Arrey Obenson, the CEO and president of the International Institute of St. Louis, has left the organization.
The immigrant and refugee nonprofit organization did not state the reason for his departure. In an email obtained by St. Louis Public Radio, interim President and CEO Blake Hamilton said on Friday that Obenson is no longer at the helm of the institute and that the board of directors will conduct a national search for a permanent leader.
The board appointed Hamilton, the former senior vice president of talent development and advocacy, as interim director. He stated in the email that the leadership team would reach out to donors, funders and community stakeholders to advise them of the change.
Hamilton confirmed Obenson's departure in an email Monday evening but did not provide any reasons. Obenson declined to comment.
"While we will certainly miss his leadership, I want to assure you that the talented and dedicated team at the International Institute remains committed to advancing our mission," Hamilton wrote. "I have been honored to be selected by the Board of Directors to serve as Interim President and CEO during this period of transition."
Obenson became the institute’s leader in 2021 after longtime head Anna E. Crosslin retired after 42 years with the organization. Obenson came to the U.S. from Cameroon two decades ago and previously spent 17 years at Junior Chamber International, a leadership development organization.
The former leader posted a message to his staff members Friday on LinkedIn thanking them for their service to the immigrant and refugee communities over the past four years, more specifically this year.
Obenson said that the organization has grown from 69 employees in 2021 to 176 this year, and that the annual budget has increased from $8.5 million to $26 million. The number of immigrants and refugees the organization served has also increased from 1,200 to over 4,600. He credits these accomplishments to the commitment of the institute’s employees.
“We have welcomed the highest number of new arrivals in recorded history, largely exceeding the last record by over 1,000,” he said. “Every aspect of the organization has experienced enormous growth including recording one of highest self-sufficiency rates of new arrivals in the country.”
Under his leadership, the organization created the Afghan Community Support Program, which included an Afghan Chamber of Commerce. He also helped develop the Anna E. Crosslin Center for Multicultural Excellence, a space that connects the community with other cultures.
“Our accomplishments depend significantly on the community that has bought into the vision,” Obenson said in a social media post. “For that, we are truly grateful and hopeful about this community. The St. Louis region will be a thriving multicultural society because of you.”
This story was updated to add comments from International Institute of St. Louis interim director Blake Hamilton.