MaryAnn Holak Honored For Career Of Service In Beverly

BEVERLY, MA — MaryAnn Holak, who guided the Beverly Council on Aging as its executive director for the past 17 years — leading the senior community center through the influx of baby boomer retirees and the COVID-19 health crisis — was honored for her service to the city upon her retirement on Tuesday night.

The Beverly City Council presented Holak with a proclamation honoring her for what City Council Chair Julie Flowers called Holak's "career representing and advocating for many people in the community of all ages."

"It's a pleasure to be able to, at this time, thank you for everything you've done in the community," Flowers said.

Holak was born in Beverly and graduated from Beverly High School in 1972. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont and a master's degree from Northeastern University. She is a certified social worker who was also a guest lecturer at Salem State University.

She became the executive director of the Council on Aging in 2005 and led the Council through the first wave of baby boomer retirements.

"MaryAnn was always ready to meet these changing needs and a growing population of seniors with creativity, care and dedication," Flowers said.

Perhaps her greatest challenge leading the Council on Aging came three years ago during the onset of the COVID-19 health crisis.

"She adopted quickly to find new and different ways to connect with seniors in the community," Flowers said, "to ensure their well-being as well as to find ways to honor the fear, grief and isolation that came with the pandemic and the resulting losses of all kinds."

Holak organized outdoor visits with seniors across the city, increased Wheels on Meals deliveries, and free meal pickup from local restaurants, and secured a grant to support a "Walk in the Woods" program to allow seniors to safely interact with their neighbors and the greater community.

The proclamation also saluted Holak for transforming the Council on Aging from being primarily an activity center to a resource center for seniors in need of food, housing and SNAP benefits.

"Our community is wonderful because of the connections — the intergenerational connections," Holak said in response to the praise and standing ovation. "The people who know each other, and love each other, and remember the stories about one another.

"I could not really have asked for a better place to do my work and the work that I've loved."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)