ATHENS, Ohio — One of the most prominent Athens County nonprofits, Rural Action, is losing its chief executive officer.
Debbie Phillips confirmed to the Independent she plans to leave Rural Action but said she is still currently employed as CEO and that her last day has not been set.
“I am planning to step away and be doing some consulting,” Phillips told the Independent. “I just came from the fundraiser that we had up in Columbus and that was a really awesome event. I believe in Rural Action with all my heart. We have awesome people. We’ve grown tremendously. And I’m ready to do something.”
Asked whether her separation from the organization was voluntary, Phillips told the Independent, “I am not in a position to talk with you about this right now, and I think the world of everyone at Rural Action. I may be able to talk with you at a future time.”
Multiple current and former staff members declined to speak with the Athens County Independent on the record, with some directing the Independent to Rural Action Development & Communication Director Laura Sowers for comment.
Board Chair Sam Miller also directed the Independent to Sowers. Sowers did not directly address the Independent’s questions related to the nature of Phillips’s resignation or the nonprofit’s succession plan.
“Since 2018, Debbie has dedicated herself to advancing the organization’s mission with passion and commitment,” Sowers said in an email. “We extend our congratulations to her as she embarks on her next endeavor, and we offer our best wishes.”
Rural Action’s mission is “to build a more just economy by developing the region’s assets in environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways.” The nonprofit works across the areas of sustainable agriculture, sustainable forestry, sustainable energy, watershed restoration, environmental education, waste reduction, workforce development and more.
Its programs include the Chesterhill Produce Auction, an AmeriCorps program that supports the area’s nonprofits, and the True Pigments project, intended to address Ohio’s worst acid mine drainage site by converting pollutants to paint.
Rural Action grew substantially under Phillips’ leadership. In 2017, the year before Phillips took the helm, Rural Action reported $2.75 million in revenue and slightly more in expenses, according to nonprofit data available through ProPublica. In 2023, the most recent year for which data is available, the nonprofit reported $7.02 million in revenue and $7.18 million in expenditures.
Despite its recent growth, the turnover in the nonprofit’s leadership comes for a challenging time at the organization as it responds to federal funding cuts.
Phillips began work with the nonprofit as its development director in 2017 and has served as Rural Action’s chief executive officer since 2018, according to WOUB. She had previously served four terms as a Democratic representative for Ohio House District 94.
Note: This story has been updated since initial publication to include comment from Sowers.
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