The CEO of the nationally known Utah-based animal rescue organization, Best Friends Animal Society, stepped down Tuesday.
The society in Kanab has reached heightened popularity in the last few years after getting its own 18-episode series, "DogTown," on the National Geographic channel and being featured in the national media for rescuing animals from Michael Vick's dog-fighting ring and Hurricane Katrina.
It was exactly that kind of growing status that spurred the society's board of directors to meet with Paul Berry about his future.
"Growing as fast as we are creates its own problems," Gregory Castle, board vice president, said during a phone interview. "He came at a time when we were growing and he was a good agent of change. But now we're looking for a leader who is more about generating stability."
Castle said the decision was "mutual" between Berry and the board, and that Berry "saw it coming for some time."
The $40 million, nonprofit organization doubled its employees to 430 under Berry during a three-year growth spurt, society spokesman John Polis said. But it's a different time and era now. (Berry's leaving) is just one of quite a few changes."
John Fripp, one of the society's founders and president of its board, said in a public statement that the society would seek a new executive director immediately, "and in the interim an executive team, in conjunction with the board of directors, would oversee day-to-day operations."
Castle said the board would not likely hire anyone internally because he said they were looking for someone with higher qualifications.
The move to phase Berry out not only comes at the heels of a several-year expansion but also comes at the end of a "four-year organizational restructuring process," which executives said they turned over to a management consulting firm.
The society operates a 3,700-acre size animal rescue center and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
E-MAIL: jhancock@desnews.com