CCRJP Board of Directors Finds Connection & Clarity in Crestone, CO

“First ever CCRJP Board Retreat”

The convenience of virtual meetings can make coming together in person a rarity. It seemed novel to come together as a board of directors at the beautiful Joyful Journey Hot Springs outside of Crestone, Colorado. A total of nine of us met to build connections, review current documents and initiatives, and trouble-shoot possible delineations from the coalition’s mission.

The first CCRJP board retreat since becoming a 501 (c) (6) was led by Asia Dorsey, a consultant with Regenerative Change which is an organization that supports social regeneration and systemic change. Led by Asia’s guidance, the board met in April of 2024 to detail what the current realities were at CCRJP. The board reviewed the membership survey results, our existing mission and values, committees, communities of practice, operational guidelines, events, and membership benefits. Some of the main tasks that came from the retreat included implementing the VARCI decision making model into current board and employee job functions, reviewing and expanding the membership benefits, rewriting the CCRJP Mission and Vision, and discussing succession planning. Keenly aware that Ames Stenson’s term will be over this December, the board has been discussing the President position as well as the interim VP position and how this relates to the upcoming elections in November. The board has intentionally waited to start on strategic planning to allow time for the larger coalition to give input regarding the future of CCRJP. We will soon be engaging the coalition alongside Asia and other facilitators with Regenerative Change to help with this strategic planning step.

“Building relational soil” is a phrase Asia and Regenerative Change highlights in their work’s ecological frameworks, and it was a main priority during the board retreat. Joyful Journey Hot Springs allowed for a mixture of facilitated connection activities as well as free time together enjoying meals and soaking in the hot springs. The San Luis Valley was good to us all and we left in gratitude for the time spent together discussing restorative justice across the state of Colorado. The Board hopes to continue hosting an annual retreat, possibly at the same location, which is central to our statewide board.