RMERC Executive Director Update
Dear Friends,
Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center (RMERC) is delighted to introduce you to our new Executive Director, Jesse Dow. The search committee and the Board were inspired by the heartfelt interest in the Executive Director position and in the mission of Ecodharma, and we selected Jesse from an array of highly qualified candidates. Jesse comes to the role with over 30 years of devoted dharma practice, training as a Buddhist eco-chaplain, and a lifetime of connection to the Indian Peaks wilderness. As an educator and entrepreneur, he brings solid organizational, financial and management skills that will support day-to-day operations. Years of working in family literacy and with restorative justice/circle process has fostered a strong commitment to building diverse, equitable and inclusive community. Furthermore, as a master carpenter and tile setter with 15 years in construction, he is well positioned to support the completion of the cabin remodel project and skillfully maintain the land and lodge. He is honored to be stepping into this role.
In this important transition, the board wishes to thank Johann Robbins for his heartfelt dedication and generous service as the volunteer Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center these past six years. As one of the founders of RMERC, Johann feels the Dharma called him to the land and the lodge and to a vision that was much larger than his original idea – a calling to which Johann repeatedly said yes, leaning into the work, the demands, the overwhelming details…to birth the Center. RMERC has been a labor of love for Johann from the beginning, and what gave him strength and confidence to persist was the inspiration of bringing yogis to the land to practice in nature and the support of the many individuals who believed in the vision and offered their time, energy, and financial support to the project. During Johann’s tenure, RMERC has grown from a remote idea into a thriving dharma center, hosting thousands of participants at hundreds of retreats on a magical piece of land. After nearly 6 years of selfless service, Johann is ready to step down and to pass the baton to a new ED. With a restored and robust physical and financial infrastructure, and a stable and steady system for offering affordable retreats in nature, RMERC is moving into a new developmental stage where our vision is becoming more collective, held by the Board, the new ED, and the greater sangha. We hope Johann gets some well-deserved rest in the coming months, and we are delighted that he will continue to serve RMERC as a retreat teacher and an active member of the board.
The Board is looking forward to this next chapter of our evolution in which we build our membership program, grow community, cultivate inclusivity and deep welcome at all levels of the organization, and expand the reach of Ecodharma to effectively address the multiplying ecological and related social crises of our times.
This is a busy time of year as we are readying the lodge and land for welcoming yogis back for retreats. As the season begins and the initial work of this transition in leadership is complete, we look forward to offering some opportunities for you to meet and interact with our new Executive Director and the board as we partner in growing Ecodharma together as a community.
Warmly,
The RMERC Board of Directors
