Lisa Borchetta is Amherst’s New Director of Senior Services

Source: amherstma.gov

Town Manager Paul Bockelman has annouced the appointment of Lisa Borchetta as the new Director of Senior Services for the Town of Amherst. The appointment is subject to review by the Town Council and will be considered at its meeting on Monday, August 18. Borchetta is expected to start her new role on September 8. 

Borchetta joins Amherst with a robust background in senior services administration, human services support, and mental health counseling. Her experiences include staff supervision, volunteer management, program development, grant writing, strategic planning, budget management, and collaboration with various community partners. 

Most recently, Borchetta served as the Director of the Senior Center for the Town of Holliston. In this role she worked with the Council on Aging, town staff, and community partners to create a supportive environment and offer growth, learning, health, social, and recreational opportunities for residents over 60 years of age. She played a key role in transforming a traditional senior center into a more modern, inclusive resource hub by leading a community needs assessment in partnership with UMass-Boston’s Gerontology Institute, expanding inter-generational programming, creating culturally diverse offerings, and laying the groundwork to achieve an Age and Dementia Friendly Community designation. 

Prior to working in Holliston, Borchetta worked as the member services coordinator and provider manager for Beacon Hill Village in Boston, a community of older adults focused on living and aging well through services, programs, and engagement. Earlier in her career, she provided mental health counseling at Westborough Youth and Family Services and served as a program manager for a federally funded support services initiative for at-risk elders in Boston. In both roles, she provided direct assistance to individuals and families navigating food insecurity, health challenges, caregiving burdens, and housing instability. 

Borchetta has a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with minors in Gerontology and Women’s Studies from the University of Vermont. She is also a certified mentor coach and certified life coach and is trained in First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). 

The Search Committee screened 23 applications and invited seven candidates to participate in interviews. The Search Committee was comprised of: 

• Jeanne Horrigan, Chair of the Council on Aging  
• Dennis Vandal, Chair of the Friends of the Senior Center 
• Tony Butterfield, Chair of the Personnel Board 
• Kiko Malin, Public Health Director 
• Angela Mills, Executive Assistant to the Town Manager 
• Serena Harris, Human Resources Manager.  

A swearing-in ceremony will be scheduled for a later date, with details to be announced in the coming weeks on the Town’s website: www.amherstma.gov.