SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — The executive director of a nonprofit organization that assists older adults in Windsor and Windham counties will retire later this year.
Mark Boutwell plans to retire in August after leading the Springfield, Vt.-based Senior Solutions for nearly five years.
The Hartland resident, who will turn 67 this May, has worked at Senior Solutions for nearly 12 years. He served as director of social services before being promoted to executive director after Carol Stamatakis retired in 2021.
Senior Solutions’ board of directors is in the process of starting a search for Boutwell’s successor.
“During his tenure, he has provided steady and compassionate leadership, guiding the organization with a calm demeanor and deep commitment to its mission,” the organization’s Board of Directors wrote in a Tuesday news release. “His leadership has brought stability to Senior Solutions and helped the organization navigate challenging times while continuing to serve older adults, clients, and families with care and integrity.”
Senior Solutions helps connect older adults with transportation, nutrition and health care, among other services. The organization has about 40 employees and its yearly operating budget is about $5.5 million. The majority of its funding comes from the state of Vermont and the federal government, including the Older Americans Act.
“The complexity of our work has changed a lot,” Boutwell said in a Thursday phone interview.
Vermont’s ongoing housing shortage, as well as health care workforce challenges, have made it more difficult to connect older adults — especially those who are lower income — with the services they need. Additionally, more case workers are working with older adults who have adult children who are coping with substance use disorders which impact their parents.
“Our case managers are going into situations that are more risky and the level of clients’ needs in some cases have really changed and increased,” Boutwell said.
After he retires, Boutwell said he will continue volunteering for causes that support older adults, including through his role on the board of Aging in Hartland, a nonprofit organization that assists people in town as they age.
