Lillian LaSalle looks forward to getting to know the seniors.
By:Lea Kahn
Lillian LaSalle has known Helen Holmes, the recently retired Lawrence Senior Center executive director, for many years through Ms. LaSalle’s work in the Mercer County Office on Aging.
So when Ms. Holmes suggested to Ms. LaSalle that she should apply to fill that post, Ms. LaSalle jumped at the chance. She will take on her new duties at the Lawrence Senior Center on Monday.
The two women were attending a luncheon when Ms. Holmes mentioned that she was retiring at the end of March and asked if Ms. LaSalle would be interested in the job.
"I met Ms. Holmes professionally," said Mr. LaSalls, a Hopewell Township resident. "I have always had a good working relationship with her. She looked at me and said, ‘You should apply for the position.’ I thought about it and I said, ‘Okay, I will.’ Now I drive by (the senior center) and say, ‘That’s my new job.’"
In the meantime, Ms. LaSalle is completing her last week of work as the assistant executive director at the Mercer County Office on Aging. She has worked for the county agency for 14 years in various administrative positions.
Ms. LaSalle, 46, did not anticipate working with senior citizens as a career.
A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., she earned a bachelor’s degree in theater arts from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. She also earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Hartford.
Ms. LaSalle, who has three children ranging in age from 7 to 18, said she has always worked in the public sector. She always felt a commitment to senior citizens and always wanted to help them and make a difference.
Now, she is exictied about her new role in Lawrence.
"I look forward to having contact with the people," she said. "It’s heavy day-to-day working with the seniors. You get that almost immediate response. I am a people person. I have a lot of information to share."
Ms. LaSalle said that initially, she would like to get to know the senior citizens and find out what their needs and wants are, so she can respond to them.
"I am aware that the senior center is vibrant and there is a lot going on," she said. "Change is not something that most people look foward to. If it’s not broken, I’m not going to try to fix it. I want to enhance what is there maybe bring in some different programs."
One possibility is to encourage more interaction between the senior citizens and the younger generations, she said. She plans to reach out to the public schools and educational institutions in the township to find out if there is interest in working with the senior citizens.
Ms. LaSalle said she likes to offer choices to the senior citizens. They can decide for themselves about the programs they would like to have offered to them, she said. She said she wants to let them know about the opportunities that are available and let them decide.
"We owe a debt to the senior citizens," she said. "To me, it is an honor to work with them. These are their golden years and I want to help them in any way that I can to make a difference for them."

