The Executive Director of Hastings Family Service, Chris Koop, has announced her retirement on Feb 1, 2022. Koop has been leading the agency since 2005, ushering in a period of significant growth. She initiated a strategic planning process early in her tenure that identified resources needed to grow the agency, resulting in the hiring of a Volunteer Coordinator and the agency’s first staff member focused on fundraising. HFS now has a volunteer team of over 400 people throughout the year, and Amy Sutton who was hired as the first Development Director in 2009 has helped to grow the budget by over 40% and continues with the agency today. Koop and her husband Rich look forward to spending lots of time with their daughters, granddaughter and a grandson expected in a few short weeks. They will also enjoy more time at the lake.

Mary Kocak has been directing the food programs at HFS for 27 years and has announced that she will be retiring in the spring around April 1. According to Koop, Mary has been the heart and soul of HFS and has been a leading example of the culture of service to our neighbors and to each other in the agency. Her leadership and experience moved the HFS food shelf to a choice model called The Market when the agency moved to its current location in 2011, and she led the creation and implementation of new and expanded programs through the pandemic to ensure neighbors had access to food. Kocak is looking forward to traveling with husband Mike and seeing more of the country in their camper, and to spending precious time with her children and grandchildren.

Between the two women are 42 years of dedicated service to Hastings Family Service and the Hastings community. Their legacy of caring for our neighbors with dignity and respect has forever changed the organization and made the community a better place for all. The Executive Committee of the HFS Board of Directors is working on the processes to fill the open positions and that information will be forthcoming.