Roseanne Lupoli has left the Senior Center, where she was manager for nearly five years, to take a post as executive director of Sunshine Industries, a nonprofit organization providing vocational services to developmentally disabled persons.
Lupoli finished working at the Senior Center on March 5 and started at Sunshine on March 15. She succeeds John Strickler, who has taken another position with the organization. She had been manager at the Senior Center since August 2005.
“I was offered a position here,” she said. “It seemed like a fun new challenge.”
The Senior Center had two of its bus routes dedicated to the developmentally disabled, Lupoli said, so she was somewhat familiar with Sunshine Industries.
Lupoli moved to Sweet Home from California. She grew up in the Waterloo area, attended Sweet Home Christian School and graduated from Lebanon High School. She is married to Chuck Fitzsimons.
Sunshine’s mission is to enrich the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities, serving approximately 70 individuals, she said, and she’s enjoying the new work.
“It’s really fun,” she said. “It’s never boring. They’re really great people, mostly happy. I’m just looking forward to the new challenges, and we’re planning on creating more opportunities.”
Sunshine provides a variety of jobs and training in a variety of functions, including janitorial, document shredding and woodworking.
Classes are taught on site, and support programs are offered through Linn-Benton Community College, Samaritan Health and other agencies.
Members also enjoy outings to county and state fairs, the community pool, movies, restaurants and shopping, and semi-annual dances.