18 March 2019
Dear White Pine Supporter,
I write to inform you, as a core supporter of White Pine Programs, that, after very careful thought and consideration, Dan Gardoqui has tendered his resignation as Executive Director, effective September 2019.
It has been nearly twenty years since Dan Gardoqui, Kate Gardoqui and Matt Wild founded White Pine Programs. We are extremely grateful to Dan, who has tirelessly, enthusiastically and passionately led White Pine during the last two decades. Kate and their two sons have graciously shared Dan with us for many of those years and we thank them for supporting him and his dedication to the organization.
For a non-profit to have a founder as its leader for twenty years has been key to the growth and success of White Pine Programs. However, Dan has decided that now is time to pursue new endeavors and allow space for a new Executive Director. While we are saddened by his decision, we are excited for Dan and understand that organizations of our size and age often see leadership transitions. We thank Dan for all that he has brought to the organization, including preparing White Pine to continue our successful growth well after his departure.
White Pine Programs has seen significant transformation over the years while remaining true to the vision of our founders, who believed in fostering the love of nature when many people did not understand the breadth and depth of benefits that nature provides. Today, we are still committed to our mission of forging deep nature connections that restore peace and build personal resilience.We have broadened our programming, we are reaching new demographics and are offering more scholarships than we ever thought possible. This growth has brought on new challenges for our organization in unpredictable but exciting ways.
White Pine Programs would not be what it is today without Dan’s love of nature, fostering of nature connection and his unwavering dedication to mentoring people of all ages. Together with his wife, Kate Gardoqui, they have inspired thousands of people to get outside and appreciate all that the natural world has to offer. Our team of staff, program elders and directors that he has established will continue to carry out their vision, deliver quality programming and support a smooth transition.
We thank Dan for his dedicated service and will forever appreciate his contributions to White Pine. We also thank YOU for your continued support. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions as we transition to our next stage of successful organizational development.
Sincerely,
Kevin M. Baum
Chair, White Pine Programs Board of Directors