Kitsap Humane Society’s Board of Directors announced today that Eric Stevens has been appointed executive director, effective April 1, 2013. Stevens has served as the agency’s interim executive director since February 2012.
Initially the Board estimated that the interim position would last 9-12 months. However, it soon became apparent that more time was needed to stabilize and grow KHS and, eventually, that Stevens was the right person to do it.
“The key reasons Eric was hired last year for the temporary position were his vast knowledge and experience in nonprofit management and his proven leadership abilities,” said Rosemary Shaw, KHS Board President. “But Eric’s tenure in 2012 turned out to be largely one of addressing crises, including a dire financial situation. In the midst of crisis management and in collaboration with a re-organized Board and newly-recruited management team, Eric helped to ‘right the ship’ and developed major plans to secure KHS’ future. The Board felt strongly that Eric stay on to help us see those plans through.”
In an impressively short period, Stevens brought KHS programs in alignment with budget capacity, and did so in ways that kept fundamental programs for saving lives and re-homing animals intact.   “Though I immediately was drawn to KHS’ animal welfare mission, it was never my intent to stay on permanently,” Stevens said. “But as circumstances revealed more challenges, we recognized that rebuilding long-term financial stability and growing philanthropic support to meet KHS needs were going to take several years, including the additional 10% in donations we need this year to fund our progressive services with a balanced budget. Also, we have formed a solid, trusting partnership between Board, management and staff – and given where we need to take KHS, everyone seemed to feel it was too early to break that partnership up.”