Groundwork Center Executive Director Hans Voss is stepping down at the end of 2024 after nearly 30 years with the nonprofit organization, Voss announced in an email Sunday.

Voss said the "time is right" for his departure, calling Groundwork "as strong as it has ever been." He continued: "The staff is absolutely fantastic. So is the board of directors. Our base of supporters and partners is thriving and continues to grow. Our programs are making more of a difference than ever. After nearly three decades, it is indeed time for Groundwork to have a new director to guide this incredible organization into the next 30 years and prepare it for what lies beyond."

Voss said his last day will be December 31. "Next month, we will officially announce the search for the next executive director," he wrote. "A committee of board and staff will conduct interviews, and a decision for the next E.D. should be completed by the end of summer."

Voss was 26 years old when he started with the organization - then called the Michigan Land Use Institute - in 1995. He became the executive director in 2000. "We have come a long way since then," Voss wrote. "Our staff grew over time, reaching the 24 people we have today. We moved our headquarters to Traverse City and considerably expanded our statewide presence. In 2015, we changed our name to Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, which better reflects the integrated nature of our work, and we thought the name invited a wider range of people to our ranks. What I am really proud of is our track record of tangible public interest results and how Groundwork has earned a reputation as a credible and effective organization. Our staff are often identified as leading experts in their fields."

Voss said he has "no doubt that Groundwork is absolutely ready for a new leader - someone to carry it to the next phase, to guide it into the next 30 years." Voss said he will be "actively involved in the search for the next E.D." and will continue to support Groundwork's staff and programs, including "working to raise funds for the future of the organization." Voss clarified that he isn't retiring, but rather plans to take time to unplug and see what comes next. "I have some ideas about next-phase career ideas, but I am going to take some time to let them unfold," he wrote.