A three-decade-old Columbia nonprofit group that helps immigrants adjust to life in Howard County is searching for a new director with the departure Wednesday of Jennifer Blake, FIRN's director for nearly the past three years.
Roy Appletree, who held the job for about four years before Blake, has agreed to return as interim director until the position is filled, he said. Appletree began Thursday. Blake did not return calls for comment.
Nestor Benavides, FIRN's board president, said the change will provide "new blood and energy, and a focus on the future," and was prompted by a combination of tightening finances and Blake's desire to work for a national group. Appletree called it "a routine turnover."
"It's a well-designed, smooth transition," Appletree said. He added that Blake gave the group, formerly known as Foreign-Born Information and Referral Network, several months' notice.
"The budget is tight," Benavides said, and staff cuts had to be made, so the board decided to focus services more tightly. He said FIRN has a $500,000 annual budget and an adequate cash reserve. The full-time staff of seven is aided by hundreds of part-time volunteers who help thousands of immigrants each year, he said.
Although the recession is crimping finances, the poor job market might also help in finding a new leader, he said.
"It's a good market for looking for folks," Benavides said about the prospects for finding a new director. He predicted a three- to four-month process, and Appletree said he's hoping someone will be aboard by October.