POST FALLS - Alison McArthur will always cherish the time she helped her grandma after she became blind.

"It was very fulfilling," she said.

McArthur also believes her new job as executive director of the Post Falls Senior Center will be fulfilling.

She was recently hired to replaceMarie Fish, who stepped down last month to relax and spend more time with her husband. Fish, 74, was the director for the past five and a half years.

McArthur, 40, started work at the center on Monday.

"I'm excited to have a whole bunch of new friends," she said.

The center has about 400 members, 85 volunteers and six part-time workers. The annual budget is about $185,000. About 500 meals are delivered to homes each month to complement the lunches that are offered three times a week.

Jackie McAvoy, the center's board president, said more than 30 people applied for the full-time job and eight were interviewed.

"We want the center to become a really active place, and I think Alison is the person who will take us there," McAvoy said. "We want to be in the 21st Century."

McAvoy said McArthur's marketing and event organization experience, along with past community involvement, stood out.

"We want to establish a website and we know the next generation of seniors want to be more active," McAvoy said. "The Centennial Trail is right behind the center and people love to walk, so we'd like to take advantage of the trail."

The center is now open, with the exception of holidays, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

McArthur, daughter of Post Falls mayor Clay Larkin, has been unemployed for 30 months. She was formerly an executive assistant at Knudtsen Chevrolet and Findlay Hyundai, performing a variety of duties including marketing and finance.

She is currently a student at Whitworth University, majoring in organizational management.

"I have some good street smarts and now I'm getting book smarts, so it will be a good combination," she said.

McArthur served as a Post Falls school board member for three years, helped organize the River City Leadership Academy through the Post Falls Chamber of Commerce, was a chamber board member for seven years, was chairperson of Post Falls Junior Miss for six years and was on the state Serve Idaho commission for six years.

"I'm excited to get back to work in the community and help grow the programs at the senior center," she said.