Madison Senior Center gets new director
The Madison Senior Center has a new director.
Buckley Rowland
Natalie Buckley Rowland took over from former director, Judy Meiers, who retired in December 2012.
“I’m delighted with my staff. I’m delighted with the seniors that come to the program,” Buckley Rowland said. “I love the city and I’m very committed to the city and what their goals are for expansion and progression.”
Buckley Rowland was offered the job more than a month ago.
She previously worked with the Navajo Indians for 11 years in New Mexico. She is an honorary member of the Navajo Nation.
“Growing up where you never meet Indians, my feelings were that I really wanted to know these, people. I want to see them as human beings, not some mythical characters.”
She worked to bring attention to the unhealthy environment caused by local power plants. Buckley Rowland said the pollution in the air caused breathing problems in the Navajo children.
“I felt like I did as much as I could to help in terms of speaking out about what they were doing,” she said. “I got to the point where I got so involved, that I made the decision to discontinue.”
After that, Buckley Rowland worked as an executive director for a non-profit working with low-income and disadvantaged families.
“Public service is a family tradition,” she said. “My grandmother was involved in politics. She started the first daycare center in the Bronx in the 50s and she was the president of cancer society. It’s always been that way for me. I’ve always been interested in getting involved and helping protect people and citizens.”
She then worked as head tutor for the Bureau of Indian Education before taking a sabbatical in the mountains of Athens, Ga.
Buckley Rowland hails from Manhattan, NY. She moved away in 1999, when she went to work with the Navajos.
So how exactly did she end up at the Senior Center?
“My first love has always been working with seniors,” she said. “I started at 18 years old. I have two teaching licenses in New York, but I decided to work with seniors instead of the public school system there. And I really wanted to get back into that.”
Kory Alfred, parks and recreation director, said Buckley Rowland was the best choice for the position.
“We’re glad to have her here,” he said. “She’s has a lot of background working with seniors and has a lot of background in therapeutic recreation. We’re happy to have her happy her on board after five months without a director.”
