Lake Forest resident Brenda Dick plans to retire a second time, this time as director of the Gorton Community Center, where she has worked since January 2011.
Q. How did you end up working at the Gorton Center?
A. I had retired and I retired too soon. One of my friends was on the interim board at Gorton. They has just started a search for a new director.
Q. So you applied?
A. At first I didn’t think it was a good idea. I was thinking about working in a young environment or a start-up environment. My friend said I think you should go talk to them. I did.
Q. What was the situation at the Gorton Center when you started?
A. In 2008 they hit hard times. The city pulled together residents to form an interim board. They got it out of debt. The challenge then was define what the community center was going to be. We had a meeting called the Big Think with residents from all over Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.
Q. During your time you oversaw a major fundraising campaign?
A. We raised well over $7 million, with about half for an endowment and half for rehabilitation.
Q. How did the rehabilitation of the building go?
A. It was an old school that looked like an old school. There was no one in the halls. It was dark. It had classrooms on either side. Now you walk in and the open area is right there. There’s a state-of the art projection system, which allows us partnerships with the Gene Siskel Theater and Facets. We have musicians coming. There are more performing arts and more intellectual interests.
Q. Tell me something that most people don’t know about you?
A. I drive a 1991 Volvo station wagon.
Q. What are your plans after you retire?
A. I think I’m going to take a vacation with my husband.
—Mark Lawton, Pioneer Press
Twitter: @reporterdude
Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we get to know and introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago. Check out more online at ChicagoTribune.com/ShoutOut.
