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LUCERNE, Calif. – The Northshore Community Center is welcoming new ideas, energy and direction in the form of the new executive director taking over its leadership this week.
Nathan Maxman officially succeeds to the executive director job on Friday, but by early Thursday afternoon retiring Executive Director Rae Eby-Carl already had handed off the keys to him.
He is a member of Marymount California University's Lakeside Campus inaugural graduating class, whose members received their diplomas in May. Maxman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business with a concentration in accounting.
He'll bring to the position experience in working with churches and social service organizations, plus an understanding of business operations and budgets.
In addition, Maxman intends to take new approaches to the center's challenges.
“The most toxic thing for any organization is saying we can't change because that's the way things have always been done,” he said.
The center has faced both change and challenges over the last several years.
Eby-Carl took over the executive director job in March 2013, just as it was facing the potential end of its nutritional services contract, as Lake County News has reported.
She helped get the center back on track, beginning by successfully appealing the Area Agency on Aging decision to terminate the contract and keeping intact the center's congregate and Meals on Wheels programs.
The Meals on Wheels Program “is the primary service we do out of the center,” and one that will remain a priority, said Maxman, adding that he wants to offer nutritional services to the public in general, in addition to seniors.
Last fall, the center's board announced that it was changing the center's name to the Northshore Community Center from its longtime identity as the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center in order to “reflect its multi-age activities.”
Maxman said he's not yet gotten a sense of whether or not that name change – which isn't official on the center's business documents – is working.
In addition to its core nutritional programs, Maxman said the center offers classes – such as Tai Chi and Pilates – and is a regular meeting places for groups and organizations. Earlier this week it hosted a town hall meeting led by Supervisor Jim Steele.
Under Eby-Carl's leadership, the center also established monthly “Open Mic Lucerne” events and poetry gatherings.
In his new job Maxman is heading up a staff of four full-time paid employees – that includes his position – plus two grant-funded senior work experience volunteers.
He also has a full nine-member board with which to work, and which also was the group of individuals who decided on his hire.
While keeping the board seats filled has been a challenge, early in July the center reported that it had a full board, including Chair John Brosnan, Vice Chair Craig Purcell, Treasurer Carey Calvanese, Secretary Dawn Alvarado, and members Nancy Bylund, Dallas Cook, David Eby, Joey Liik and Peter Tibbits.
Maxman said the nonprofit center has many needs as it seeks to continue offering and expanding its services, not just to seniors but the community at large.
As he gets settled in, Maxman said he has two “small” projects on which he wants to place his initial focus. Those include changing how the center's food pantry operates and making improvements to the center's thrift store.
Regarding the food pantry, it's available on Fridays, with a long line of people usually coming for the assistance, he said.
Maxman said he wants to change it so that, rather than standing in line, people can set appointments and come in to get the supplies they need.
Regarding the thrift store, Maxman said that he intends to give it some curb appeal and make it more noticeable, adding that even though he was attending classes at nearby Marymount, he had no idea that the thrift store was there until he joined the center.
Maxman also has a particular interest in helping the homeless.
Earlier this year, when the Lake Ministerial Association hosted a warming center at the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church, Maxman was a regular volunteer.
Even though he has a wife and young children, and at that time was in the final semester before graduating with his bachelor's degree, Maxman was a regular volunteer, working on homework assignments during overnight stints at the center.
While he would like to address the Northshore's homeless issues as part of the center's operations, he said he'll need more funding and buy-in from his board before he can formally take on that challenge.
The center has had numerous challenges with funding over the past decade. While Maxman said that the finances look “better than anticipated” – and the center has never missed payroll – it still needs help.
He's aiming at getting pledges for the center on a regular basis in order to establish a financial baseline, and is hoping to be able to bring on more staff in order to be able to concentrate on grant writing.
The board members – tasked with fundraising – also are increasing outreach and have been able to bring in several thousand dollars over the last few months, which is expected to help them start the new fiscal year in a stronger position, he said.
The Northshore Community Center is located at 3985 Country Club Drive. For information about services, classes, facility rentals or volunteering, call 707-274-8779.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
