Sorenson is retiring after three years as the executive director of the LCCA

Richard Sorenson remembers his first day at the Lopez Community Center as one of inclusivity. “My first day was truly a welcoming… one of the things I love about this job is the getting to know so many people.”

For Sorenson, however, the time has come to move on. After three years as the executive director, the Seattle- born Lopezian is calling it a day. He left the position on June 11.

“I’ve been so commited here its been hard for me to let go…but the job has been so demanding, one person running this show is not enough,” Sorenson says.

This tension between passion and reality has marked Sorenson’s tenure as fruitful, but tiring. He says his dedication to community lent him the inspiration to deal with the difficult logistics of running the center.

“When the board hired me they were very open about the challenges.” Sorenson remembers beginning his employment well aware that fund raising and community dynamics were obstacles that needed careful navigation. “The board basically said the center has a reputation of being an exclusive performing arts hall, I’ve worked hard to move [the LCCA] past that stigma.”

To a large degree he has been successful. Under Sorenson the image of the center has moved away from “venue” and more toward “community gathering place.”

In the past three years a new theatre-standard projector was purchased, thus allowing quality movie screenings. The grounds of the center were also improved, an expansion on the side lawn providing a more amphitheater set up.

“The main challenge has been just making sure the building is maintained and keeping this community treasure open.”

Sorenson cites this as one of the things he is most proud of. “[I’ve enjoyed] moving towards a more member based, community based center and being able to reach out to the many different groups of people. It’s been really satifying to attend events that people attend and are grateful for.”

With everything from potlucks, to movies and memorial services, the center has opened up as a flexible resource for anyone to use. Sorenson is adamant when he asks people to remember that anyone on Lopez is a member of the center.

Sorenson’s retirement from the center does not mean that he and his family are moving away from Lopez. Nor does it signify final retirement for the islander. More, he says, a period of reflection and reevaluation. His time over the past years has been so consumed by his work that he feels he has missed out on the Lopez environment. “I want to get out on the water and just be active. Enjoying [Lopez] like I’ve wanted to ever since I got here.” He expects, however, that the passion for community development that has carried him through his career so far, will once again pull him into to some manner of project. “Part of taking this break is evaluating what I want to do with the last years of my career.”

As for the future of the center, it seems it too will enter a period of reassessment. “The organization is going into review,” Sorenson says, adding that the board is open to new solutions to the center’s management. “There is a possibility of hiring two people half time and dividing the duties,” Sorenson says as an example.

As for him, the time has come work on his sail boat, kick back and enjoy the community he has worked hard to provide for.