‘An important resource’: Des Plaines community center has a new leader

A Des Plaines community center that primarily caters to older Northwest suburban residents has a new leader to go along with its relatively new name and expanded mission.

Shavonne Ekeledo has been named CEO of the GENCenter, 52 E. Northwest Highway, effective this week. She succeeds Stephen Samuelson, who stepped down in June after 15 years as executive director.

“I am honored to have been selected for this role and excited about the opportunity to help write the next chapter of GENCenter's story,” Ekeledo said Tuesday via email. “I've already spent time meeting members, speaking with volunteers and learning about the programs and services that make GENCenter such an important resource in Des Plaines and the surrounding communities.”

Ekeledo is the founder of Impactful Leadership & Management Solutions, a Mount Prospect consulting firm. She’s also been on the faculty or lectured at several colleges and universities, including the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and Harper College.

Launched in 1975 as the Des Plaines Community Senior Center, the GENCenter offers recreational and physical fitness activities, social events and other programs and services.

Originally a joint effort between Des Plaines and the Des Plaines Park District, it became an independent nonprofit organization in 1976. The facility was renamed the Frisbie Center after moving to its current location in 2005.

It became the GENCenter earlier this year to coincide with a $250,000 renovation and an expanded focus that now includes programs for middle-aged suburbanites who are taking care of their parents and children.

“When I learned about the opportunity at GENCenter, I was immediately drawn to its mission and its impact on the community,” Ekeledo said. “GENCenter is far more than a senior center — it is a place where people find connection, purpose, wellness, education, and community. That mission resonated deeply with me.”

You can meet Ekeledo during a gathering set for 10 a.m. Monday at the GENCenter.