Priscilla Essert brings new energy to Sonoma's Vintage House

As she steps into the job at the 'senior hub,' Priscilla Essert brings a wealth of diverse experience, from concert flutist to author to volunteer coordinator.|

Vintage House Community Focus Groups

A series of public study sessions discussing its role in the community will be held later this month at Vintage House, 264 First St. E. Sonoma.

Tuesday, Jan. 30, from 2 p.m. - 3:15 (Room 113)

Jan. 30 from 6 p.m. – 7:15 (Room 105)

Wednesday, Jan. 31 from 10 a.m. to 11:15 (Room 113)

Snacks will be provided.

Please reserve a spot by contacting info@vintagehouse.org or by calling 707-996-0311.

Just over two months ago, Priscilla Essert took over as executive director of the Vintage House, replacing long-time director Cindy Scarborough, who left in June.

As she steps into the job, the former East Coaster – who has lived in Sonoma for five years and takes the reins from interim director Carol Patterson – brings a wealth of diverse experience, including as a concert flutist with the Berkeley Symphony and author of a book, “My Life as a Pancreas,” about raising a child with diabetes.

She's a lively, fast-speaking and quick-witted senior herself, who brings energy and imagination to a one of the most important jobs in Sonoma Valley.

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Are you commuting to town? Or do you have a house in the Valley?

I've been living in Sonoma for five years. I am working for the first time in what I like to refer to as my own backyard. I'm loving that, working close to home and working in the community I love to call home.

Where did you work before?

Before this I was the program officer at the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County. That was a really amazing job, a great organization. I managed thousands of volunteers who were usually 55 and up. I oversaw para-transit and other programs like that. I think it prepared me well for this job in terms of understanding some of the needs around seniors.

What are some of the more pressing issues for local seniors?

(At the Volunteer Center) I was very aware of food insecurity among seniors, and homelessness among seniors, and elder abuse, and I could see the numbers on all those sorts of matters. I come in with a sensitivity to some of the support services that seniors might need, that might potentially round out all of the other wonderful things that Vintage House does in terms of enrichment and engagement for people 55 and up.

And you were a member of Vintage House before becoming director...

I became a member when I first moved here, but now I have a better understanding of what a hub this place is. When I joined, I was working full time and didn't get to come here much, because most of the classes were during the day, but I did come for some jazz concerts and film festival events and a few lectures here and there.

How has your impression changed now that you're on the ‘inside'?

I don't think I had such a grasp of what a hub this place is until I started working here. I see a steady stream of people and the phone is buzzing off the hook. This place is busy and full of people making friends, and getting to know each other, and learning and growing.

Everyday I'm surprised by somebody I meet who just has the most amazing career and wants to contribute here in some way from their years of experience, or they're coming here to broaden themselves. It's wonderful, it's inspiring.

Do you have any new plans for the center?

The board started a strategic planning process a while back that stopped for a period for various reasons, and now we're picking that up again – hopefully answering questions like: Where do we see Vintage House in the next three to five years? How can we do what we do better? What are the needs now of the seniors and what are the aging issues that weren't here when Vintage House was founded, 30-plus years ago?

Tell us about the “community focus groups.”

You know when you do a strategic planning, one of the big things you want to do is get out in the community and find out what the heck people are thinking about, whether they walk through these doors or not. So we have three community focus groups coming up on Jan. 29 and 30. I'm really looking forward to hearing what people say, telling us what they see for this place as we move forward.

What sort of responses do you anticipate?

Do we need to incorporate more services? What are the big issues? Do we need to be more involved in transportation for seniors, or housing? How can we be a better hub for all things senior? Because we are the senior hub.

Yes, for Sonoma you certainly are.

And what does that mean? Do we get more involved in services, in advocacy? Do we start to look at ourselves beyond the walls of our physical building? So, I'm really excited about that, and I'm really excited about hearing from the community.

You sound excited!

We want to get a balanced group of politicians, community leaders, people from the hospital, people from various industries and walks of life to get a different look at what we might be able to do differently. I would say that's exciting stuff for me.

A lot of community events take place at Vintage House. Has this produced wear-and-tear on the building?

No. It's been well-cared for. We have a really strong operations person, and building team who are constantly looking at repairs. In fact, we're ready to start renting our kitchen out more, our commercial kitchen. It's in tip-top shape. We may do a bit of remodeling to update the place a little bit as you walk in, but that's something we're going to be looking at. You know, it's in great shape actually. And it has solar!

The City of Sonoma changed its nonprofit funding model last year – how has that affected the larger “tier-one” beneficiaries like Vintage House?

I know (City Manager) Cathy Capriola sees the value of the Tier Ones and what we all do. The city has been so generous over the past 10, 15 years, with Vintage House in particular, and I just don't necessarily think that's going to change. It may look a little different, it may just change a little bit, but I'm very hopeful it will continue.

Email Christian at christian.kallen@sonomanews.com.

Vintage House Community Focus Groups

A series of public study sessions discussing its role in the community will be held later this month at Vintage House, 264 First St. E. Sonoma.

Tuesday, Jan. 30, from 2 p.m. - 3:15 (Room 113)

Jan. 30 from 6 p.m. – 7:15 (Room 105)

Wednesday, Jan. 31 from 10 a.m. to 11:15 (Room 113)

Snacks will be provided.

Please reserve a spot by contacting info@vintagehouse.org or by calling 707-996-0311.

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