By Rob Schanilec
Senior News Managing Editor

As members of the Senior Federation, most of our readers are familiar with Lee Graczyk. He and Dennis Gerhardstein have held the positions of co-associate directors of the state Senior Federation for the past year.

Effective immediately, this co-shared position will become a sole interim executive director position, with Graczyk at the helm. Gerhardstein will continue to fill a valuable leadership position concentrating primarly on membership for both the state and the Metro Region.

"The two-person position worked for a while," says Graczyk, "but it was hard for staff and members to determine who was responsible for what."

Beyond that, he noted, the change for most will go unnoticed, but it will provide a more solid foundation to the organization.

Gracyzk's concentration as co-director focused on legislative issues. As sole director he'll continue in that capacity, but he'll also take on a broader range of tasks, supporting and taking responsibility for activities and agendas throughout the Federation.

Graczyk accepted this 18- to 24-month position with the understanding that when it's over he'll be able to revert back to his position focusing on legislative issues.

To get to that point, says Graczyk, he knows he'll need to concentrate specifically on the following areas:

• Transition to a permanent director. Making sure the MnSF board, staff and membership have a direct role in determining who that individual is through a thorough search.
• Membership - Supporting Gerhardstein with a greater statewide emphasis on membership.
• Staffing - Analyzing pay scales, job descriptions and evaluations so the processes are up to date and the Federation is able to introduce a merit pay system.
• Development - Being more effective and targeted in garnering financial support.
• Long-term planning - Bringing state and metro leaders together to look ahead to what the Federation will be like in ten years and, while allowing for reactive planning, putting more emphasis on proactive efforts.

Graczyk's Federation involvement started seven years ago as a VISTA worker in the health area. He became a full-time employee in health organizing, was legislative director, associate director and now interim executive director. Prior to that he was a chief compliance officer with the State Gambling Control Board. He has an 18-year-old daughter who will be graduating from high school this year and she'll be traveling to Scotland in August to perform in the Fringe Festival.