Tom Murray, President of Dufferin Child and Family Services, has announced the planned retirement next November of the agency's executive director, Gary Putman.

Mr. Putman began his social Work career in 1971 after graduating from the University of Toronto's School of Social Work. He developed his skills and gained valuable experience working with the Hamilton Children's Aid Society, the Lynwood Hall Treatment Center and the Peel Children's Aid Society.

In 1978 he began his tenure with Dufferin Child and Family Services. At that time the agency dealt only with child welfare and operated with a staff of eight employees.

"Throughout the following 29 years, Gary developed and demonstrated his skills as a leader not only within the agency, but also within the community that he proudly served," Mr. Murray said in a press release recently.

"Gary participated and helped in the development of many local community planning bodies.

He was instrumental in the early development of Family Transition Place and Community First in Dufferin County. He participated on the Boards of Community Living Dufferin, Big Brothers of Orangeville and District, North Peel-Dufferin Community Legal Clinic and served two terms on the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies."

Mr. Putman was described as having nurtured and guided the agency through significant growth within Dufferin. "There have been many ups and downs, but Gary continually planned and developed for the future of Dufferin County," Mr. Murray said. "Through Gary's vision and guidance, Dufferin Child and Family Services has now developed into a multi-service agency, providing child protection, children's mental health services, developmental support services and the supervised visitation program."

He said the director's 36 years of dedication to child welfare is greatly appreciated by the communities he has served in, "and by the children's lives he has touched directly and indirectly. He has always been optimistic with a vision to developing children and families to their full potential."

In informing the agency's directors of his plan to retire, Mr. Putman praised the staff as "immensely dedicated and talented professionals who I will very much miss."

He plans to retire on November 30. The Board of Directors will begin a search for a new executive director immediately.