After Decade With Framingham, Director of Elder Services Resigning

FRAMINGHAM – After a decade with Framingham, the City’s Director Elder Services has submitted her resignation letter.

Hired in December 2011 by the Town of Framingham, Grace O’Donnell’s told the City of Framingham she will leave in February 2023.

O’Donnell started working with the Town of Framingham in January 2012. She came to Framingham from the Town of Norwood where she was the outreach coordinator for the municipality’s senior center. Former Parks & Recreation Director Robert Merusi interviewed O’Donnell and two other finalists in October 2011, but then re-posted the job, as he was looking for someone with more experience in running a senior center like the Callahan Center.

O’Donnell replaced Mary Parcher who retired in October 2011. Parcher in 2011, guided and earned national accreditation for the Callahan Center.

The Raymond J. Callahan Center, known as the Callahan Center is a multi-purpose center for people 55 and older, located at 535 Union Avenue in Framingham. This 25,000-square-foot, fully accessible facility offers a wide range of exercise and recreational programs for little or no cost to participants.

The Director of Elder Services serves as facilities manager and operations manager for the Callahan Center. The Director assists in developing and administering the department’s operating and grant budgets and seeks resources from non-profit, state, and corporate contributions in the community in support of operations and services.

The director is responsible for short and long-term financial and strategic planning. The director Identifies and determines the needs of a multi-cultural, adult population in Framingham; assesses community demographics, changing and altering department policies and practices in response to changes in service needs.

The Assistant Director of Elder Services Randy Aylsworth, will likely be made interim director.