New WASI director has ‘dream job’

WASILLA — Ingrid Ling seems nothing but genuine when she describes her new position heading up Wasilla Area Seniors Inc., as her “dream job.”

“I can’t believe that I get to get up each and every day and come here,” she said Thursday. “I’m hoping to retire from here. That is my dream — that they will want to keep me around long enough.”

Ling said that prior to the position coming open, she was asked in one of her Masters of Business Administration classes at Alaska Pacific University to make a presentation on her dream job. She chose WASI.

In her professional life, Ling has worked for her tribe in various capacities at the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council. One of her favorite parts of her four-year stint as heath and social services director was working with seniors or, in the tribal lingo, the elders. She said she learns a lot from elders, values their experience and expertise, and just generally enjoys their company.

“It makes me feel incredibly honored to be a part of such an organization where every day I’m surrounded by seniors, by our elders,” she said.

As of Thursday, Ling had spent all of nine days on the job. But it’s felt like a whole lot more. The place had, until she took over, been under the stewardship of a temporary executive, Diana Strzok with the Foraker Group. Almost from the start Storzk was fielding applications, conducting interviews, inviting candidates to the senior center to give speeches.

“They really were careful in their selection process and had a lot of member input” from the seniors, Ling said.

She said she feels like she’s taking the helm of a “sturdy ship” because of the work Storzk did in her six months on the job.

One of the items on her list of things to accomplish, Ling said, is to continue that work.

She said she also wants to emphasize sustainability, favor programs that the center can continue in perpetuity over more temporary programs. She said she also would like to diversify WASI’s revenue sources and work toward eventually building up an endowment.

She said she also would like to build bridges between the community and WASI. As a life-long Valley resident, though, this might be the easiest task before her.

“A lot of those relationships are already built,” Ling said.

What she’s most enthusiastic about, Ling said, is empowering the people she works for to shape the organization through meetings with the seniors. Well, maybe not quite meetings.

“I call them listening sessions,” Ling said.

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.