Dia DuVernet, who has led Pasadena Humane for five years, has resigned as the organization’s CEO and president.

DuVernet, 59, was credited with expanding programs at the 121-year-old animal shelter, which is on Raymond Avenue in Pasadena and serves 10 other cities and communities, including Glendale and Altadena. The organization, previously known as the Pasadena Humane Society, takes in 12,000 animals each year.

Officials confirmed in a Wednesday statement that DuVernet recently stepped down, but declined to comment on her reason for doing so.

In 2019, DuVernet stepped in to lead Pasadena Humane after serving as the CEO of the Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

She took the reins of an organization in the throws of the pandemic, implementing “significant operational changes to keep staff and animals safe,” according to a Pasadena Humane statement.

DuVernet also provided key leadership on the organization’s initiatives, officials said, including establishing the Animal Resource Center, expanding its wildlife program with the opening of the Sandra J. Goodspeed Wildlife Center, and growing the group’s Helping Paws program, including the Pet Food Pantry.

In the last couple of years, she oversaw the organization’s successful effort to have a float in the Rose Parade, in a partnership with sponsor Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

DuVernet’s tenure as Pasadena Humane’s leader also coincided with a column she wrote on the goings-on at the shelter, along with shedding light on volunteers and issues related to animals.

Her overall efforts culminated in January — a month like no other in the Pasadena area — when the devastating Eaton fire displaced more than 1,000 animals, from dogs to horses to birds.

The organization credited DuVernet with spearheading efforts to provide shelter and medical care to those animals, many of which remain at the facility. And she paved the way for coordination of fire-trained search-and-rescue teams from across the state to help in the recovery.

Pasadena Humane’s board has appointed Vice President and Chief Programs Officer Chris Ramon, who has worked at Pasadena Humane since 2018, as its interim CEO, officials said in their statement.

An executive search firm is seeking a permanent leader.

Jamie Holeman, spokesperson for the organization, said day-to-day operations will continue as usual at a “critical time in our community.”