Staff — About Us — Senior Community Centers

Meet the Senior Community Centers Team

Executive Team

Paul Downey, President and CEO
Paul has led Senior Community Centers for over thirteen years, successfully addressing growing demand by expanding programs and services, and spearheading the organization's move into affordable permanent housing. He administers the agency's $4.7 million annual budget, determines program priorities with the COO, and oversees agency public relations and advocacy efforts.

Due to his extensive work and experience at Senior Community Centers, service on state and national boards, and his advocacy on behalf of seniors and other vulnerable populations, Paul has been touted at a national expert on aging issues.

Paul is the president of the California Association of Nutrition Directors for the Elderly (CANDE), the state association for senior programs throughout California. He also sits on the national board for the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP) and is active in local senior nutrition advocacy efforts as well.
Maureen Piwowarski, LCSW, Chief Operating Officer
Maureen oversees all nutrition, clinical, health, advocacy, and housing programs. She acts as the primary point of contact with all collaborative partners and consultants and works with the CEO on new program initiatives.

Maureen advocates for Mental Health Services Act Prop. 63 - Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) funding for supportive housing for older adults, is a voting member of the Mental Health Services Housing Council, an advocacy council, and was recently appointed to the Older Adult Mental Health Council to represent supportive housing models.
Donna Pippins, Chief Development Officer
Donna oversees all aspects of Senior Community Centers' fundraising efforts. She works closely with board, staff and volunteers to advance the organization's development program, and is directly responsible for the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of individual and corporate prospects for all initiatives, most specifically capital and endowment needs.
Mary Mazyck, RN, Vice President of Programs and Services
Mary oversees all clinical services, including health, social service, and mental health programs. She is responsible for program implementation and management, including Quality Assurance and monitoring functions.

Mary was integral in organizing the San Diego regional Cal-Essi working group and serves on the Residential Care Committee of the Mental Health Services Housing Council, both of which are advocacy councils.
Kitty Roberts, RD, Senior Vice President of Operations
Kitty oversees all nutrition services and facility maintenance. She plans the menus, creates and monitors meal preparation methods for sanitation and efficiency, manages quality assurance issues, and examines meals served to verify that they provide two-thirds of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for adults over the age of sixty.

Kitty is a member of the American Dietetic Association, a group that advocates for good nurtition for all age groups, she attends the annual Mazon Conference which is instrumental in bringing hunger issues to the mainstream and hosts Hunger Day in Sacramento each year, is a member of the San Diego Hunger Coalition which utilizes members to garner support from private citizens and business contacts, and attends manager meetings for Aging and Independence Services in which the group devotes itself to the care and feeding of seniors via dissemination of information and updates filtered down from all levels of government.
Lea Cruz, Controller
Lea oversees the financial management of the organization including grant compliance, accounts payable and receivable, purchasing, payroll, banking, internal controls, budgeting, cost allocation, audit and general accounting. She is also responsible for the completion of all financial statements, grant reports and statutory filings. Lea has a Masters Degree in Accounting and Financial Management and has over 15 years of combined accounting, audit, tax and management experience.