After dedicating 30 years to the well-being of seniors, Paul Downey is embarking on his own retirement journey at the age of 65.
He ends his impressive tenure as president and CEO of Serving Seniors, marking May 8 as a significant date—exactly 30 years after he began his role.
Reflecting on his time with the nonprofit, Downey noted, “I started May 8, 1995. I just kind of like the symmetry of ending exactly on 30 years.”
Under his leadership, Serving Seniors experienced remarkable growth; its annual budget soared from $800,000 to $17 million, and the number of meals served skyrocketed from 200,000 to an astonishing 1.5 million.
When Downey first joined the organization, it had three buildings; today, that number has expanded to 11, including the downtown headquarters located at the Gary and Mary West Wellness Center.
However, his influence extends far beyond the physical and financial expansion of the organization.
Throughout his tenure, Downey has passionately advocated for senior nutrition on a national scale, providing insights to policymakers regarding the challenges faced by elderly Americans struggling to make ends meet.
“There was a lot of education around poverty, because a lot of elected officials didn’t understand that there was this strata of folks who were struggling,” he stated.
Downey has also been a vocal advocate addressing issues of homelessness and the need for affordable housing at both state and national levels.
His advocacy efforts included conducting hundreds of conference presentations and webinars focused on poverty, homelessness, and nutrition.
In addition to his significant work with Serving Seniors, Downey played vital roles in several professional organizations.
He served 18 years on the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs, six years with the American Society on Aging, and seven years on the California Commission on Aging.
His expertise was also sought after by the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee, where he testified on multiple occasions.
Interestingly, Downey’s career path was not directed toward nonprofit work during his college years.
He received a journalism degree from San Diego State University in 1981, where he engaged with the campus radio station KCR and interned at KSDO.
His journey into broadcasting included an on-air job at a Salt Lake City radio station and a stint at the early online version of the San Diego Union and Tribune newspapers following their merger.
However, both positions he held were eliminated, prompting a shift in career trajectory.
His transition into public service began when he became press secretary under then-San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor, who was notably proactive about homelessness issues.
Downey recounted how he unexpectedly got involved with serving lunch at Senior Community Centers.
At the time, the mayor decided to volunteer at the centers, and Downey humorously described being “drafted” into service at the age of 27.
Initially reluctant about the opportunity, Downey found inspiration by interacting directly with seniors.
“To be honest, I had never really encountered people who were struggling with poverty,” he acknowledged.
Engaging with the seniors fueled his passion for this cause, transforming him from a hesitant volunteer to a committed advocate.
Downey’s career then progressed to assistant CEO with the San Diego Consortium and the Private Industry Council, which today operates as the San Diego Workforce Partnership.
While serving there, his wife, Mary Curran-Downey, a reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune, informed him that Senior Community Centers were seeking a new CEO.
Cherishing his past experience with the nonprofit, Downey applied for the position and won the role.
Approximately ten years ago, the organization rebranded itself from Senior Community Centers to Serving Seniors.
“And the rest is history, I guess,” Downey remarked.
Amidst admiration for Downey’s contributions, Robert Blancato, executive director of the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs, commended Serving Seniors for its top-tier services.
He stated, “They’re in the top 5 percent of the country because of what they offer and the services they have.”
Blancato emphasized the organization’s adeptness at reaching vulnerable populations, particularly those living at the poverty line.
“They understand how to do outreach and get to people who need services,” he reiterated.
One of Downey’s notable achievements during his time at Serving Seniors included leading a significant study in 2021 that highlighted the increasing number of older San Diegans facing homelessness due to financial struggles.
The insights generated from this study led to the development of rental subsidy programs within the city and county of San Diego and the recent initiative in La Mesa.
In an email, San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson expressed his gratitude, stating, “Paul has always been a forward-thinking community leader, and we can’t thank him enough for his 30 years of distinguished service.”
He further noted how Downey’s study motivated the implementation of a shallow rent subsidy program, which has successfully allowed many seniors to remain in their homes and enhance their quality of life.
Another milestone was the establishment of the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, located on Fourth Avenue in downtown San Diego.
In the mid-2000s, Downey sought a more suitable headquarters for Serving Seniors, which at that time operated from an inadequate facility on 9th Avenue and Broadway.
Unexpectedly, Downey received a call from Shelley Lyford, President and CEO of the Gary and Mary West Foundation, who invited him for a meeting in Carlsbad.
There, Downey shared his vision for Serving Seniors’ mission and aspirations for expansion, recognizing that the needs of seniors were evolving.
He emphasized that the organization would continue to provide meals for low-income seniors while also promoting socialization opportunities for those who may feel isolated.
A few days after their meeting, Lyford surprised Downey by ordering champagne at lunch and announcing the couple’s generous pledge of $3 million for a new center.
This funding sparked a capital campaign to acquire and refurbish a building previously functioning as a car dealership in the 1930s.
The resulting Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center officially opened its doors in 2016, offering a variety of amenities for seniors, including a game room, exercise classes, computer classes, and civic engagement opportunities.
Health services such as nursing, case management, and a dental center are also supplied on-site.
The Wellness Center has gained international acclaim, attracting professionals from countries including Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany for visits.
In recognition of his profound contributions, the Paul Downey Senior Residence was recently inaugurated in Clairemont, providing 79 units for seniors in need.
Downey admitted that he was completely unaware of the decision to name the residence after him, which was kept a secret for four months.
Feeling honored by this acknowledgment, he has also voiced frustration regarding the lengthy funding processes for projects like this, which take seven or eight years to finalize.
As he steps into retirement, Downey is open to future consulting opportunities but is eager to dedicate time to travel, hiking, and camping with his wife.
In a lighthearted tone, he expressed the desire to return to the Gary and Mary West Wellness Center as a retiree, stating, “That would be absolutely something that I would want to do.”
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