helpful.
James Bell
Yeah, I would imagine I give you just Alan, as you say, if you haven't had that experience, it's probably hard to lead someone else through it. It
really is. But I think there are people that have that commitment and ability, I think there a lot of their education and their background leads them towards that type of a group setting and being able to work with people. And I think that's the main emphasis when we look at people what they can or cannot do, they need to have that type of passion towards that type of work. Okay,
one of the advantages to my position is that there is some flexibility in the hours that my position can work. And so if you have children in school, or whatever, and there are a few times during the week, when we have our support groups into the early evening, and so, you know, then you adjust your schedule, and we have a terrific office manager assistant who helps with all the other Emily and who does a great job with other things. So it's a it's a great organization to be a part of, and doing well.
James Bell
Very good. And when you know, I wonder if you want to talk a little bit about timelines, are you accepting applications now?
Absolutely. We'll be happy to take any applications that are said to us, we'll review them. Our board is actively sending out feelers at this point in time, both to the university here in town and to Other places to provide us with possible interested parties.
James Bell
Okay, so no real set time on when you want somebody to be in the position just going to look until you find the right person,
we hope to find the right person. And I think that's the most important part. I think, yeah, we could set timelines, but we need to be reasonable about it. We need to make sure that whoever takes his position that fits the agenda and the operation that we're currently leading and see if they want to proceed forward and expand upon. So very
James Bell
good. More information on the website
at WWW dot c, f L II hope i'll lowercase that org.
James Bell
Okay. Now, before we go, we got we got talking about this as the organization continues on, there's always more work to do. And you're you got an event coming up here a little bit later on this month, right?
Yes, for after 20. Some years, we're still continuing during the memorial day time to do the avenue of pinwheels in honor of children who have died and this is held at Mount Allen cemetery in the children's area. We've also been putting pinwheels in the area of the St. Joseph's cemetery, the children's area as well and at mandolin it's in the children's area. We put anyone is anyone in the communities Welcome to bring to come, we will have pinwheels. And then they can will have a tag that you can put on that pinwheel to say who the pinwheels in honor of. And that stays up through Memorial Day. And so you'll see we've had up to 7580 or more pinwheels in honor of children in our community who have passed, and we do a little dedication ceremony. We all get together. About seven o'clock at Mount Allen on we're going to try for the 24th Tuesday the 24th because we always seem to get into a heck of a hate hailstorm. The one we try this at the first day. So we've said we'll do it the 24th at seven o'clock. And if there's bad weather we're going to try for Thursday the 26th. So and you can call our office for more information at 785-259-6859. Well, we do with like I said, we will have pinwheels, the the group members will be there. It's a way to acknowledge a child of any age that a family has lost and it's and then we get together for some homemade treats as well at the center or right across the street. Very cool. So I want to encourage anybody to come and you don't have to be quote unquote, a member or anything. It's open to anyone in the community.
James Bell
Okay, again, that's may 24, seven o'clock, right. Okay. Well, as long as the weather cooperates.
Hopefully no, nothing dropping down from the sky. Other than good if it's it might be rain, and we'll take that
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