Storm takes over at Hartley Community Center

There's a new face at the helm of the Hartley Community Center.

Jessika Storm took over as manager of the local facility on Jan. 1. She previously served on its board of directors for three years and decided to apply when the position opened up in December after former director Brittany Dolphin stepped down.

"I really like doing this sort of thing, and being here for the last three years, I've thought of a lot opportunities for it to grow," Storm said.

Storm plans to utilize her vast experience in the hospitality industry while leading the community center. For the past 17 years she's worked at Spencer Hospital as a supervisor for the nutrition services department, where she oversees food service, event planning, billing, supply purchases and other duties.

"I think people think of it as slopping hospital food across a plate, but we've really turned the department around," Storm said. "It's room service, and we're very much in the hospitality business. When you order food at the hospital, it's basically like you're ordering food from a restaurant."

Storm's goals for the community center include general building improvements, fixture updates, and increased regional promotion to market the facility to a larger crowd.

"There are a lot of things in this building that are dated," she said. "It's not going to happen overnight, but if we could update some cosmetic things, I think that will really help."

Longterm, Storm would like to offer in-house catering.

"It could be your all-in-one stop," she said. "That is my end goal."

Storm will hit the ground running over the next month, as big events like the annual daycare fundraiser, FFA pancake breakfast and VIP night dot the schedule. Community center board president Drew Sweeney was excited for Storm to get going.

"The board is appreciative for what Brittany did for the facility during her years here and we're looking forward to the many ideas Jessika has brought with her to the position," he said.