Butler County Conservation District is without a full-time director after its recently hired chief, Sue Vogel, resigned her position on Sept. 4 in a letter to the county’s human resources department.

Vogel, 45, of Beaver County was hired on May 26 to replace retiring conservation district chief Ron Fodor, who had served as the agency’s top official for 33 years.

It was not immediately clear why Vogel resigned from her position.

Chief Clerk Amy Wilson confirmed Vogel’s resignation, but directed all questions on her departure to Butler County commissioners and the conservation district’s board of directors.

Charles Stowe, the chairman of the district’s board, called Vogel’s resignation a surprise he doesn’t know much about.

“Really that was kind of a shocker,” Stowe said.

He said Vogel didn’t communicate directly with district board members regarding her decision.

“She just said that she was resigning,” Stowe said.

Butler County commissioners were either unavailable or did not return messages left seeking information Friday and this morning.

Vogel’s departure leaves the district without a chief. Stowe said Fodor had been tapped to help fill in after Vogel’s resignation. Fodor will manage the district office and the agency’s four employees on a part-time basis, and board members will begin a search for the agency’s next director, Stowe said.

Stowe said he and another board member visited with county commissioners last week to discuss beginning the search process.

Fodor said he hadn’t been told why Vogel resigned.

“I never really left,” Fodor said of his continued work with the district. “I’ll continue to help as much as I can.”

Vogel was hired at an annual salary of $60,770, and, because of the way the district is organized, was classified as a county employee.