The Wellesley Council on Aging (COA) Board held a special meeting on March 26 to conduct a public interview with a candidate for COA director, and by the end had voted unanimously to make an offer (see Wellesley Media recording).

Sehar Kiani, assistant director for the Dedham Council on Aging, impressed the COA Board with her energy and potential. While she lacked the experience of a recent COA Board selection who declined to take the job, the board voted unanimously to make Kiani an offer, acknowledging that it will need to put in place a support system to mentor her in the new role.

Tolles Parsons Center COA — COA headquarters: Tolles Parsons Center

Kiani’s interview started off a bit on the stilted side, as she referred to notes on her phone in introducing herself, but she loosened up as COA Board members asked questions to get at whether the job might be too big for her or how she might respond to being in a true leadership role. “At some point I’m going to need to fly,” she said.

The candidate won points for sharing that “I feel like I have a good day every day at the senior center,” when asked to give an example of what a really good day at the center might be like.

Kiani pointed to 9-plus years in state and municipal government, including previous experience in human resources and taking responsibility for running the Dedham COA when her supervisor is off. She cited working closely with other departments across Dedham and a desire to do likewise in Wellesley if she gets the job here.

In Dedham, Kiani has dealt with some of the same challenges Wellesley’s COA has, such as making more people aware of programs and figuring out how to best use a commercial kitchen.

In vetting candidates, the board’s director search subcommittee interviewed Kiani previously, as did a group including members of other town bodies such as the Select Board and Health Department.

The COA Board had been considering hiring a recruiter to help it identify director candidates, but if Kiani accepts, it will get to avoid going that route.

The Wellesley Council on Aging’s previous director, brought on at the start of 2023 after a challenging hiring process, was placed on leave last April and resigned over the summer.

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