Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman hopes to refocus the county's Department of Citizen Services with two new appointments, his office announced Thursday.
Taking the helm of Citizen Services is Phyllis Madachy, who starts immediately as the department's director, Howard officials said. She replaces former director Lois Mikkila, who led the department for five years.
Most recently, Madachy was the vice president for aging and health at the Coordinating Center, a Millersville-based nonprofit that offers health and housing support services for people of all ages. At the center, she focused on developing new projects to serve community members using Medicare, and particularly on improving transitions back home after a hospital stay.
Kittleman also promoted Starr Pavis Sowers as the head of the county's Office on Aging. Sowers, who started this week, comes to the new role after serving as manager for the Office on Aging's health and wellness division, where she coordinated programs and activities, including the 50+ EXPO and WomenFest. Sowers fills a vacancy in the position after former adminstrator Dayna Brown left in December.
The appointments come as Kittleman considers whether to move the Office on Aging out from under the umbrella of the Department of Citizen Services to create a Department of Aging.
Aging is a pressing topic for Howard, where the senior population -- residents aged 65 and older -- is projected to make up 17.5 percent of the county by 2025 and 21.6 percent in 2035.
In a March report, Kittleman's transition team recommended forming a task force to examine the merits of elevating the office to a department. A significant minority of team members instead favored wrapping the Office on Aging into a broad Department of Health and Human Services, which would also include the Health Department, Housing Department, Mental Health Authority, Office of Children's Services and Office of Disability Services.
County spokesman Andy Barth said Kittleman was still mulling over the decision, and would look to Madachy for input.
Kittleman said in a statement that he wants the Department of Citizen Services, which incorporates the Office of Children's Services, Office of Consumer Affairs, the Community Services Partnerships program, disability and homeless services in addition to the Office on Aging, to ensure that low-income families are receiving the full range of services available to them.
In particular, he emphasized partnering with schools to identify financially strained families who could benefit from emotional, behavioral and substance abuse treatment services.
"Succeeding in that mission will help us improve the academic performance of our children and narrow what has been a persistent achievement gap in Howard County," Kittleman said.
Both Madachy and Sowers have long careers in the field of community-based services, and have several decades of work in Howard County under the belt.
Madachy has worked in community-based services since 1974, including nearly 30 years in Howard County, according to a biography provided by the county.
She worked for the Howard County Office on Aging from 1981 to 2007, serving as administrator from 1995 to 2007. She was also the county government's deputy chief administrative officer for two years, from 2007 to 2009, and worked for some time as the project director for Opting for Independence, a project focused on helping seniors age in place.
In the community, Madachy serves as the president of Neighbor Ride's Board of Directors and as secretary for the Howard County Arts Council Board.
In a statement, she said she supports "new directions.
"I think this county executive on the right track," Madachy said. "Many of the staff are familiar faces to me, and I look forward to reuniting with this team to serve the residents of Howard County."
Sowers started as an intern in the Office on Aging in 1983. After a brief stint away, she returned in 1985 and has worked there ever since. Prior to her role as manager of health and wellness for the office, Sowers oversaw 11 senior centers as manager of senior center operations for the office and also worked as a coordinator for program serving seniors who were at risk of being placed in nursing homes.
Kittleman said he hoped to create "a more dynamic and proactive approach to working with and for seniors across the county" with Sowers' appointment.