Commission hears objection to Council on Aging interim director

The Hill County Commission heard an objection to the appointment of Marci Bergren as interim director of the Hill County Council on Aging.

Last month, Council on Aging Director Don Kenny announced that he would be resigning, and the commission appointed Marci Bergren as interim director.

Linda Rennick, who volunteers at North Central Senior Citizens Center, said she’s been volunteering and been working with the Council on Aging that runs the center for 16 years, and she has concerns about Bergren becoming interim director while the commission searches for a permanent director.

Rennick said she admits to personally disliking Bergren, but said her expressed concerns for the council are genuine.

She said she doesn’t feel that Bergren has the necessary knowledge to run the council effectively as well as the physical capacity to handle the responsibilities of the job.

“We need some direction and we’re not going to get it from her,” Rennick said.

Bergren said in an interview that she believes she is highly qualified, and while she has had surgery recently, she can handle the work just fine.

“I am highly qualified,” Bergren said.

She said she has plenty of grant-writing experience and successfully supervised 40 people for a Fortune 500 company.

She said she had knee replacement surgery three weeks ago, but she’s been working all of this week, so she can handle the job.

Rennick also said she thinks Bergren has an ax to grind with someone at the council which she said is causing issues.

“Those things are as other people want to perceive them,” Bergren said. “ … I have no problem getting along with people as long as they are doing their jobs.”

Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson said he appreciates Rennick’s comments, but at this point the council is in a difficult position without a permanent director and the commission is going to find someone as quickly as they possibly can.

Peterson said the priority at the moment is finding a new director.

Hill County Commissioner Jake Strissel said he’s going to be taking a very active role working with the council and said he would be there to help them while a new director is being searched for.

Strissel said he would be at a staff meeting this morning to help everyone get on the same page and make sure things at the council are organized in the wake of Kenny’s departure.

The commission also approved claims and again tabled discussion of a potential credit card policy at the meeting.