The Mizell Center Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Wheeler as Executive Director.
Mizell is a nonprofit organization that has been serving the senior community in the greater Palm Springs area since 1974. An acknowledged leader in active aging, Mizell’s multi-faceted network of programs and services includes its Meals on Wheels Senior Nutrition Program where 650-plus meals are prepared and delivered every weekday to homebound seniors and senior communal lunch sites across the Valley. In Palm Springs, Mizell’s welcoming space offers community and kinship for seniors from diverse backgrounds and life experiences.
Rob is a dynamic and engaged leader who will work closely with Mizell Center’s board, staff, volunteers, and community partners to advance Mizell’s critical work and mission. He will lead strategy, operations, administration, fund development, and financial stewardship across the organization. Before joining Mizell Center, Rob served as Executive Director & CEO of the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert. Rob was also the Chief Operating Officer, Deputy Executive Director, and Secretary of the Board at the New York City LGBT Community Center, where he led business and staff operations, executing a growth and expansion strategy while leading numerous multi-year transformative organizational efforts.
Rob received his B.A. in Organizational Sociology and Political Science from Hunter College and his Master of Public Administration from New York University, where he subsequently developed a curriculum and taught as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Service. “I’m thrilled and honored to being heading up the Mizell team and grateful for the opportunity to serve the senior community throughout the Valley,” said Wheeler. “Mizell’s values reflect my own and I’m eager to further its mission to support the independence of our senior residents.”
As the first senior center in the Coachella Valley, Mizell Center has been serving the greater Palm Springs community for more than 50 years, providing a vibrant hub for seniors to connect, engage, and experience a community full of life.
“We’re excited to welcome Rob Wheeler to Mizell,” said Brian Chavarin, President of Mizell’s Board of Directors. “In addition to his extensive community service background, we are confident that Rob’s skill set and vitality is just what we need to take us into the future.”