The Historic Trust is looking for a new leader following the abrupt departure of CEO Gregory Goode.
Goode started working for The Historic Trust in mid-December, which means he was on the job for less than four months.
“You sort of take a leap of faith,” said Stacey Graham, chairwoman of The Historic Trust’s board of directors. “Sometimes it is the right leap and sometimes it is not. I think that was the case here.”
Graham said there wasn’t a single incident or issue that led to Goode’s departure.
“He’s a great guy, and we are great organization,” she said. “It just wasn’t the right fit.”
Before coming to Vancouver, Goode was executive director of government relations for Indiana State University. He previously worked on congressional staffs for several Indiana representatives and ran for Congress, unsuccessfully, in 2008.
Goode is returning to Indiana. Graham said she believes he has another job lined up but declined to provide any specifics.
“He’s from Indiana, and all his family is from Indiana,” she said. “He has been there for a long time.”
The Historic Trust manages city-owned properties in the Fort Vancouver National Site, including Officers Row and the West Vancouver Barracks. The nonprofit also organizes Vancouver’s Fireworks Spectacular, the Marshall Lecture, Flag Day at Fort Vancouver and other community events.
Another board member, Mike Williams, will serve as interim CEO while the trust searches for a new CEO. Williams was the organization’s interim leader last year after former CEO Mike True accepted a position with the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.
Graham said The Historic Trust will use Scion Nonprofit, an executive recruitment firm which has offices in Portland, for what she expects will be a national search. She hopes to have the CEO position filled by June.
The trust’s adopted vision is a “vibrant community that preserves and celebrates its rich history while shaping its legacy for the future.”
“We want a leader who can carry that vision to the community and the region,” Graham said.
The Historic Trust is overseeing a multimillion dollar campaign to preserve and redevelop the historic Providence Academy property along the west side of Interstate 5. An outbuilding that was once home to a Mexican restaurant is currently being demolished; two large apartment blocks are planned for the site’s west edge.
Graham, in a statement issued Sunday, said the board of directors has confidence in its team and the work planned for the remainder of the year.
“Our director of preservation is doing a great job managing the extensive rehabilitation of the Providence Academy, and the ballroom and chapel are nearly complete,” she said in the statement. “We can’t wait to share this phase of our multiyear renewal of the Academy with our community.”
