Park Center’s Outgoing CEO Paul Wilson Reflects on Four Decades with the Agency

At the close of December, Park Center Chief Executive Officer Paul Wilson will retire a four-decade career at Park Center. Wilson started his career at the agency in 1978 as a marriage and family therapist. He has spent the last 24 years as its chief executive officer.

Of his time at Park Center, Wilson said, “As I have gotten older, it has become clear to me that we really only have three things in life we get to choose how we invest – our time, our talent and our treasure.  Park Center has given me the opportunity to invest well.  For that, I will forever be grateful.”

Wilson answered ten questions about his career, Park Center and his plans for retirement.

What prompted you to pursue a career in mental health? 

The reason I chose this field was that it helped me define a purpose for my life.  What we do here at Park Center is important and being a part of this has been incredibly rewarding.

What was the biggest change Park Center went through while you were CEO? 

That is a hard question – There have been so many changes.  Some of those include:

• The size of Park Center – When I started as CEO, our budget was under $10 million. Within the next few years, it will hit $40 million.
• The size of the staff has also increased about 4 times
• The number of programs we offer has dramatically expanded
• When I started as CEO, we were essentially highly dependent on DMHA funding and direction. We were protected. At this time, we are competing in the marketplace and on our own.  In response to this change, we have improved our business strategies and processes
• We became more connected and integrated into the community, developing stronger partnerships.

What will you miss most about the job?

It is uncommon that people get to do important things along side of other dedicated individuals and also get paid for it. I will miss our staff and hearing about the impact that is made every day.

What is the biggest challenge Park Center faces in the future and how prepared is the organization to meet that challenge?

Health care continues to change rapidly. What is becoming more clear is that behavioral health issues have a tremendous impact on overall health. Our role will become even more important as time goes on. That is why we joined the Parkview Health System.

We are well prepared to meet the challenge. Park Center has dedicated and highly skilled staff. We have strong partnerships with many stakeholders in the community. We can tap into the resources of Parkview Health.

The biggest challenge is hanging on to all of the positive aspects of what we do, and continuing to evolve strong business practices to help us strive. For Park Center and those we serve – the best is yet to come.

What is the biggest misconception people have about Park Center and/or Community Mental Health Centers?

It is typically the case that organizations who serve a more socially complex population become associated with that population, with that, the assumption many times from others is that quality is not as high. Park Center has proudly served those with many challenges and our quality measures on national benchmarks are good. As we begin to serve a broader segment of the population, we need to continue to look for ways to share the fact that our quality is high.

A sign outside Park Center recognizes CEO Paul Wilson’s contributions to the organization over the past 41 years.

What was the hardest part of your job over the years?

The hardest part of the job has been those instances when someone has been terminated. At times, we have had to part ways with good people for various reasons. We had a downsizing several years ago.  That was definitely the worst part.

What stands out as your biggest accomplishments in your 41 years with Park Center?

I can’t take credit for them, but the most important accomplishments that have evolved over the years have been:

• The development of a strong culture at park center.  staff here are passionate about serving others
• The development of a strong leadership and management team
• A focus on community partnerships

Looking back at your career, knowing what you know now, is there anything that you would do differently? 

I wish I would have been better organized so I spent less time putting out fires and more time investing in staff and planning efforts. One specific issue – I wish we would have opened our inpatient unit sooner.

What advice do you have for the new CEO, Clyde Nix?

Trust the people around you. There is a great team of people working here and even when challenges seem insurmountable, you will be able to pull together to rise to the occasion.

What are your plans for retirement?

I plan to work part time with Parkview Health, focusing on reducing the negative impact of opioids. In addition to that, I want to:

• actually take all my vacation days
• spend more time riding my bike and at the gym
• take more long weekend trips
• spend more time with my grandkids
• join some additional boards

ACME Bar & Grill displays a thank you message to Wilson.

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