David Houggy, executive director of the Buddy Program, has announced he will step down from his position to return to his consulting business.

He will stay in his role through August, when Lindsay Lofaro, assistant director, will step in as interim executive director.

Houggy plans to continue his involvement with other nonprofits, including the Aspen Science Center, where he has served as president since 2015. Houggy, who was hired in 2012, has led the organization for the past four and a half years, during which time the program has grown in many ways.

“I am extremely proud of all of the work that the organization has done and am completely confident that the team we have built over the past four years will be tremendously successful,” said Houggy. “My strengths in organization building, strategy, operations and marketing have been fully leveraged. These are areas where we have made significant strides, and I feel that I have achieved the goals that I set out to achieve with the Buddy Program. I am ready to hand off the organization, knowing that it is in a position of strength.”

The Buddy Program, with the help of a recruiting manager added in 2013, has recruited more adult mentors than ever in its history and this year has already surpassed 2015 results.

The LEAD (Leadership through Experience, Action and Discovery) Program was also established in 2013 in Carbondale, and expanded to Basalt in 2016. With the opening of a new office in Carbondale, the Buddy Program has been able to better serve the midvalley communities.

“Under Houggy’s leadership, the program has grown to be the second-largest mentoring organization in the state of Colorado. We have greatly appreciated David’s and contributions to the organization,” said board President Adam Goldsmith.

The Buddy Program cites proof that mentoring matters, noting that 100 percent of buddies graduated from high school this past spring.