O’Rourke to leave post as Hartley Nature Center Director

Long-time Executive Director, Tom O’Rourke will be leaving the Hartley Nature Center after nearly 13 years, serving in this role since 2011. According to a release from the Hartley Nature Center, O’Rourke was intrumental in growing the program within the community.

“Hartley Nature Center owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Tom for his unwavering dedication and visionary leadership,” Colleen Kelly, Board Chair at Hartley Nature Center said in the release. “His passion for environmental education has left an indelible mark on our organization and the countless individuals who have been touched by our programs.”

Tom most recently oversaw the facility expansion that broke ground in summer of 2021. The expansion provided additional classroom spaces and a new gathering area, as well as a second restroom and public meeting room to the existing space. In May of 2022, he told WDIO, “We’ve always wanted to be a welcoming hub for families, especially schools and kids, to get outside and make those lasting connections with nature.”

O’Rourke will taking a positiona as the Executive Director of the Ernest C. Oberholtzer Foundation.

The Hartley Nature Center is actively seeking a qualified successor to fill this role. A job posting for the position of Executive Director will be open this week.

For more information about Hartley Nature Center and its programs, please visit https://hartleynature.org/