Paul Hollings has announced that he will be retiring next year from his position as Executive Director of Somerville Cambridge Elder Services (SCES).

In a letter announcing his pending retirement, Hollings wrote that “Our mission to support the right of elders to live in the setting of their choice has resonated deeply with me,” and “…To work with all of you, to offer alternatives to institutional care, has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career.” 

Hollings praised the SCES staff for their “extraordinary creativity, persistence, and resilience, present at all times, but particularly in the past 18 months, in support of the dignity and independence of older people and younger people with disabilities”.

And he applauded the vision of the agency’s volunteer board of directors, saying “They keep our mission front and center, offering essential leadership that has maintained SCES’s position on the cutting edge of the aging and disability field.”

Hollings highlighted several areas of focus and achievement of the board and staff during his tenure: development of an agency strategic plan, increased support for the agency’s core programs, enhanced use of data to inform our service quality, and the successful efforts over the past 18 months to support older adults and younger people with disabilities maintain their health and independence during the COVID pandemic.

SCES Board of Directors President Leslie Hergert spoke highly of Hollings’ contributions to the agency.

“Since 2017, Paul has been an outstanding executive for SCES, following long time director John O’Neill, and skillfully leading us through COVID to continue to serve the community.  He has modernized the agency’s use of data for quality improvement and empowered staff to create new ways to reach and serve our diverse clientele. The SCES Board is sorry to lose him and we appreciate that he is leaving the agency stronger than ever. We wish Paul great happiness in the next phase of his journey.”

Hollings’ retirement is effective April 1, 2022. He will support the board as it works in the coming months to identify and hire the next Chief Executive Officer of Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services.