BAR HARBOR — Friends of Acadia’s President and CEO, David MacDonald, has announced that he will be stepping down from his role in early 2022 after a decade leading the Bar Harbor-based non-profit organization.

“It has been a tremendous honor to lead this institution and I am grateful for the opportunity to work so closely with our partners at the park and the thousands of people who make our mission possible,” said MacDonald. “After ten rewarding years, I’ve decided that the time is coming for me to help transition to Friends of Acadia’s next president and CEO. I truly believe that organizations benefit from new energy and leadership; just as individuals like me benefit from new directions and challenges. Friends of Acadia has an incredibly strong team of staff and board members, and I look forward to working with them in the months ahead to ensure a smooth transition.”

Jack Kelley, Chairman of the Friends of Acadia Board of Directors, said: “Friends of Acadia is strong and successful today due to David MacDonald’s outstanding leadership, his unique knowledge of our constituencies, and his dedication to preserving and protecting Acadia National Park and its surrounding communities. David’s decision to hand off leadership of the organization when it is thriving further exemplifies his exceptional and unselfish leadership and commitment to our cause.”

Under MacDonald’s tenure, Friends of Acadia has expanded its staffing, programs, and grants to the park, as the challenges facing Acadia have grown more complex as well. Friends of Acadia directs much of its resources toward its four “strategic pillars” that focus on the visitor experience; ensuring resilience in the face of climate change; engaging youth more deeply in the park; and maintaining Acadia’s trails & carriage roads.

The Friends of Acadia Board of Directors is conducting a local and national search for MacDonald’s successor with hopes of having a new leader in place by spring of 2022.