LYNN — Meegan Simpson-Best has been named the new director of elder services for the city’s Senior Center.
“There is a deep passion in my heart for seniors,” Simpson-Best, a certified social worker with 25 years of experience, said.
Previously, she was a family service and training and licensing social worker at the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, according to a press release from Mayor Jared Nicholson’s office. In that role, she worked closely with foster parents and developed and implemented programs for adults over age 60.
Simpson-Best said she has also run a “grandparents raising grandchildren” support group.
“It was just that passion to make sure that this vulnerable population, these seniors, got the services and resources that they needed in order to be able to care for their grandchildren,” she said.
As the director of elder services, she said her goal and mission is to ensure that seniors feel safe, welcomed, heard, and supported.
“I also want to be able to take the mayor’s vision plan and expand that a little bit to make sure that we’ve wrapped around the seniors in that plan as well,” Simpson-Best said. “So my goal is to kind of be the conduit that ties the resources and services together for seniors in the city of Lynn.”
When asked what the biggest need for seniors in Lynn is, she said they need to be heard and not isolated. This is a need for seniors everywhere, not just Lynn, she said.
“No one should be alone all day long,” Simpson-Best said. “Even if people come out to the center and they come out for two or three hours, or four hours, that gets them out of their house, it gets them engaged with other people in conversation.”
Fortunately, she said, the city already has an “amazing” senior program.
“I’m lucky to be able to step in when there’s a great interim director and a great program manager, so I think it’s going to make it an easier transition,” she said.
Nicholson said that the city has been grateful to Tania Freedman, who was the interim director of elder services.
“The city is thrilled to welcome Meegan to our team and work with her to strengthen our connection and engagement with seniors across the community,” Nicholson said. “I’m confident that her passion for elder services will be a great asset to our city.”
Ward 5 City Councilor Dianna Chakoutis said she is excited to welcome Simpson-Best.
“My fellow councilors and I look forward to seeing what new ideas and activities she will be bringing to the Senior Center,” Chakoutis said.
Simpson-Best said she wants the seniors of Lynn to know that she is looking forward to working with them and finding ways to support them.
“I hope they’ll come down to the Senior Center,” she said.
