Drake Bassett, the president and CEO of Palmer Home for Children, has announced he will retire after nearly 15 years with the nonprofit that provides campus care, foster care, and transitional services to Mississippi children in need. “For nearly 15 years, it’s been a pleasure and a real privilege to be a leader for Palmer Home for Children,” Bassett said in a video announcement Thursday. In 2019, Palmer Home’s board of trustees voted to consolidate operations on a single campus in Lake Cormorant. “It caused us to create programs that we believe are extremely encouraging and helpful to children,” Bassett said. Although he will leave his leadership role, Bassett said he plans to remain involved with Palmer Home as a supporter.