General Information about The Mountain Trustees – 2012-2013


The Mountain trustees are a diverse group of people who reflect strong commitments to The Mountain over many years.  Trustees have been involved in professional positions as teachers, attorney, accountants and CPA’s, mental health specialists, business executives, corporate trainer, pediatrician, grantwriters, design and development engineer, program evaluators and trainers, and fundraisers.  Their educational background includes: The University of North Carolina, MIT, The University of Texas Medical School, Purdue University, Emory University, Kent State, The University of Mississippi and others.  Many trustees have held leadership positions in their congregations, and one is both a minister and a former District Executive for the Unitarian Universalist Association. 

The unifying characteristic of Mountain trustees is the strong commitment of each trustee to support and promote The Mountain as “a place…an experience…a way forward for all ages”.  All trustees invest a great deal of their time, energy and finances in this important work.  As a group, Mountain trustees have: participated in numerous workshops and events at The Mountain, volunteered thousands of hours in the work of The Mountain, attended MountainCamp, worked as a MountainCamp counselor, sent children to MountainCamp, invested in The Mountain as a founding life member, and had multiple generations of their families immersed in The Mountain. Being a trustee is not a passing interest, it is a deep commitment.
 

Board Organization

Each trustee works on one of the following board TEAMs – Total Engagement by All Members, with the Board Chair supporting the work of all four TEAMs. 

  1. Institutional Performance TEAM
    Annually work with staff to review ENDS statements, time lines, measures, and outcomes for The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center. Ensure The Mountain has a process for gathering input and feedback from all major stakeholders
     
  2. Planning and Finance TEAM
    Review budgets and other financial reports to support analysis of the fiscal strength of the Mountain. Monitor executive performance. With staff, engage in the strategic planning process.
     
  3. Board Leadership TEAM
    Identify strong candidates for the Board of trustees. Support all trustees in understanding responsibilities and opportunities for total engagement. Maintain a system for continuously assessing and supporting board performance and process, for the ultimate purpose of promoting the work of The Mountain.
     
  4. Institutional Advancement TEAM
    Identify sources of additional funding and promotion of The Mountain; understanding that a relatively small retreat center cannot maintain a program through registration fees alone. Work with staff on an annual development plan and coordinate Board’s involvement in Annual Giving Campaign and in any future capital campaigns.