Senior Center Director of Events Named to National Senior Games Board

Annie Laskey, director of events for the Pasadena Senior Center and manager of the Pasadena Senior Games, has been named to the National Senior Games Association board of directors as Pacific region representative.

The region encompasses Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Working with the NSGA board is a way for all regional coordinators to share ideas and concerns. Other board delegates represent the Great Lakes, northeast, southeast and western regions.

“I am not an athlete myself and hadn’t participated in sports since I was a kid,” said Laskey. “The camaraderie, focus, generosity, talent and grit shown by Pasadena Senior Games athletes was instantly apparent to me, and I have been a strong and enthusiastic supporter ever since.”

Laskey has been involved with nonprofits as an employee, board member and volunteer all of her adult life. She earned her bachelor’s degree in theater with an emphasis on directing from UC Santa Barbara. She ran a summer theater in Culver City in the 1990s.

Before being hired by the Pasadena Senior Center, she managed the Los Angeles Conservancy’s award-winning Walking Tour programs. She also is active in the vintage dance community.

The Pasadena Senior Games, with competitive athletic events held in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties, was founded in 1994 by the late Cynthia Rosedale who was director of events and volunteers at the center.

The nonprofit NSGA motivates active adults to lead healthy lifestyles through the senior games movement that has become popular throughout the U.S. Since 1987, the organization has produced the National Senior Games, a 20-sport competition held every other year for men and women 50 and older. It is the largest multi-sport event in the world for older adults.

Due to COVID-19, senior games throughout the country, including Pasadena, were canceled in 2020 and 2021. It is anticipated they will resume in 2022. Athletes in annual state games compete to advance to NSGA competitions every other year. The next National Senior Games is scheduled for May 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

A relative newcomer to the senior games movement, Laskey was a quick learner when she joined the Pasadena Senior Center staff in 2017. She assumed management of the Pasadena Senior Games and has been active on the board of the California Senior Games Association for four years.

For more information about the National Senior Games Association, visit www.nsga.com. For more information about the Pasadena Senior Games, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Pasadena Senior Games or call (626) 795-4331.