Staff photo / R. Michael Semple Trumbull County SCOPE Director Mike Wilson, left, receives a safety vest as a departing gift from the SCOPE staff. Presenting him the vest is volunteer Kathee Lee of Cortland.

WARREN — The first person who comes to mind when discussing Trumbull County Senior Services is SCOPE Director Mike Wilson.

You can find him at one of the nine SCOPE centers, in his office with Snowball, the agency’s therapy dog, in a committee meeting to promote SCOPE’s programs and activities, or on stage performing in the Senior Showcase. Every one of Wilson’s efforts over the past nearly 11 years helped seniors stay active, engaged and mentally stimulated.

But Wilson’s tenure at SCOPE is coming to an end this week. He will start a new position May 26 as a judicial administrative and communications coordinator/bailiff for Trumbull County Domestic Relations/Juvenile Court Judge David Engler.

SCOPE staff, managers and members celebrated Wilson with cake at an open house Tuesday at the Warren SCOPE Center. They gave personal accounts of their time at the centers and knowing Wilson, plus a little bit of roasting him all in good fun.

Warren SCOPE Center manager Marge Haley and Kathee Lee, the emcee of the gathering, gave Wilson gag gifts relating to his time at SCOPE, such as a bullhorn for when others are not listening to his sage advice and a whistle to get his point across so he does not have to bang on a desk.

Ellie Lohry told the story of how she started teaching an exercise class at Warren SCOPE. She also read an original poem that she wrote for the occasion.

“I’m known as the water bottle lady because I teach the water bottle exercise class. Mike used to teach the class. One day, he had to leave to pick up his son, Buddy, at school and he asked me to take over the class and he never took it back,” Lohry said to laughter from the approximately 50 people in attendance.

Wilson said he knew he left the class in good hands since she was a former Curves instructor.

During Wilson’s tenure at SCOPE, participation went from 746 members to 5,500 last year.

“I coach junior high football and I asked the students what they thought of when they heard SCOPE and seniors. They said, ‘they are people who sit in front of their television and wait to die.’ I said I want to put a group together of performers for parades called ‘Off our rockers’ to show seniors dancing and having fun. We can still do stuff,” Wilson said.

Not only has the number of SCOPE centers expanded during Wilson’s time as director, but each site has individualized programs such as bocce in Howland, diamond art class in Newton Falls and martial arts at the Warren location.

“When I started, I said I would say yes to any program or activity that a senior suggested to me. If we had three people attend, then we could get funding for it,” Wilson said.

He helped provide food deliveries to seniors and veterans during the COVID-19 shutdown and helped implement affordable health care under one roof at Valley Health Services. He also brought trivia to numerous sites with winning teams participating in regional competitions.

One of Wilson’s innovations was bringing his dog, Snowball, to work with him and to visit other sites. Snowball is a licensed therapy dog.

“If I don’t bring Snowball to work, everyone asks about him. I think the members will miss him more than me,” he said.

Wilson said there is a possibility that Snowball can help at domestic court proceedings when children have to testify or meet with lawyers on their own. The small white dog would be a calming influence on the children.

Besides Haley, some of the other managers, Doreen Kascak of the Niles site, Yvonne Reventlow of Howland and Mary Romesberg of the Newton Falls center spoke about Wilson and thanked him for his help and support.

Reventlow said she is devastated that Wilson is leaving, but she is happy for him and his new job. She thanked him for the assistance he gave to her and her family.

When Wilson begins his new position next week, he will know that numerous people who have become like family will miss seeing him at SCOPE.

“You may be leaving SCOPE, but we’ll still see you even if we have to come to court to see you,” Lee said.

Wilson said he plans to continue to visit SCOPE and perform in the Senior Showcase shows.