When asked what he thought, Ellenville village manager Elliott Auerbach said, “It's going to be a huge loss for the village and the town.”

He was talking about the fact that, after nearly three years in the position, Kris Kiernan will be stepping down from his role as Director of the Ellenville-Wawarsing Youth Commission (EWYC) to accept a higher position at the Kingston YMCA.

Though several on the EWYC were informed of Kiernan's impending departure, the announcement became official on Wednesday, July 25 when he provided the EWYC's board with his letter of resignation.

Kiernan, excited about his new position as youth program director with an emphasis on youth sports for the Kingston area, said, “I'll miss the small town atmosphere; the close-knit feeling of the community.”

Auerbach commented that Kiernan had, “taken the program up several notches in that he didn't just engage the kids, he engaged the entire family.”

Of his tenure as director, Kiernan said he was most proud of the development and growth of the commission's summer “drop-in” program, the flag football league that he helped coordinate with Police Athletic League officer Kyle Tomlin and the several trips he was able to engineer for the area's youth.

“The kids have been great. It was an extreme pleasure to work with such a diverse group. The area has such a diversity and that really makes everything better,” said Kiernan.

When asked if he had any regrets about goals he would have liked to accomplish Kiernan replied, “A home. A youth center. I am disappointed to be leaving here without that.”

Kiernan, whose last day will be August 24, said, “It's been recommended that I have some input on the job search process. But if it takes longer than four weeks then I don't know how that will work with my new responsibilities.”

COMMENTS about this article (14)