The Lawrence Community Shelter will begin its second search for an executive director in the last six months, but a leader with the organization said the homeless shelter is still on solid footing.

“It is always a struggle financially, but I think we are in as good of shape as we have been in since I’ve been associated with the organization,” said Price Banks, vice chairman of the Lawrence Community Shelter’s board of directors.

The shelter board announced last week that Steven Robinson would resign his position as executive director of the shelter on Dec. 16. He started his position with the shelter in June. Attempts to reach Robinson for comments about the resignation haven’t been successful. Banks said there was little he could add to why Robinson resigned, other than to say it was Robinson’s decision.

“Steven had not worked exactly in this environment in the past,” Banks said. “A homeless shelter can be a serious challenge to manage.”

Robinson took over for longtime shelter director Loring Henderson, who retired in May after leading the shelter for the last 12 years.

Robinson previously had served in a variety of capacities as a fundraiser for organizations such as Saint Francis Community Services in Topeka, Kansas State University Foundation, the Iowa American Diabetes Association, and the West Virginia March of Dimes.

Banks said the board was confident that longtime staff member Brian Blevins would serve the homeless shelter well as interim executive director of the organization. Banks said Blevins previously served as a key member of Henderson’s staff.

“Brian has a lot of experience in case management and really has a good handle on the programs we have at the shelter,” Banks said. “The programs won’t suffer under his leadership at all.”

Banks said the next director of the shelter needs to be able to manage both programs and fundraising activities for the nonprofit organization, but he said he was not sure whether the board would focus its search on people with previous shelter management experience. On Friday afternoon, he said the shelter board had not yet had a chance to discuss in detail how it would proceed with a search process.

“I can tell you that we are all very impressed with the staff members out there,” Banks said. “They are so devoted to the mission out there.