And Our New Name Is...

A portion of the mural on the north side of the Social Hall inside the Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center. William Fischer created this mural to represent the Wenatchee Foothills during all four seasons.

by Lisa Blair, Executive Director

About 20 years ago, the Wenatchee Valley Senior Center was lucky to have the incredible artistic talents of the late William R. Fischer. Back in 2005, William took on the huge job of painting a mural across the entire northeast wall of our social hall. That mural beautifully shows all four seasons in our valley and the surrounding foothills, highlighting the natural beauty and resources we have here.

When he created it, William saw something many of us had not yet — he had a clear vision of who we are, where we live, and what we could become together as neighbors, friends, and family. He captured the heart of our community and our foothills in that mural.

With that artwork in front of us every day, the inspiration for a new name for our center became clear. After lots of thought, input from the community, and a unanimous vote from our Board of Directors, we are excited to share that we are now officially the Foothills Community Center.

Changing our name to better reflect who we are has been a journey. The Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center has actually gone through a few name changes since it was first established. Lately, we have become more aware of the changing needs and faces of the people who walk through our doors every day. As our community continues to grow and evolve, we realized it was time to take a fresh look at everything — including our name.

While the center will always be dedicated to serving those 50 years and older, we also want to recognize the broader community that is formed here ­­— a mix of cultures, generations, family, and friends, all with diverse needs and interests. Our new name is about honoring that growth and welcoming everyone who is already a part of what we have built together. Board Chairman Jim Tarbert says, “We will continue all programs and activities for our rapidly expanding NCW membership and increase opportunities for a more diverse population as space and funds become available.”

While the Board of Directors and staff are excited to start the rebranding process, there will not be any major changes until after the new year. Fall is a critical time for community fundraising through campaigns like our annual Holiday Gift Fair in November and Give NCW — which we will be participating in this year — and we do not want to run the risk confusing anyone with a name change in the middle of this.

Expect incremental changes as we move forward with the rebranding process. Russ Alman, Director of Communications, will keep membership and the public well informed of the changes as they occur.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this process so far — former and current staff, our members, and the public. Your 500+ name submissions played a significant role in inspiring and shaping the ideas that led to our new name.


Lisa Blair
Executive Director

Get a peek into the history behind this incredible mural at the Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center. Willow Burts explains the painting and its artist, Bill Fisher, who spent countless hours detailing every inch of the work that now spans over the wall. We created this video segment for the Vibrant Living show in 2022. We are very pleased to rename our facility in part to honor Mr. Fisher and beautiful gift he left behind for us.