HCC’s Cofer handing the reins to new leader

As Hill Country Conservancy prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary with a virtual party on Dec. 5, changes are brewing at the leadership level of the conservation nonprofit. Founding Executive Director George Cofer will be handing the reins to Dan Eck, formerly the executive director of the Museum of the Southwest in Midland. According to the news release, HCC Board Chair Pat Fox noted that the search committee was impressed with Eck’s varied background in art, science and education. “His nonprofit passion and leadership has resulted in significant growth for the organizations he’s served, building both financial stability and community goodwill. We are thrilled to have him in this role, taking us into the future,” Fox said. Departing CEO Cofer, who founded the conservancy in 1999, had planned to retire in April, but postponed the move due to the pandemic. In his retirement announcement he said, “When I helped found Hill Country Conservancy, I had high hopes for what we could accomplish as a community, but never did I imagine the immense impact we would have across the region.” Eck was voted in by the board on Nov. 10 and will begin his new role as CEO next month, taking the organization into its third decade.