Longtime Chewonki president to step down later this month
Courtesy / Chewonki
Willard Morgan will step down as Chewonki's president at the end of August, while Senior Vice President Nancy Kennedy has been named acting president of the Wiscasset-based nonprofit.
Chewonki, a Wiscasset-based nonprofit that runs schools, camps and environmental education programs for young Mainers, said its longtime leader will step down at the end of this month.
Willard Morgan is leaving after 18 years at Chewonki, including more than a dozen as president. While the organization gave no reason for his departure, it said that Morgan looks forward to spending extra time with his family, exploring the outdoors on personal expeditions and pursuing new professional opportunities.
For several months following his departure, he will stay on to help the transition. Nancy Kennedy, currently a Chewonki senior vice president who joined the organization in 2015, will serve as acting president starting in late August.
Later this fall, the Chewonki board of trustees will launch a competitive search process for a permanent president.
"The education world in general is struggling right now with attrition," a spokesman for Chewonki told Mainebiz. "We are appreciative that Willard will be staying on with Chewonki in a consulting role, and we feel confident about our leadership team and upcoming season. After 18 years of service, it's hard to ask for more from a person."
Chewonki had an annual budget of $9.9 million in its 2021 fiscal year and employs a total of between 225 and 250 people each year.
During Morgan's time at the helm, he led Chewonki through several milestones and accomplishments.
They include helping Chewonki earn full accreditation in 2008 and renewal in 2018 from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges as an independent school, marking Chewonki's centennial in 2014-2015, and adding workforce housing on Chewonki Neck and in Wiscasset.
"The meaningful and joyful experience that is Chewonki for the many children and young people who join our programs throughout the year is due Willard Morgan's strategic vision and his leadership of an exceptional team of educators," said Roseanne Saalfield, who chairs the board. "Inspired by the best of Chewonki's first century, Willard broadened the reach of our mission to include new constituencies."
Morgan noted that except for during the pandemic, Chewonki programs draw nearly 2,500 participants every year, while more than 20,000 join a Traveling Natural History program around the state.
"Our tens of thousands of alumni are making their communities and the environment healthier, in part inspired by their time with Chewonki," he said. "I'm endlessly impressed by and proud of our staff and what they have accomplished. I look forward to seeing what is next for Chewonki and our partners."
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