Brian Livingston was chosen as Hiway 80 Rescue Mission’s managing executive director.

After the executive director resigned last week, the Hiway 80 Rescue Mission branch in Tyler is in the beginning stages of seeking a replacement.

Dawn Moltzan, former Hiway 80 Rescue Mission executive director in Tyler, resigned Jan. 2, Elizabeth Murphy, Hiway 80 Rescue Mission board treasurer, said Wednesday.

“At this point in time, I have no comment about my departure from Hiway 80 (Rescue Mission),” Moltzan told the Tyler Morning Telegraph regarding her resignation.

Brian Bunt, board president of Hiway 80 Rescue Mission, told the Longview News-Journal that Moltzan will be replaced soon.

“We have enough activity going on in Tyler that we need a person over there overseeing that all of the time, and we will have someone,” Bunt said.

Before coming to Tyler, Moltzan previously served as the organization’s co-executive director of the organization with Rusty Fennell.

Murphy said the next Tyler executive director should have leadership experience, a background in ministry work and developing nonprofits, and the ability to share the organization’s message.

“If we could get that filled within the next four to six weeks that would be wonderful,” Murphy said. “We are moving into a year where we are very excited for growth.”

Hiway 80 Rescue Mission will be reaching out to its contacts through the church and nonprofit communities it collaborates with to find candidates, Murphy said.

She added that they would like someone who is familiar with Tyler.

The rescue mission has been in Tyler for a few years, with its programs Gateway to Hope and Triumph Village.

Hiway 80 Rescue Mission-Gateway to Hope, which serves as a day center for the homeless, opened its doors in Tyler in 2015. Since last spring, the Triumph Village New Creations Program in Tyler has helped men dealing with life-controlling issues, such as substance abuse and other forms of addiction, according to the nonprofit’s website.

The organization’s main offices are headquartered in Longview.

Hiway 80 Rescue Mission recently named a managing executive director, who will oversee operations in both Longview and Tyler.

Brian Livingston was chosen as the mission’s next leader, starting on or before Feb. 3, Bunt said earlier this week.

Livingston, who holds a master of divinity degree from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, served as Hiway 80 Rescue Mission’s director of family and community missions between 2012 and 2015.

He will succeed Fennell, who stepped down as co-executive director in October.

“We’re just really excited about Brian,” Bunt said. “We just think this will be a great next step in the history of Hiway 80 Rescue Mission.

“We knew Brian from his previous service at the mission,” Bunt said. “We had liked Brian and felt he had really served the mission well during those years, and so when we were conducting our search, his name came up as someone we might want to check up with.”

A native of the Atlanta area, Livingston has extensive involvement in ministry with women’s and family shelters, human resources, case management, budget and finance, staff development, program development and conflict management, according to a statement from the mission. After leaving the mission in 2015, Livingston served as assistant pastor of Central Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Most recently, he has been as a technology teacher and coach at a Christian high school in the Atlanta area. He is also a certified leadership coach through the John Maxwell Team Leadership organization.

“Mr. Livingston has devoted his career to helping the underserved and overlooked in settings involving homeless men, women and children. Our community and mission will be blessed by his leadership, commitment and devotion to our goal of serving the homeless in East Texas,” according to the statement from the mission.

Longview News-Journal Jimmy Daniell Isaac contributed to this story.