NORTHAMPTON — After four years of serving the city of Northampton, Kim Park will step down as director of Senior Services to pursue photography full-time. Her last day will be Friday, Aug. 21.
“Although I love being a part of the Senior Center, my passion for photography has grown over the years,” Park said in an interview with Reminder Publishing. “As a result, I made the difficult decision to step down and pursue photography as my next venture. I have met many incredible people through the past four years, and I am thankful for the relationships I have built here. Those connections are what I will miss most.”
Park joined the Senior Center team in July of 2022 as the center was fully reopening after modified operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout her career, Park has worked with older adults in a variety of settings, including long-term care and assisted living. She also worked as an operations manager with a technology company that offered communication solutions to retirement communities, which allowed her to travel up and down the East Coast to visit a wide variety of communities.
“My journey brought me to Northampton,” Park said. “And it has been one of the greatest privileges of my career to serve Northampton’s older adults.”
What stands out for Park is the relationships she has built while serving in the position. She specifically said she truly enjoyed working with the team at the Senior Center, calling them dedicated, talented and a lot of fun to be around.
Park said she is also thankful for the many people she has met at the Senior Center. Every person who walks through the doors is part of the community and helps make the Senior Center a vibrant and welcoming space, Park added. Reflecting on her time with the city itself, Park spoke highly of Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra and every city department she had the pleasure of working with during her tenure. Park said she’s grateful for the collaboration and support.
According to the city announcement, Park was one of the first department heads Sciarra appointed as mayor. What stood out most to Sciarra was Park’s temperament.
“She is calm, empathetic, and a genuinely good listener,” Sciarra mentioned. “Those qualities matter enormously in a department that serves people directly, every day. Kim has cared deeply for the Senior Center and all who use it and has grown it into a place where older adults want to spend time and feel part of a community.”
Sciarra will miss Park’s steady presence in the open and welcoming environment she has fostered at the Senior Center. She has enjoyed working with her and is very sad she’s leaving, but is truly happy for her next journey.
“She’s taking something she loves and turning it into her next chapter,” said Sciarra. “Kim is a wonderfully talented photographer, and I know she’ll bring the same care and heart to that work that she brought to the city.”
Moving forward, Park will be focusing on building and growing a photography business. One goal is to work with local small businesses as a visual content partner providing ongoing strategic photography and fresh marketing content to grow their brand, stay consistently visible and engage with customers. This work will keep Park rooted in the Northampton community and surrounding communities, as well.
The city will post the Senior Services Director position on its website and anticipates filling the role as soon as possible to “ensure a seamless transition for the department.”
