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April 8, 2021 – Jan Symroski, Volunteer Coordinator at the Sanibel Historical Village since 2016, is retiring at the end of April.
“Jan has been much more than a Volunteer Coordinator, as big a job as that is,” said Executive Director Emilie Alfino. “Jan welcomed our guests and guided them as they started their Village tour. She did all our scheduling, was key to good building management, opening and closing the 10-building Village, and was ready to help with any task.”
Symroski previously worked at the City of Sanibel Recreation Center as a Recreation Services Assistant at the front desk, where she provided all aspects of customer service, performed data entry in various computer programs, and was a jack-of-all trades, as she has been at the Village.
She spent years as CEO of YMCA of Key West, Florida, and managed a dental group there as well. Living in Oregon for a time, Symroski was executive director of the Westside Family YMCA. Combined, Symroski helped the YMCA serve over 10,000 youths, managing 350 volunteers.
“Listing Jan’s many accomplishments doesn’t come close to describing how valuable Jan has been to the historical Village,” Alfino said. “The Historical Village is a better place because Jan was here. She will be missed.”
Symroski’s co-worker Sandy Nering remains on the job as Volunteer Coordinator; joining Sandy will be Kathy Choquette and Jan MaGirl, two volunteers who will become staff members May 1.
“It has been such a privilege working at the Historical Village these past few years. Emilie, Sandy, and the volunteers have become family, so this decision is made with mixed emotions,” Symroski said. “I’m not leaving the community, just hoping to do more traveling and spend time with family and friends scattered across the country. I’ll probably keep showing up at the Village like a bad penny.”