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Senior Centers Gain New Directors

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SUNCOAST NEWS STAFF REPORT

Published: June 16, 2008

HUDSON -- New directors have taken the helm at senior centers in Hudson and Elfers operated by Community Aging and Retirement Services, according to Bill Aycrigg, CARES president and chief executive officer.

Hudson center

Clark Parry is the new director of the CARES Rao Musunuru, M.D., Hudson Bayonet Point Center. He succeeds Pat Babinetz, who served as center director from 2002 until this year.

Parry says he looks forward to working with community groups, businesses, volunteers and supporters at the Center and encourages everyone to stop in and discuss ideas about the CARES center programs, activities, events and plans for the future.

He earned an undergraduate degree in elementary education from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

He taught fourth and sixth grades at South Lewis Central Schools, Lowville Academy and Central School and West Valley Central School. He served as coach, student council advisor, president of the teachers association, as well as National Honor Society adviser.

In 1988 Parry left 12 years of teaching behind to attend Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. After a three year masters-degree program he held the position of pastor at a Presbyterian Church in Franklinville, N.Y., through 1998. Parry returned briefly to teaching and then retired from West Valley Central in 2004.

Parry and his wife Lucinda moved to Florida to pursue their music business, the Allegheny Mountain Dulcimer Players, and to begin their nonprofit organization, Allegheny Mountain Ministries.

They reside in the Tanglewood community, in Holiday, where Clark's mother also lives part of the year. Parry serves as secretary of the Men's Association at Tanglewood. He also serves as President of the Welsh American Society of the Suncoast.

Elfers center

Katy Rose has been appointed as interim director of the CARES Elfers Center.

From April 2007 until March 2008, Rose was the program assistant to former manager Kay Fusselman.

Rose will be responsible for coordinating all the day-to-day routine – and sometimes not so routine – business needed to keep this bustling center alive, Aycrigg said.

"I am very pleased that someone with Katy's qualities has the interest and commitment to take on the many and varied duties that center management requires," Aycrigg commented. "She has some big shoes to fill as Kay set quite an example for us all. She is a fine person and I am very pleased that she has chosen the CARES Elfers Center to which to dedicate herself."

Originally from London, Rose now resides in New Port Richey. She arrived in Florida in 1992 and initially lived in Land O' Lakes. She has three sons, Nick who resides locally, and Peter and Ian, who remain in England.

Rose has had a varied career, starting out with library work for national newspapers in Fleet Street, London and then moving on to school and public libraries in Australia where the family lived for 10 years. Her youngest son, Ian, was born in Wollongong, New South Wales, so she has an Australian, a British and an American son.

Later she gained experience in office management for medical research facilities in universities, finally arriving at the University of South Florida in 1994.

Rose retired from USF at the end of 2006 where she worked in the School of Medicine Risk Management Department.

Her retirement, however, was short lived. Despite being happy working in her garden, after just three months Rose joined CARES. She loves to see the crowds of people arriving for classes at the center and enjoys chatting with everyone.

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