The Sumner Downtown Association will operate without an official Executive Director through the remainder of the year. Executive Director Arla Holzschuh retired at the end of September, turning in her letter of resignation Sept. 29, which became effective Sept. 30.

Holzschuh took over the Executive Director position in fall 2010, after former director Shelly Schlumpf left for the Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce.

Perhaps her biggest accomplishment at SDA’s helm was to steward the association into 501C3 nonprofit status. A shift in organization focus toward downtown historic preservation came part and parcel with the new status and, to that end, SDA adopted projects like the restoration of downtown Sumner’s decayed murals.

“We will not move forward with a replacement until the new year,” SDA Board President Barbara Ford said. “In the meantime, Dale Loseth, one of the board directors, is the interim program manager and will be working in the office from 1-5 p.m. on Monday through Friday.”