KELLEY LESKO
New Senior Center director
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — A new era at the Lynnfield Senior Center will begin in September.
The Select Board unanimously voted to appoint Portsmouth, New Hampshire Housing Authority Resident Services Director Kelley Lesko as the Senior Center’s next director during an Aug. 11 meeting. She will be succeeding Senior Center Director Linda Naccara, who led the facility for 25 years until she retired in late June.
Everett Council on Aging Director Dale Palmer also interviewed for the Senior Center director job. The Senior Center Director Search Screening Committee interviewed eight semifinalists in executive session, and recommended that the Select Board interview Lesko and Palmer as finalists.
Lesko has worked as the Portsmouth Housing Authority’s resident services director since June 2022. She previously served as the Portsmouth Housing Authority’s property manager from June 2021 to June 2022. She worked as the community coordinator for the Newburyport-based Heritage House from November 2017 to June 2021.
The Select Board asked Lesko and Palmer a series of questions during separate interviews.
Select Board Chair Phil Crawford asked Lesko why she wanted to work as the Senior Center’s director.
“I have always enjoyed working with older adults,” said Lesko. “Lynnfield has that small town warmth, but is also really dedicated to taking care of its residents in all stages of life. That really resonated with me. I try to be community-minded in my roles, so I thought it was a really good fit.”
Crawford asked Lesko to discuss her strengths and past experience.
“I actually come from the affordable housing arena,” said Lesko. “In my current position as resident services director, I work with older adults a lot by providing programming and helping them apply for various services. We do referrals for outside social services. We are looking after the needs for our residents whether they are social or emotional.”
Lesko also said she tries to address seniors’ social isolation by encouraging them to participate in different programs.
“A lot of the programs we do really encourage folks to meet new people and try new things,” said Lesko.
Lesko said she works “very closely” with the Portsmouth Senior Activity Center.
“We have developed a program called Rock the Crock,” said Lesko. “I am super proud of that program. It actually was a 2025 NCOA (National Council on Aging) Program of Excellence Award recipient. That program works to address social isolation, transportation and food insecurity for residents in the city of Portsmouth. That was secured with funding from private sponsors. We had some community volunteers, and we also had municipal support. It’s a program that has created a lasting impact for little to no taxpayer cost. It has been a really great program.”
Select Board Vice Chair Alexis Leahy asked Lesko how would she familiarize herself with the Senior Center’s staff and the residents who use the facility.
Lesko said she would attend community events, meet with Senior Center employees and would try to build collaborative relationships with other department heads.
“I think visibility is really key,” said Lesko.
Lesko also said she would have conversations with residents who frequently use the Senior Center.
“A lot of folks want to sit and talk about what they think works and what they think doesn’t work,” said Lesko. “I think it is really important to have those conversations with people.”
Select Board member Dick Dalton asked Lesko to describe her management style and her approach to customer service.
“I tend to lead by example, but I also think it is really important to recognize the strengths of your staff members to ask for their input so that they feel they are part of the mission,” said Lesko. “I tend to celebrate successes no matter how small because everybody likes to have a pat on the back. It’s a really nice way to recognize your staff. I always make sure my volunteers know how impactful their time is and the effect they are having on the residents they work with. If there are issues with performance, those are done in private. I address the behavior or the result, and certainly not the personality. I have found that most problems can occur because either there were not clear expectations or perhaps folks don’t have the tools that they need. I really try to work together to bring that person up to speed to create clear expectations. I think you can do that while maintaining a civil work environment.”
Crawford asked Lesko to discuss her experience with hiring personnel and developing/managing budgets.
Lesko said she tries to “dig a little bit deeper” when she is interviewing candidates for a position in order to “find the best fit.”
“I think it is important to train staff,” said Lesko. “I think it is really important to cross-train staff so that when someone is out, there is no lapse in service. I am a big proponent of documenting so that if someone is gone, the next person can pick up where that person left off. As far as budgets, I am pretty responsible in making sure that every dollar counts. I really want to look at each expenditure to make sure there is a return on community impact. I have written and managed multiple grants.”
Leahy asked Lesko what is her “vision for a vibrant and welcoming Senior Center.”
“I see the Senior Center as a hub for engagement and connection,” said Lesko. “I would like the current needs obviously continue to be met, but I also think it is important to anticipate the changing expectations of future members. I think diverse programming is important. You want to be addressing health, lifelong learning and I think intergenerational programming is really important. I would want to see more of that. I think strengthening partnerships with local organizations will help people know that the Senior Center is a hub for the entire community, and it is not just the Senior Center. It is a shared resource.”
Leahy asked Lesko how would she “promote attendance and reach out to residents who are not actively participating.”
Lesko said she would use “ambassador volunteers” to inform residents about the Senior Center’s programming by speaking with residents. She said having ambassador volunteers extend personal invitations to people has worked “really well.”
“I think promotion is really important whether it’s on social media, in newsletters or in the newspaper,” added Lesko. “Getting the word out works. I think it is really important that people understand how vibrant the Senior Center can be.”
Dalton asked Lesko how would she work on fundraising initiatives with the “very active” Friends of the Lynnfield Senior Center.
“I think collaborating with other organizations to boost your financial support is super important,” said Lesko. “I have a very collaborative approach. If there are things that work, I think it is great, but I also think it is important to introduce new ideas. I think it is important to try new things and work together to promote and continue the mission of the center.”
After the interviews concluded, Crawford asked Council on Aging Board of Directors/Senior Center Director Search Screening Committee member Anne Hourihan to weigh in on the two finalists.
Hourihan said the search committee interviewed eight semifinalists over the course of two days. She said the Senior Center Director Search Screening Committee was impressed with Lesko’s varied experience.
“Kelley has experience with a lot of different things, and could bring some new ideas into the center,” said Hourihan. “At the end when we weighed everything out, we felt more excited that Kelley could bring something new and invigorating into the center after Linda had been there for 25 years.”
Crawford noted that he chaired the Senior Center Director Search Screening Committee.
“Kelley was head and shoulders above the other interviews we did,” said Crawford. “We thought she was the right fit for the town.”
Leahy said Lesko’s ideas for the Senior Center impressed her.
“It felt like she was coming from the approach that it is safe to try new things,” said Leahy. “I felt like she was the stronger candidate.”
Dalton agreed.
“It is obvious that Kelley brings some special perspectives to the position,” said Dalton. “And as Anne said, hopefully she will look at some things in a different way and sort of bring some new life to the organization.”
The Select Board unanimously voted to appointment Lesko as Senior Center director. She was brought back into the meeting after the vote.
“That is so exciting,” said Lesko. “Thank you so much. That is fantastic.”
The meeting’s attendees gave Lesko a round of applause.
“Congratulations and welcome to the town of Lynnfield,” said Crawford. “You have a lot of supporters already. We look forward to seeing you in September.”