Serenity House of Clallam County is recruiting for the agency’s next executive director, board president Brando Blore announced earlier this week.

“We began planning for this transition some months ago,” according to Blore, “when current executive director Kathy Wahto decided to move closer to her family in Whatcom County by the end of 2014.”

Blore said the Serenity House’s board of directors has formed a search committee with representatives from throughout the county. The committee has worked on a succession plan and now has begun a wide-ranging recruitment process for the Clallam nonprofit agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness, Blore said.

“We are proud that the agency has impacted and improved the lives of so many vulnerable and homeless people throughout the county,” Blore said. “Kathy and our entire staff have been focused and dedicated to the mission to end homelessness and that effort has paid off.”

Blore noted that an average of 900 Clallam County citizens are housed or sheltered each night as a result of the agency’s efforts. About 4,000 individuals are served annually in the county, he said.

The board succession committee expects to begin reviewing applications from both internal and external candidates.

The position is being advertised locally and through statewide and regional networks. A full job description is available upon request by e-mailing serenityhousehr@gmail.com.

In her comments to the board and staff, Wahto said she is looking forward to the move northward but also excited for the future of Serenity House, as the agency leads the process over the final three years of the Ten-Year Plan to end homelessness.

“Yes, we’ve worked hard but there’s still plenty of important work to be done,” Wahto said. “Serenity House has the board and the staff, and we have the community partners, to get it done.”