Luis F. Pacheco has relinquished his position as executive director of the Lake Chapala Society (LCS), according to an announcement issued by the board of directors on Thursday, April 18.
“Luis has served admirably in this role since February of 2021, and cited his desire to move on to the next chapter in his life and spend more time with his family in Guadalajara, where he resides,” the statement sent out to LCS members reads.
“We want to express our appreciation for Luis’s contributions during his time with us. He has played a significant role in the operations and improvement of the Lake Chapala Society, and we are grateful for his dedication and commitment.”
As stated in the announcement, programs, services, classes and events will continue uninterrupted during a transition period while the board engages in the recruitment of a new executive director to ensure that Pacheco’s responsibilities are smoothly transferred to his replacement.
Meanwhile, Board President Steve Balfour simultaneously resigned from his recent appointment as LCS’ CEO, explaining that the main task of that office was to assess Pacheco’s job performance.
However, according to Article 10, Section 10.01 of the by-laws established in the LCS Constitution, it is the board executive committee—comprised of the president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer—that is mandated to carry out an annual evaluation of the executive director’s performance, as well as to provide the full board with its recommendations of candidates for the position.
Pacheco was appointed to the job on February 1, 2021, coming aboard with an impressive academic background and professional experience in community development programs. He took over from Balfour, who at the time was temporarily serving in dual roles as LCS board president and executive director. Balfour was named as executive director after Terry Vidal stepped down from the post in September 2019.