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ranchandcoast.com 38 APRIL 2025 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE A Fond Farewell Serving Seniors' President and CEO marks 30-year anniversary with retirement W hat began for Paul Downey as a stint as a somewhat reluctant volunteer blossomed into a 30-year career, but the President and CEO of Serving Seniors will officially call time on his tenure at the nonprofit on May 8, 30 years to the day when he first started. Prior to Serving Seniors, Downey recalls his time working in the mayor's office, when staffers regularly participated in volunteer efforts at the nonprofit when it was then known as Senior Community Centers. "I have to admit, initially, I wasn't all that enthusiastic about the volunteer opportunity," he says candidly, but it didn't take long to change his perspective. "I started talking to the folks we were serving lunch to, and it was kind of a two-by-four over the head. And I said, 'Wow, these people have great resilience and are surviving despite the fact that they are living in poverty.' And so I grew a passion." An arguable understatement, Downey's passion became three decades of leadership and service, building an invaluable organization that helps low-income and homeless seniors and providing representation for a community that he says was voiceless. "Most of these seniors did not have much of an advocate out there that was fighting for them, particularly those in poverty," he says. Serving Seniors' ongoing mission is to be exactly that. With a core focus on nutrition, the nonprofit of just over 100 employees and 800 volunteers serves a combination of meals via home delivery and at senior centers countywide, and last year reached a staggering milestone of 20 million meals served in its history. Additionally, Serving Seniors has 608 units of affordable housing throughout the county, and wraparound services that encompass a health and social services team offering case management, housing resources, enrichment and activities, and more in addition to key collaborations with other organizations including the SDSU School of Social Work, Sharp HealthCare, and the UCSD Shiley EyeMobile. Across its spectrum of services, Serving Seniors is projected to serve more than 12,000 seniors in this year alone. But beyond the numbers, departments, and statistics, it's humanity that is truly at the heart of the work at Serving Seniors, and it's an ethos undoubtedly built upon Downey's leadership that permeates every element of the organization. "It goes back to those early days of volunteering," he says. "As I talked to people, I realized that despite where they were at that time, … that maybe, life took a tough turn for them at some point, but they've all accomplished something, they have families, they've done something that is significant, and it should be valued." It's a mindset shared by his successor, Melinda Forstey, herself a 15-year Serving Seniors veteran who will step into the CEO role from her current post as Chief Operating Officer. " e seniors we work with have a multitude of wisdom and talent and experience to share, and so yes, we're serving them, but they're serving us right back," she says. Among the many meaningful ways the organization will honor Downey and mark his departure, none may be more enduring than the recent debut of a new housing facility in Clairemont. e 79-unit Paul Downey Senior Residence and Judith L. Seltz Senior Wellness Center bears his name as an homage to his guidance these 30 years. " at was an unexpected gesture, and I was just overwhelmed [by] their thoughtfulness, their generosity to raise money to name the building for me," he says. According to Forstey, however, Downey's accolades are well-earned. "Paul has been just a pillar of this community," she says. "I really want to underscore the honor I've had with working with Paul and the legacy he's created, and my excitement to carry the torch moving forward." e Sunshine Gala, Serving Seniors' signature annual fundraising event, will also pay tribute to Downey's leadership and legacy. e event is scheduled for October 11 at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. servingseniors.org Focus philanthropy BY DEANNA MURPHY | PHOTO BY MELISSA JACOBS "I think I've had the best job in the world," says Paul Downey (left)