Concern as senior center's leader leaves

Amid the congratulations being offered for Patrick McCormack's retirement as director of the Long Beach Youth and Family Services department, concerns lingered about the future of the agency he had been part of for 41 years.

Today is his last day.

Retirement came abruptly, McCormack said. Two weeks ago the city offered him an incentive created for members of its largest union, the Civil Service Employees Association.

The incentive would give him 50 percent of his unused sick time if he retired immediately. It was an "offer I couldn't refuse," McCormack said.

"The city manager indicated to me that they wanted to see a change in this department," McCormack said. "I think the unfortunate part of it is they didn't plan well for what happens" after he leaves.

Employees and patrons of the senior center, community center and the city's multiple child care programs managed by the department worry about replacing McCormack, 64.

He was integral to day-to-day operations and coordinated child care camps and senior center programming, said Senior Advisory Board chairwoman Linda Chong Haber.

As of yesterday, McCormack said he had not heard anything about his replacement, or whether there would be someone in his office on Monday morning.

He said the city agreed to send someone to be trained for his position two weeks ago, but nobody showed up.

"I just don't feel that any preparations have been made to continue what we do," he said, adding that the city's summer camp operation, a big revenue source that serves children with working parents, still needs to be coordinated.

Long Beach spokesman Gordon Tepper said the city would replace McCormack but didn't indicate when.

But as the city continues department cuts and prepares to unveil a leaner budget for the new fiscal year amid a financial crisis, some fear the position won't be filled and that programs will diminish.

McCormack was paid $106,000 per year, according to city payroll records.

At a "Long Beach Listens" session last week and during a Monday meeting with more than 150 seniors, City Manager Jack Schnirman and members of the council assured the audience nothing would change and there would be a "seamless" transition.

"We had the meeting hopefully to find out what was going on and we came away with no answers," said Mary Gumkowski. The department's Magnolia Senior Center has become her social lifeline since moving to Long Beach from New Hampshire three months ago, she said.

"We're concerned about the seniors, we're concerned about the children, and we just want a smooth transition," Chong Haber said, adding that the senior center has between 800 and 1,000 active members. "The Magnolia Senior and Community Center is the heart of Long Beach, and now we've lost our leader," she said.

McCormack developed the senior center and its programming, which is free to residents.

"I'm happy to leave behind . . . a well-run operation that I built," he said Thursday.