Bette Cooper, the executive director of The Chaplaincy in the Tri-Cities for five years, plans to retire.

Her resignation will be effective March 1, and The Chaplaincy plans to start advertising for her replacement this week. She plans to continue as volunteer with the agency's planned giving program.

"Bette's style of strong leadership, combined with her compassion and spiritual passion for The Chaplaincy, its employees and the families it serves will be sorely missed," said Rose Gray, The Chaplaincy Board president, in a statement.

The Chaplaincy offers support for illness, personal crisis and loss, including hospice care and grief support.

Cooper was recruited to serve on The Chaplaincy Board in 1999 and then was hired by the organization two years later as its first director of development. In that position she helped create The Chaplaincy's largest fundraising event, The Lighting the Path Breakfast.

In 2003 she became associate executive director and was promoted to executive director in 2007.

In both positions she led The Chaplaincy through a period of growth. In-home hospice care increased from 25 to 100 families served a day, Cork's Place for Grieving Children was developed, an electronic medical records system was put into use and The Chaplaincy's third facility at Spaulding Park was opened in 2011, according to The Chaplaincy.

"The Chaplaincy has always been a calling for Bette, her mission of love," said Glenna Moulthrop, former board president, in a statement.