WEST SENECA, N.Y. — SPCA Serving Erie County President and CEO Gary Willoughby is leaving the company to move to Fort Myers, Florida. The SPCA Board of Directors made the announcement on Tuesday.
Willoughby is moving to take care of ageing relatives and will lead the Gulf Coast Humane Society in Fort Myers.
“In many ways, this move brings me back to my home,” Willoughby said. “My family moved to the Fort Myers area when I was eight years old, but other members of our family have lived there since the 1950s. We adopted two cats from the Gulf Coast Humane Society in 1979, in fact, and I’ve watched the organization grow and thrive as the community grew.”
Willoughby has been with the SPCA for five years. He helped complete the planning of the organizations move to their new location in West Seneca and helped with the opening of the Stanford & Judith C. Lipsey Veterinary Clinic at the SPCA.
“Not the least of his challenges and successes was guiding this agency through the unprecedented period of COVID,” said Board Chair Julie Desmond Schechter. “Gary implemented protocols to ensure that our staff, volunteers, and visitors were always safe, and at the same time allowed us to maintain our budget, care for our animals, and fulfill our mission."
Schechter added, “I’m personally thankful for the advice, guidance, partnership, and friendship he’s provided to me during my tenure as Chair of the SPCA Board of Directors."
Willoughby will continue working with the SPCA for three more months and help with the transition to a new CEO and president.
The SPCA's Board of Directors has formed a search committee to find an interim president and CEO.
