PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: Amy Holman Balian
Executive Director
West Chester Area Senior Center
(610) 431-4242

FOR RELEASE: IMMEDIATE

RECIPIENT OF WEST CHESTER AREA SENIOR CENTER’S
2008 PRESIDENT’S AWARD NAMED

Bill Wilson, President of the Board of Directors of the West Chester Area Senior Center (WCASC), recently announced the 2008 recipient of the Center’s prestigious President’s Award to be presented at the agency’s Ninth Annual Gala and Silent Auction, Saturday, November 1st at the West Chester Area Senior Center.

The recipient of the WCASC’s seventh annual President’s Award is Dallas Matthews in recognition of his many years of service to the Senior Center. A native of New Castle, Pennsylvania, Dallas has been involved with the Senior Center in a variety of capacities. He was a member of the Board of Directors for six years, and was President in 2001-2002; he has served as an Advisory Council member since 2002. During Matthews’ tenure as President, the Board approved a 5-year strategic plan which recognized the need to create a new facility. He also served as a member of the Campaign Committee for the Campaign for the Future which raised funds for the current Senior Center site, and Chaired the Public Relations sub-committee for the campaign. More recently, Matthews participated as a member of the Strategic Planning committee which crafted the Senior Center’s current Strategic Plan for 2008-2011.

A graduate of Allegheny College, Dallas worked as a District Manager for Bell Atlantic Philadelphia. He also served as Executive Director of the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce, President of the West Chester Daybreak Lions Club, President of the Radley Run Country Club, Chairman of the West Chester Bicentennial Parade, and is an active member of the First Presbyterian Church West Chester. He and his wife Marion have two daughters: Kelly Ann, a school psychologist for the Chester County Intermediate Unit, and Jennifer Lynn, Director of Training for Blackboard Company, a software company headquartered in Washington D.C.

In addition to the award ceremony honoring Dallas Matthews, there will be a silent and live auction featuring a wide array of gifts and services. A cash drawing will be part of the evening’s activities as well. For more information about the gala, please call the Center at 610-431-4242. Gala invitations will be available in September. The gala cost is $90 per person.

The West Chester Area Senior Center, founded in 1975, is committed to enriching the lives of seniors, ages 60 and older, by providing a variety of educational and recreational programs and activities, nutritional meals, health screenings, and opportunities for social interaction. Amy Holman Balian is the
Center’s Executive Director.

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8/27/08