Jane Schirmer has announced her resignation as Chief Executive Officer of the Farmville-based Southside Virginia Family YMCA, effective Jan. 16.

According to a statement from the YMCA, the association’s board of directors chair Thomas V. Warren said the board accepted her resignation Monday night “and thanked her for her service of almost five years.”

Schirmer was hired in spring 2011.

Ben Sysko, the Y’s wellness director, has been named interim CEO, according to the statement.

“I am grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to work with this wonderful community in building a great YMCA organization here,” Schirmer said in the statement. “Building the Y organization as a mission and cause-driven asset to the community it serves is what I love to do, and I feel that the foundation has been laid during my tenure here. Accordingly, this will be a good time for me to depart for my next challenge working with another organization to build their success.”

In December, Kipper Lafoon, a member of the Y’s board of directors, told Prince Edward County Supervisors, before asking the county to co-sign a note to refinance the association’s $2.1 million of debt, that the Y has struggled from “month-to-month” with bills, payroll and the existing debt load. Supervisors took no action on the Y’s request in December.

Warren said that he was pleased that “Schirmer has agreed to remain available for consultation as necessary to assist” Sysko during the transition.

According to the statement, during Schirmer’s tenure at the Y, the association was selected for the Livestrong at the YMCA cancer survivor support program and the YMCA’s U.S.A. Diabetes Prevention Program. “The Y continues to be a very busy location with over 100,000 visits per year by members,” the statement read.

“This Y has been good to me and the community has been excellent. I love the community,” Schirmer said. “I’m really kind of excited about where I’m journeying to next.”

Schirmer wouldn’t offer further comment on her departure.