PORT ANGELES — Patrick Downie, who was elected in November to the Port Angeles City Council, will retire from Catholic Community Services effective May 14.
Downie, 68, has served as the program coordinator for the Clallam County Volunteer Chore Services program of Catholic Community Services for more than 12 years.
Downie said retirement will allow him to “fulfill a promise made to my wife, Jayne, to spend more time with our family and to devote as much time as possible to my responsibilities as a member of the Port Angeles City Council.”
Stepping up into the position will be Teri Wensits, who has served as the Volunteer Chore Services intake specialist and office assistant since September 2003.
“Teri has brought a great spirit of teamwork to the organization,” Downie said. “She is well-qualified and prepared to step into the position of program coordinator.
An open house for Downie is planned at the Port Angeles Senior Center, 328 E. Seventh St., Port Angeles, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. May 14.
Downie said he will continue to serve as president of Paint the Town, an annual Volunteer Chore Services effort that has helped seniors and disabled homeowners paint their homes since 1988.
Downie has been involved with Paint the Town since the early ’90s.
Volunteer Chore Services has grown during Downie’s tenure.
Each of the last number of years, up to as many as 185 clients have been served by Volunteer Chore Services volunteers, providing as many as 12,000 hours of service annually.
“We’ve raised the visibility and stature of the program in our community and worked hard to nurture and continue collaborative partnerships with other senior provider partners,” such as United Way [of Clallam County] and the Area Agency on Aging, Downie said.
The Downies have lived in Port Angeles since July 9, 1974. They have two children and four grandchildren — with one set living in Bothel and the other in North Bend.
