The La Plata County Humane Society board of directors has appointed Tricia Simpson as the interim executive director for the nonprofit, a position she will hold for one year.
Prior to working at the Humane Society, Simpson was a public affairs executive with experience in nonprofit leadership. After retiring from public affairs, she joined the LPCHS board of directors in April and stepped down from that role to take on the executive director position.
“She became a new member of the board last year,” said LPCHS Marketing and Development Coordinator Cassidy Crisp. “She just came in and started seeing things she could help with. A lot of the things that we've been doing is how we've been doing it the past 20 years. Once you get into a rhythm, it's kind of hard to see it from an outside perspective.”
Crisp said Simpson hit the ground running when she joined the board in 2022, restructuring how the organization operated.
“When she got involved, she became passionate about making our organization the best that it can be,” she said. “It’s kind of controlled chaos here. That’s the nature of working with animals. She is definitely bringing back a lot of structure. The first thing she did is put in a leadership team. She pulled people that already have leadership positions and people that she is interested in having that leadership role to kind of shape them, train them and motivate them to be an exceptional leader. She wants to see growth from within as well as outward.”
Three years into retirement, Simpson plans to take on the executive director role temporary, while training another Humane Society employee to take on the position after she leaves.
“She didn’t necessarily want to start another career out of retirement,” Crisp said. “The plan with the board was for one year. She's going to get done what she can, with a better understanding of what will be required of the person that comes after her, so she can set them up for success.”
Simpson said her plans for 2023 include educating La Plata County residents on animal care and treatment.
“We completed a $1.2M top-to-bottom shelter renovation in November 2022 without having to conduct a capital campaign,” Simpson wrote in an email to The Durango Herald, “so in 2023 our focus will be maintaining our high standards for the animals in our care, educating the community regarding humane treatment of animals and preventing pet overpopulation, and replenishing our financial reserves.”
Crisp could not be more happy to have Simpson taking the reins moving forward.
“She makes sure that they (the staff) are all heard,” she said. “She is a great listener. Her door’s always open; she has been like a sponge absorbing the last two months – just kind of hearing everybody out and seeing how she can better help the organization get as many animals adopted as possible.”
molsen@durangoherald.com
