In this season of waiting, I wanted to send you good tidings of great joy that a new Executive Director has been approved by the Benedictine Women of Madison Board of Directors and she has accepted the job at Holy Wisdom Monastery!
Her name is Erin Trondson, and she will be starting on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. Erin wrote a beautiful letter of introduction that I wish to share with you.
Dear Community of Communities,
I am grateful to the members of the Search Committee and the Benedictine Women of Madison Board for their invitation to serve Holy Wisdom Monastery as the new Executive Director! I’m excited to join you beginning on January 16, 2024. It is not lost on me that this is a beloved community that has deep and strong roots from which has grown a complex and abundant organization. It is an honor to be able to serve the Monastery through my skills and experience as a nonprofit leader, a justice seeker and someone who values the renewal that comes from retreating from the world and deeply listening.
I will also embark on my journey as a student of the Benedictine Way. I look forward to learning from the sisters, the board, the coworkers and all of you in the greater community of communities about the values, principles and traditions that make up Holy Wisdom Monastery. This community deeply resonates with my beliefs and values – and I truly can’t wait to learn more.
A little about me: I grew up in Madison, originally on land cared for by the Ho-Chunk people, and I currently live in Madison with my family. Professionally, I come from nonprofit leadership, project management and higher education teaching. Personally, I love poetry, family, nature and community-building.
Over the coming weeks, I’m eager to hear from you, whether through a conversation at Sunday Assembly or a personal chat. Listen is the first word in the Rule of St. Benedict, and I intend to practice it throughout my days as Executive Director. I have so much to learn about what makes this community special to you, what ideas you have and what you notice.
I can’t wait to spend time with you!
Kindly,
Erin Trondson, M.S.
She/her/hers
And finally, a big round of thanks goes to the nine-person Search Team who spent numerous hours reading cover letters, resumes and writing samples, writing questions and interviewing candidates, scheduling and attending meetings, checking references, keeping coworkers and board members informed of the process and ultimately finding a new Executive Director to lead this organization into the future. Search Team members include Roberta Felker and Tony Wilkin Gibart, co-chairs; Sister Lynne Smith, Colleen Hartung and Neil Heskin, board members; Paul Harrison, former coworker and Nancy Enderle, Toby Grabs and Car McGinley, current coworkers.
Happy holidays!
Car McGinley
Interim CEO