Last fall, Mountain Association President Peter Hille announced his plans to retire as of May 1, 2025.
“The Mountain Association has a rich history of community economic development in Eastern Kentucky that dates back to 1976, and I’ve been honored to be a part of its legacy in building a bright future,” Peter said. “We have an amazing staff and serve incredible people doing awesome work to bring about real change. I feel really good about where we are as an organization today and where we are headed.”
Peter has served our organization in various capacities for more than two decades. During his tenure, he has helped grow Mountain Association’s work in many ways, including new lending products, expanded clean energy work, more support for small businesses and nonprofits, and programs that allow for deeper community engagement. He also led the organization through planning and restructuring processes that ensure Mountain Association’s programs and policies align with the organization’s values of equity and inclusion.
With Peter’s announcement in the fall, we launched a search for the next president with an application deadline of February 15, 2024. To help share more about our vision for the next stage of leadership, our staff recently collaborated to put together a short video describing some of the characteristics we’d love to see. We also put together a video featuring Peter as he describes more about what the position entails.
“Peter’s leadership over the last 30+ years has left an indelible mark on the region,” said Board Chair Robin Gabbard. “He has dedicated his life to building a just transition to a new economy in Appalachia. To ensure a smooth transition, our succession plan allows for the new president to have a full year of overlap with Peter ahead of his retirement.”
We’re looking forward to welcoming a new president and hope you’ll help us spread the word over the next week!