Alton Steen
Alton Steen, a veteran of the construction industry and a former businessman and teacher, has joined We Care Community Services as its general manager.
Mr. Steen worked for the last 18 years as a site superintendent for a general contractor building restaurants and other structures. A 1969 graduate of Southern Adventist University with a bachelor’s degree in theology, Mr. Steen volunteered as chairman of the board of We Care when it began serving Rhea County and surrounding communities in the early 1980s.
Dr. Walter Ring, president of We Care, said Mr. Steen will manage projects and work with members of the community.
“As the programs of We Care have expanded over the past 30 years it has become critical that we have a person who can intersect with the community and our programs to provide both management and connectedness,” Dr. Ring said. “Most of our directors are so busy managing their programs that it has been difficult for them to connect with the community at large.
“Alton has the skill not only to assist the directors but to be the face of We Care in our community. We are excited about our way of making a stronger community by empowering families and individuals to be stronger and we are excited that Alton Steen has been willing to join us in communicating this message,” Dr. Ring said.
Mr. Steen said he was drawn to We Care because he wants to help people improve their lives.
“I recently retired from the construction industry where I spent 18 years building restaurants for wealthy people so they could make even more money,” Mr. Steen said. “So, when I considered what to do with my life moving forward, I decided, with Dr. Ring’s encouragement, to reconnect with an organization that was helping people in a very positive way. It just seemed like a perfect fit at a very opportune time in my life for me to contribute, in some small way, back to a community where we lived for 13 years.
“I am definitely looking forward to working with We Care over the next several years as we launch into several new and exciting programs that will enrich the lives of Rhea County residents,” Mr. Steen said.
After graduating from college, Mr. Steen taught Bible and English classes at Pewee Valley Jr. Academy in Pewee Valley, Ky. He went into business in 1973, administering a nursing home of which he was part-owner. He owned and operated a mobile ultrasound and nuclear medicine business from 1980-90, then owned and operated a cultured marble business for three years before doing factory service work for mobile home manufacturers from 1993-96. He has served on various school boards and has taken additional college classes in business administration, business law and accounting.
We Care, a non-profit agency, provides a food pantry, mental health counseling and housing for mentally ill adults, low-income families, homeless children and people who have lost their homes to fire or other disasters.