A dedicated community advocate and longtime leader of The Inn of the Good Shepherd is planning to retire after spending 20 years with the charitable organization.
The Inn's board of directors announced on Tuesday that Executive Director Myles Vanni plans to step back from his role in early 2026.
Vanni said he's excited to start this new chapter of his life.
"I've got a nine-year-old at home and it's about being able to spend more time with him, time I've not always had," he said. "But it's scary because I love what I do, I love the people I work with, the folks we serve, the community that supports us... so it's going to be hard to leave that."
Vanni was appointed as executive director in April 2005 when The Inn ran about six programs, including the food bank and soup kitchen.
Over the past two decades, Vanni has introduced multiple new programs to support Sarnia-Lambton residents as poverty levels increased.
He said there are a couple of programs that specifically stand out for him: the income tax program, which teaches people how to file their taxes, and the mobile market, which provides fresh produce to communities throughout Lambton County.
"There are so many! Surf & Turf is so fun, CANstruction is an amazing event," Vanni said. "A lot of things... I look back and just get so proud. Even how we helped the community through COVID, and continued all of the services, and expanded to help meet people's needs during that really tough time in our community."
After he retires, Vanni said he would like to volunteer to help The Inn with some initiatives.
"It wasn't and never was just a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. punch the clock job. It was a passion, it was a calling, and you just don't step away from that," he said.
Vanni recently received provincial recognition for his community contributions when he was awarded the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers in April.
"The board of directors extends its sincere gratitude to Myles for his exceptional 20 years of service and invaluable contributions to The Inn and to our community," read a media release. "We speak on behalf of the entire community in wishing him a successful transition to retirement. His exemplary leadership has and will continue to have a lasting impact on Sarnia-Lambton."
The board will start the recruitment process to select a new executive director by the fall, to help ensure a smooth transition once Vanni retires.
"We're hoping we'll have somebody new in place by the end of October so that we can go through the fall, and particularly Christmas -- our busiest time of year, with a chance to guide the individual through. I'll step back in January or February when we're done with budget and audit preparations," Vanni said.
Those interested in applying for the position can learn more at charityvillage.com/jobs.