Executive Director Board Report

Submitted by Erin Trondson, executive director

Dearest Holy Wisdom Community,

At our recent board meeting it was suggested that I offer a summary of my Board Executive Director Report for Weekly Wisdom. This report gives a peek behind the curtain of the day to day at Holy Wisdom Monastery. As a Community of Communities, it is easy to become siloed and fail to see beyond the walls of our own community. As Coworkers we work beyond our silos by gathering weekly for what we call our Same Page Session Meetings where we spend a quick thirty-minute highlighting what is all going on in each department and how we might reach across silos to help one another. Here is a snapshot from this past month so our full community can also be on the same page. Let me know if you appreciate this summary and I will consider making it a regular column.

CCR Director Search Team– The search team narrowed down the national search from 30 candidates to 6 Zoom interviews, to two finalists. The finalists were invited to spend a day at the Monastery meeting coworkers, sisters, and discerning with the search team and we are thrilled to announce that our offer has been accepted. We will announce our next CCR Director in November in order to respect their timeline in giving notice to their current community.

Guest Services Support – Due to one maternity leave, the surprise departure for that sub, a Chef transition and an unbelievable busy fall – the guest services team has been spread thin. Toby has worked hard to stabilize the department with creative staffing patterns since RGH reopened. Several coworkers and volunteers have stepped up, or out of retirement to support Guest Services. We are proud of the quality of work we were able to provide to our guests this past month with these unexpected challenges. Guest Services will now pivot to getting back to being fully staffed. Thank you, Toby, Kathleen, Nova, Laura, Mariapia, Felipe, Lisa, and our culinary volunteers for your extra hours, work and energy recently. 

Welcoming Groups and Events– Guest Servies is experiencing growth (yay) and we are welcoming more groups and events than usual. Here is a list of some of the groups we have welcomed thus far in October: Celebrations of Life (2), Douglas Christie, Hollow Bones Zen, Journey of Group Power, Sacred Embodiment Retreat, Unity of Madison Prayer Chaplains, Vow Renewal, Weddings (2), Climate Change Leaders, Province V Campus Ministers, South Central Synod of WI, Fiber Garden Spinners, Kids on the Prairie. Sister Lynne and I often give a welcome or greeting if requested. 

Sunday Assembly & Monastic Ritual Team – I continue to offer occasional support to Sarah Wilkin Gibert with children’s ministry. We are exploring sound system and streaming improvements, continue to explore infrastructure support. This month the Monastic Ritual Team reviewed presider policies and procedures, continued our ongoing security discussions, and discussed sound system and livestreaming issues. 

Grant Team – After using Candid Foundation grant database to research opportunities, the grant team was able to narrow it down to 10 potential Net Zero related grants. From there we are focusing on three opportunities: McKnight Foundation, Green Energy/Faith in Place, and Schlecht Family Foundation. An application was submitted to the Green Energy Faith in Place Grant, and we hope to hear in the coming weeks.  

Hosted Sustain Dane’s Sustainable Breakfast Series – We were honored to be chosen to host this event which brought together around 100 businesses leaders and individuals who seek to integrate environmental, social, and economic sustainability into professional and personal actions. Days before the event we learned that Dane County Executive Jamie Kuhn was going to present Holy Wisdom with the 2024 Dane County Climate Champion Plaque for being a 4-star Building Design Champion. After opening remarks and overview, Toby and Mark Hanson led two tours of the monastery, the solar panels, and the geothermal wells. 

Monastery Reorg/Restructure – continued to participate in meetings to review and give input on statutes, bylaws and MOU’s. This ongoing work has delayed the 2025 budgetary process, but we hope to have both in place by the new year. 

2025 New Programs & Initiatives –  

• Seasonal Retreats – Holy Wisdom will host 4 Seasonal Retreats in 2025. Our team, which includes Amy and Pam’s departments, are coming together to design a meaningful couple of days where guests can explore the intersection of our prairie with spirituality. The first Seasonal Retreat {Winter & Rest} will take place on January 10-11^th. Look for more information coming soon.   

• Facilitator List – We also are working to organize our list of facilitators, teachers and instructors who have generously offered to give workshops, classes or sessions here. If you, or someone you know would like to be considered as a facilitator or instructor for future opportunities (opportunities must align with our mission), please fill out this form or send it to any talented teacher who might be interested. 

Leadership Team – our monthly meeting included: department reports, reorg discussion, advancing our Agency Policy & Procedure work, 2025 new initiative updates, department budget updates (as much as is possible with reorg). 

Department Budgets – We are working with Department Directors to (as much as we can with the reorg pending) get clear on their 2025 expenses. 

Net Zero – Continued tours given including to the Director of Sustainability of the City of Sun Prairie. The project is officially completed (although fundraising continues) and contractors have left the premises after some delay. The new thermostat and geothermal wells seem to be working well. The carpet was further stained and replacing it will become a priority after Net Zero fundraising is complete. Fundraising continues to move along with current pending grants and over $25K raised among the board alone. Thank you to Lara, Lynne, Terry and Roberta who work tirelessly to raise the remaining funds. 

Donor Appreciation Breakfast – on September 27^th was a delight for our major donors. Chef Felipe provided a beautiful menu, Sister Lynne and I opened with some remarks, and then we heard from our speaker, Ulrich Rosenhagen, PhD, Lutheran Minister and Director of the Center for Interfaith Dialogue at UW-Madison. 

Stewardship Letter (2025 Pledge Campaign) –  

• The letter – The Mission Advancement team worked hard on crafting a thoughtful letter that urges our communities to make their 2025 Pledge amounts. Future pledging is what allows an organization to strengthen and sustain as healthy budgets can be built from this information.  

• The Annual Meeting – Scheduled for 10/27, strategically takes place before the deadline to make your 2025 pledge – allowing for folks to come and ask questions and hear about the year in review. The annual meeting will consist of Sister Lynne speaking from the Sister’s Community (2024 and what is coming up), Erin speaking on the Ministries (2024 and what is coming up), Erin & Lynne will speak together on the reorg/restructure in a broad sense. A Finance Committee member will speak to the annual report and numbers for 2023, and so far for 2024. Lara will speak to donations for last year and the current, and Terry and Sara Wilkin Gibert will finish the meeting with a direct ask to pledge. 

• Another campaign around the corner – The stewardship letter/2025 pledge campaign is not to be confused with Year End Giving (close out 2024 fundraising) which will help us close out 2024 strong and focus on closing the gap on the Net Zero funding (over 3 million project, we have 16.4% left to raise!!) 

Douglass Christie – Amy and Pam arranged for Douglass Christie to visit and stay at the Monastery. They arranged for a small cohort from last year’s talk to attend. I had the honor of having lunch with him as well. Douglass Christie, PhD and Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies at Bellarmine College is focused on research on contemplative thought and practice in ancient and medieval Christianity and on spirituality and ecology. He is the author of The Word in The Desert: Scripture and the Quest for Holiness in Early Christian Monasticism (Oxford), The Blue Sapphire of the Mind: Note for a Contemplative Ecology (Oxford), and is the founding editor of Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality (Johns Hopkins).  It was delightful to thought partner with him for a few hours.