Trinh Pifer to serve as director of Chelsea Senior Citizens Activity Center

Trinh Pifer was named as the new executive director of the Chelsea Senior Citizens Activity Center today.

Pifer, who has owned The Garden Mill in downtown Chelsea for six years, has listed her business for sale as she transitions into her new position, which will begin the first week in April.

“I’d love to work more on community outreach and convey to the community that the senior center is an active and dynamic place,” she said.

Pifer is the former executive director of the Arbor Research Collaborative for Health in Ann Arbor and has a master’s degree in public health from the University of Michigan.

Board President Rodney Payne said in a press release, “We interviewed an impressive group of candidates from a talented pool of applicants. Ultimately, the committee chose Trinh, based on her experience, education, her record of leadership and her personal outreach skills.”

During her time as a Chelsea business owner, Pifer said she created several successful events for downtown and sat on committees for others, which afforded her an opportunity to get to know a lot of people in the area.

“One aspect I really enjoyed was all the community development and outreach I accomplished, which can be brought to my new position,” she said.

Pifer has been an active member in the Chelsea school and business community for more than a decade, and a member of various event committees, including Hometown Holidays, Sounds and Sights, and Wine, Women and Shopping, according to the press release.

In 2009, she launched Chelsea’s Chocolate Extravaganza and said she has collaborated with the Chelsea Area Garden Club on beautification projects and garden walk fundraisers.

Additionally, she serves on the Chelsea First Steering Committee, several committees of the Chelsea Area Garden Club, and was a board member of the Chelsea Center for the Arts for three years, according to the press release.

“The Garden Mill is listed for sale (with Willem Van Reesema, a business broker) and it’s a thriving, profitable business and a destination in Chelsea. I hope someone will step up and buy it,” she said. “My staff is committed to keeping the store running during the transition.”

The next month will be challenging, she said, but she is excited about her new position.

“I want to continue investing in the relationships I’ve made,” she said.

Currently, the center has about 500 members, and Pifer said she plans to strengthen its ties with the Chelsea District Library, the Chelsea Center for the Arts and the Chelsea School District for event and programming collaborations.

“I’d like to see more intergenerational activities,” she said.

Lisa Allmendinger is a reporter with AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Chelsea stories, visit our Chelsea page.

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