Executive Director

For over 50 years, Holden Village has operated as a remote Lutheran retreat center and community in the wilderness of the Cascade Mountains of Washington state. A former copper mining village gifted to the Lutheran church in the 1960s, Holden has offered year-round hospitality to all who join the bustling summer community (300+ people) and/or the smaller winter community (70-150). Holden Village is rooted in the Lutheran expression of the Christian faith and strives to be a place of ecumenical and interfaith collaboration. Holden is emerging from a period of heavy construction in connection with a mine remediation project (2013-2016), a forest fire (2015), and the COVID pandemic (2020-2022) to grow back to full capacity for education, worship, and recreation for people of all ages. Looking forward, the Board and the Executive Directors will soon complete negotiations regarding another, less disruptive remediation project in the valley, finalize construction of and programming for an exciting new Village Museum project, and engage in a comprehensive Capital Campaign to support Holden into the future. The Board of Directors of Holden Village hires, oversees, and supports the Executive Director(s), who is/are expected to maintain a consistent presence in the Village and lead the community during this time of complex ecological, ecumenical, and societal change. Leadership of the Village has consisted of 1-3 Executive Director(s) who, in turn, manage and lead a staff consisting primarily of long-term volunteers and a core of employees. Staff size ranges from roughly 70 people in the winter months to 130 in the summer. The position requires relationships with staff, guests, donors, the Church, synods, and partner organizations, including the United States Forest Service (USFS), state and federal regulatory agencies, local Indigenous tribes, Rio Tinto (the mining company responsible for the remediation), IMCO (the company contracted by Rio Tinto to operate the remediation-related water treatment plant in Railroad Creek Valley), and other companies subcontracted by Rio Tinto. The Board seeks an Executive Director (or team of Directors) who, first and foremost, is/are deeply committed to articulating and embodying the Mission, Vision, and Core Values of the Village. Leadership in this setting requires great personal resilience; passion and connection to Holden and commitment to Christian/Lutheran beliefs; an ability to strategically envision Holden’s place in the complex, changing world; ongoing focus on ecological regeneration and sustainability; solid business acumen; commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; ability to foster meaningful relationships with Rio Tinto, IMCO, the USFS, local Indigenous tribes and other partner organizations; oversight of renewal and/or construction of buildings and physical infrastructure; understanding the role of the Board and changes in the volunteer and employment landscape of our constituency.

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