My rewarding Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) journey supporting Catholic Charities Wyoming (CCWyo) began with a piece of paper from that file. Many of us have that file, tentatively called retirement ideas. These ideas come from years of collecting newspaper articles, church bulletins, LinkedIn ideas, emails, and friend’s notes about what to do in retirement with our free time. I never expected to use that file. Ultimately, health challenges curtailed my executive career leading me back to that file.
In discussion with Anne Mollner, Director of Virtual Program at IVC, I was presented with some remote options to consider. The assignment from CCWyo was to support the new Executive Director, Genevieve Mougey, in strategic Board governance and executive coaching. Genevieve was launching a rebirth of CCWyo. Sounded easy enough given this work was my day-to-day activity in my former life. Little did I know what God had in store!
In the fall of 2024, I interviewed all the CCWyo Board members to develop a Board skills matrix and competency assessment. At the November Board meeting, I remotely presented my findings and next steps to support the Board growing from a functional Board to an exceptional Board. Like our faith, Board performance grows and changes over time. As Board members, learn their jobs, governance systems, processes and each other the continuum matures over time. As I learned more about the needs of Genevieve and the Board members, I wanted to gain a better understanding about their mission, stakeholders and their strategy.
More importantly, I was very slowly learning to listen to God. As my spiritual advisor would say, “Look at what is at the gate of your heart today.” The monthly remote group discussions led by spiritual advisor Christine Eberle also got me thinking about the rearview rainbows in life. Mid-year I found myself with a retirement gig which was feeding my soul and I was sharing my talents with an important organization. I could not believe my luck! (Even if I am Irish)
In the spring of 2024, I developed a Board survey to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Board. After I presented the findings of the survey to Genevieve, she asked me to come to Wyoming for the July Board retreat. There, I would present the findings in person and join the Board retreat development workshop. I questioned Genevieve, “I am a remote volunteer did you really want me to come to Wyoming?” She did. Attending the meeting live put all the pieces of my remote work together and provided a deeper richer context to the work and the people I was supporting on the board, and in turn the people served by Catholic Charities of Wyoming.
Genevieve and Fr. Jim Heiser, a board member, led my attendance at the Board meeting and subsequent tour of the Cowboy State. It was an eye opening and faith filled experience. We visited and stayed at Wind River Indian Reservation, took part in a Native dance summer celebration, took a driving tour of the reservation, the seventh largest in the nation and engaged with various stakeholders. We discussed the challenges of those served in the community.
We celebrated an inspiring mass led by Fr. Jim at Chapel of Sacred Heart in Grand Teton National Park overlooking Jackson Lake. We drove hundreds of miles across this vast and beautiful state visiting various sites to get a better sense of the work of CCWyo. I even managed to catch a Wyoming rainbow reminding me spiritual growth is ongoing and provides infinite possibilities for opening ourselves up to the unknown in this wild wonderful world.
My journey with IVC & CCWyo has engaged, challenged and fulfilled me in ways I never imagined possible in retirement. I look forward to another year supporting CCWyo and their important work of fostering community action for persons in need.