ATLANTA—Miguel R. San Juan, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities Atlanta, has taken a position as executive vice president of AKO Engineering, Inc., in Houston, Texas.

A search for a new chief executive officer has begun, led by Brian Fitzgerald, the president of the Koblentz Group and a member of the board of directors of Catholic Charities Atlanta. Vanessa Russell, vice chair of the CCA board, will serve as the interim chief executive officer during the search process. The announcement was made Aug. 22.

San Juan was responsible for the strategic day-to-day leadership of Catholic Charities Atlanta, including agency and program development, strategic planning, financial oversight, public relations, fundraising and development, and quality service delivery, since March 2013. He moved to Atlanta three years ago from Houston, where he had served as managing director of Globalinvest Ventures and Consulting, a business consulting firm. Prior to that, he served as U.S. executive director at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C. Appointed by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, San Juan represented the United States on the board of the IDB, the largest multilateral development bank for Latin America and the Caribbean with a capitalization of more than $100 billion.

In a press release, San Juan said about his departure: “I am very proud of our collective agency accomplishments during my time as CEO. However, CCA must continue to broaden its base of active and enthusiastic donors who understand and support our mission as a faith-based organization that serves our neighbors professionally, compassionately, in multiple languages and regardless of background.”

During his tenure at CCA, San Juan focused on four key areas: expanding current services, expanding strategic partnerships, increasing public awareness, and increasing fundraising avenues. Under San Juan’s leadership, the agency has trimmed its budget while at the same time increased its development efforts. Additionally, he has worked to streamline the programs and services that the agency offers. He has helped the agency achieve better financial health.

In the press release, Nick Djuric, chairman of CCA’s board of directors, said, “In his short time at Catholic Charities Atlanta, Miguel demonstrated the energetic leadership that we hoped he would bring to the agency. He made difficult decisions about the services Catholic Charities provides to our community. His development team fulfilled its mandate to increase donor support for the agency to record-setting levels. And he strengthened the important relationships between Catholic Charities and the offices of the archdiocese. We are indebted to Miguel for his work on behalf of those we serve: our neighbors facing adversity in central and north Georgia.”

Resumes for the chief executive officer position are being accepted through Sept. 11 by email to bfitzgerald@koblentzgroup.com.

Catholic Charities Atlanta, which is accredited by the Council on Accreditation, provides professional support for families in crisis, pregnant women, and immigrants and refugees. Since 1953, the agency has helped over 1 million people.