ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain has announced that its founding executive director, Phelan Fretz, PhD, will retire in June after 20 years leading the science museum on the Burlington Waterfront. Fretz is widely credited for his fundraising and community-building skills that have led to the organization's success.
“This is truly a bittersweet announcement for me because I deeply love ECHO, and my time here has been an honor,” Fretz said. “I extend my sincere gratitude to Senator (Patrick) Leahy and (his wife), Marcelle, for their trust and support over the years. Their vision for the waterfront and commitment to create a place where environmental stewardship can spark the imagination of Vermonters young and old is a treasure for our state. I also want to thank our donors, volunteers and staff for sustaining ECHO.”
At 65 years old, Fretz has maintained a pivotal presence in the museum and business communities. He served as chair of the New England Museum Association and the Burlington Business Association, along with membership in the Vermont Business Roundtable. He has served on numerous national advisory committees, such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services and National Science Foundation, and received the Noyce Leadership Fellowship in 2009.
“Phelan has done a remarkable job at the Leahy Center, and Marcelle and I are deeply grateful for his work,” Leahy said. “We so love to watch all the enthusiasm for learning that we see when we visit the center, and we are proud of the leadership that the center has shown on Burlington’s public waterfront and statewide on conservation and education issues. Phelan will always be a friend, and we wish him a healthy, active and happy retirement.”
The center’s board of directors plans to announce an interim executive director while a search for a permanent replacement can be hired.