Longtime Executive Director, Ginny Foat, Retires From Mizell; Wes Winter Takes the Helm
Mizell Senior Center is pleased to welcome Wes Winter as its new Executive Director following the retirement of Ginny Foat – who served as the organization’s leader for an 8-year tenure.
Winter brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in business and nonprofit sectors, specifically within the operational, budgetary, public facing and staff management domains. He comes to Mizell from his most recent position as the Executive Director of the Family Justice Center Sonoma County since 2013.
In a number of previous roles, Winter worked closely with the senior community. “What I enjoy most is their sense of history and the wonderful stories they have to share,” he said. “I’ve learned so much simply by listening and absorbing their vast accumulated knowledge.”
Mizell Senior Center offers an expansive itinerary of activities, which is made possible through the organization’s strong professional staff and network of volunteers. Winter has managed volunteer programs in the past, and feels they are the lifeblood of a successful nonprofit. “Volunteers are involved at every level at Mizell – from serving on the Board of Directors to receiving guests at our reception desk. My goal is to continue to strengthen and enhance our program, ensuring that Mizell always has a committed cadre of volunteers at its very core.”
After visiting the Coachella Valley for the past 20 years, Winter and his partner purchased a weekend/vacation home in Palm Springs, and last year, after losing their home to the north bay wildfires, they decided to make Palm Springs their full-time residence.
In addition to Winter, Harriet Baron joined the staff of the Mizell Senior Center in December of 2018 as its Director of Development, overseeing the organization’s development and marketing efforts. She is the former Director of Resource Development for the City of Palm Springs and served as the Director of Development for the Palm Springs International Film Society from 2005 to 2017.
About the Mizell Senior Center
Mizell Senior Center has been serving the greater Palm Springs area for over 40 years, and is an acknowledged leader in active aging. Mizell’s multi-faceted network of programs and services for seniors are designed to encourage creativity, promote lifelong learning and sustain an active and engaged lifestyle. Most importantly, Mizell’s welcoming space offers community and kinship for seniors from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. From daily lunch service in the Center’s dining room to the computer lab, fitness programs, art classes, weekly jam sessions and its pioneering fall prevention program, A Matter of Balance, its on-site activities are a vital resource for actively aging seniors. In the community, Mizell operates the largest Meals on Wheels program in the Coachella Valley, delivering hot, nutritious meals to 400+ homebound seniors and congregate sites from Whitewater all the way to the Salton Sea.
Mizell Senior Center is located at 480 S. Sunrise Way in Palm Springs. For more information, visit www.mizell.org or call (760) 323-5689.
