BAY VILLAGE, Ohio — Lake Erie Nature & Science Center Executive Director Catherine Timko is leaving the center May 21 to accept a position as president and CEO of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition in Akron.

“I am filled with gratitude for my time at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center (LENSC) and for the people and partners near and far who are part of the community,” Timko said in a news release.

“Together, we have provided connections to nature for thousands of children and families and have advanced the organization’s value, reach and foundation.”

Timko expressed gratitude to the center’s “enthusiastic employees,” loyal volunteers and experienced board of directors.

“I have great confidence in how well this organization will continue to build on its expertise, quality and success,” she said.

Timko joined LENSC in January 2010 and completed a $4 million campaign to bolster the endowment fund, upgrade the permitted wildlife rehabilitation facility, upgrade the state-of-the-art Schuele Planetarium and undertake a $1.9 million outdoor Wildlife Gardens improvement project.

“Our Nature Center has benefited from her leadership, experience and dedication to the mission,” said LENSC Board President Zach Stephens.

The LENSC Board of Directors has launched a search for a new executive director.

Meanwhile, the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition (OECC) issued a statement welcoming Timko.

“She is a well-proven leader with an extensive background in nonprofit organizations and a particular passion for the mission of OECC and continuing its legacy of successful development of the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area, Towpath Trail and related public parks and spaces,” Bret Treier, OECC board chair, said in a press release.

The OECC manages public areas in Summit, Stark and Tuscarawas counties, according to the coalition’s website.

“I am honored by the opportunity to lead this impactful organization into its next chapter,” Timko said of her new employer.

Prior to joining LENSC, Timko served as Ohio, division and regional development director for The Trust for Public Land for more than eight years, following several years in a development role with San Hywet Hall and Garden in Akron.

She succeeds Dan Rice at OECC. Rice is retiring after 32 years of leadership at the coalition.

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