Bruce Rodgers, the founding executive director of The Hermitage Artist Retreat, will retire at the end of the year and a committee has been formed to lead a national search for the nonprofit's next leader. After the Hermitage received its nonprofit status in 2002, Rodgers became a founding trustee. He then stepped down from the board to become the acting director in 2004 and was appointed the first Hermitage executive director in 2005. He set the operating policies and procedures for the organization and grew its annual operating budget from $80,000 to more than $700,000 currently. The Hermitage is an artist's retreat located in Englewood that invites accomplished artists in all disciplines for residencies on its beachfront campus.