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COLUMBIA -- The director of the Central Missouri Humane Society has turned in her resignation.

Patty Forister resigned on Thursday night after serving four years on the job. Forister has recently been under fire for her style of management.

Forister gave her resignation during a Central Missouri Humane Society board of directors meeting. Board Vice President Jim Loveless said he was surprised by her departure and grateful for her service.

“Any time you have a high profile position like that, you are going to have people who are not happy with what you do," Loveless said. "Of course, those folks who are unhappy are far more likely to be vocal about than those who are happy.”

In April, Forister helped win an online contest for a million dollar makeover sponsored by ZooToo.com. In September, Forister asked the Columbia City Council for additional funding for shelter services. Earlier this month, shelter board members released a report that cited operational and administrative deficiencies under Forister’s leadership. Forister cited personal and professional reasons for her resignation. She said she’s excited to move on to a different stage in her life.

“Anytime you have a change in leadership like this there are some growing pains, if you will," Loveless said. "It also gives you time to sit back and reflect and get a new perspective and move forward again.”

Columbia Veterinarian Alan Allert will serve as the interim executive director of the Central Missouri Humane Society, while the board looks for a permanent leader. Allert takes over his duties on Tuesday.

Central Missouri Humane Society board members say it will take a minimum of 3 months to conduct a nationwide search for Forister’s permanent replacement.