WORKING TO WELCOME & WOW YOU
EDUCATION & RETREAT CENTER
Photo by William Helms, submitted in the last photo calendar contest - 2022 contest is coming soon.
MEET OUR
BOARD OF DIRECTORS The National Ghost Ranch Foundation board is a diverse group of people representing the many interests, cultures and talents of our guests. • Mark Hostetter
• Donald Serrano
• Connie Brakebill
• Leah Swearingen
• Kathryn Bates
• Lawrence Willis
• Mary Ann Bumgarner
• Herb Valentine
New York, N.Y. – Board Chair Friendswood, Texas Michigan City, Ind. Tulsa, Okla.
• Mark Duncan Philadelphia, Pa.
• Harry Eberts Santa Fe, N.M.
Santa Fe, N.M.
San Diego, Calif.
Newport News, Va. Perryville, Md.
By Virtue of Office • Marilee Hopkins Chicago, Ill.
• Jon Hall
• Gregory L. McCoy
• Rachel Hamilton
• Kathy Trott
Alexandria, Minn. Atlanta, Ga.
• Tim Hart-Andersen Minneapolis, Minn.
• Lynne Hohlfeld Austin, Texas
• Charles Jaynes Albuquerque, N.M.
• Bill Major Tulsa, Okla.
• Geoff Mather
Albuquerque, N.M.
Fort Worth, Texas Woodland, Calif.
Ex-Officio • Paul Fogg
Abiquiu, N.M.
• Brian Frick Parkville, Mo.
• Greg Rousos Louisville, Ky.
• Dietmar Fritsch Vail, Colo.
HAPPY SPRING
FROM GHOST RANCH
I
t’s that time of the year when Mother Nature does her delicate dance between snowstorms and spring blooms. The colorful, shining cliffs are etched with our rich history while reminding us of our brilliant future. I am deeply grateful to be leading your Ghost Ranch into that future. COVID-19 keeps us perpetually guessing about what, and when, returning to “normal” will look like. In that spirit, let me address the questions I hear most. •
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Is Ghost Ranch closing permanently? Absolutely not! The ranch being “open” or “closed” to guests during the pandemic is dictated by the Governor of New Mexico. Please visit cv.nmhealth.org for up-to-date information. What about programming? Through the pandemic we worked to provide virtual retreats and workshops, and initiated an artist-in-residence program. While we are currently open for day guests, we are planning on-site programs beginning in June. See a sample of offerings on pages 7 to 9. What did ranch staff do during the closure? The staff continues the Ghost Ranch mission of fostering well-being and spiritual health through this historic, inspiring southwest landscape. While we miss having you here, your donations have allowed us to stay hard at work upgrading many portions of the ranch while we were closed to guests. Read about Project WOW on page 4 to see all that we’ve doing to welcome you back. Even if we can’t visit, how can we help? Our development team is working diligently to strengthen the future of Ghost Ranch. As a stand-alone 501(c)(3) non-profit, your support continues to be vital for generations to come, whether through annual, endowed or planned gifts. Learn more on page 6. We look forward to welcoming you back to Ghost Ranch soon!
PAUL FOGG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Paul took the helm of Ghost Ranch in 2019, bringing deep experience in camp and conference center management including Calvin Center (Ga.), Geneva Center (Ind.) and Bethelwoods (S.C.). He lives his mantra “it’s a new day at the ranch” daily through strengthening technology infrastructure, nurturing staff through professional development to ensure guests are welcomed back to refreshed facilities post-pademic. He is a graduate of Montreat College and the Disney Institute for Leadership Excellence. GHOSTRANCH.ORG | 1
MEET OUR
LEADERSHIP TEAM ANNA MARIA GONZALES, MARKETING DIRECTOR In her 27th year as Ghost Ranch staff, in her most recent marketing role Anna Maria shares the stories of the rich, transforming experiences that happen at Ghost Ranch with everyone she meets. A Wellesley College degree, travel and living experience in Spain, and many years in the local hotel and hospitality industry are the foundation she builds upon to invite others to the ranch.
GRETCHEN GÜRTLER, MUSEUMS DIRECTOR Gretchen oversees the ranch’s museums and library. She has conducted paleontology field research for higher education institutions for over 16 years. She is the president-elect of the New Mexico Academy of Science and the museum advocacy representative for the New Mexico Association of Museums. Gretchen is a highly-sought-after lecturer, instructor, and author. Her most recent article “Lasting Impressions” was in the March 2020 edition of Artists Magazine.
DELFINA HERNANDEZ, HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER Delfina came to Ghost Ranch in 2018 from Las Placitas Presbyterian Church where she was the church administrator and gained a love of faith and inclusivity. Previously, she managed the national call center for Outward Bound USA with an emphasis on fostering experiential learning and team building. She studied English and psychology at San Jose State University.
CAROL HO, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Carol grew up in New Mexico and has lived in Ireland and Malaysia. She has extensive event planning experience with large hotels and a national consulting firm. She is passionate about bringing her world travel experiences and hospitality skills to Ghost Ranch to enhance the guest experience which Carol first shared in her role as a guide for the Georgia O’Keeffe Landscape Tour. A resident of the Abiquiu area, Carol is an artist, instructor and art lover.
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SUZY MAY, DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Suzy is one of the newer members of the leadership team, bringing fundraising best practices to Ghost Ranch in 2020 with a decade of experience at National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawaii and the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Wyoming. She earned her bachelor’s in art education from the University of New Mexico and her master’s in library and information science from Emporia State University. She’s eager to grow a brilliant future for Ghost Ranch.
STEPHEN PICHA, EDUCATION DIRECTOR
Stephen is an organizational leader and teacher with more than twenty-five years of experience in leadership and education. Prior to joining the Ghost Ranch team in 2012, he was the executive director of the Center for Action and Contemplation and served as a project manager for a large Rio Grande River restoration project. Stephen is passionate about family, being outdoors, creating ritual, building soil and cooking.
SABINO SALAZAR, FACILITIES MANAGER One of the longest-tenured members of the Ghost Ranch family, Sabino has helped oversee our majestic 21,000 acres and the facilities for 21 years. He has lived the majority of his life in the Chama Valley and feels blessed to work at this historic and storied ranch, allowing him to meet people from all over the world. If you need to find or fix something, or learn either something new or very old about Ghost Ranch, Sabino can help.
SHERMAN SNYDER, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Sherman joined Ghost Ranch as CFO in March 2020 with more than 30 years of finance and technology experience in large multinational corporations. He enjoys leveraging that background to build the financial and operating foundations necessary for an organization to grow. He considers himself fortunate to be working with an incredible group of people in one of the most inspiring places in the world.
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BUSY STAFF DURING CLOSURE
PROJECT WOW!
W
hen the ranch is buzzing with workshop guests, weddings, group events and family reunions, it is hard to work around folks to get to routine maintenance and bigger restoration projects. Staff took the opportunity of a quiet ranch as a gift of time to give some TLC to historic buildings and public spaces.
Welcome Center • Restuccoed the building, painted exterior trim and interior walls, resurfaced portal floor, replaced front steps and roof
Lower Pavilion • Cleaned closets, painted meeting room, replaced ceiling tiles
Dining Hall • Cleaned, Cleaned, Cleaned; placed new round tables; created a concierge area; adopted an new inventory management system with emphasis on more fromscratch cooking.
Lodging • In Corral Block, replaced tile floors with wood laminate; painted exteriors of Pine, Cedar, and Garden Cottage; deep cleaned, painted interior of all rooms, added fresh bedding to many; the casitas were turned into tworoom artist studio space. 4 | 505.685.1000
Agape Center • Repaired and painted exterior wood trim, fixed front glass doors
Museums • Replaced roof, added a new exhibit and reated new collections database
Guest Services/Development/ Finance • Adopted new reservation system for better guest experience • Implemented grazing program • Revised personnel policies and job descriptions • Created virtual programing engaging more than 3195 online participants • Launched a new website • Added hundreds of new donors and increased donor gifts by 13% over last year • Donated six vehicles to Abiquiu Fire Department for vehicle emergency extraction training • Integrated accounting systems
A TIME FOR RENEWAL Spring is a time of renewal, both for the environment and for the spiritual, around the globe and especially here at the ranch. It’s fitting that “Restore the Earth” is the theme for Earth Day 2021 (observed this year on April 22), as we continue to restore and upgrade the Ghost Ranch grounds and facilities in preparation for your return. As you see, “Project WOW” has allowed us to temper the unfortunate reality of being closed to visitors due to COVID-19 with the joy of your financial support. Gratefully, the gift of downtime has afforded our staff the opportunity to make improvements both visible and behind the scenes for when you are able to return to your beloved Ghost Ranch. During our Spring 2021 Annual Fund drive, we ask that you continue your generous support as we ensure that Ghost Ranch can provide transformational experiences for generations to come. National Ghost Ranch Foundation (NGRF) is the stand-alone 501(c)(3) non-profit organization responsible for the finances and daily operations of Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center. Under this structure adopted in 2017, your tax-deductible donations are more important than ever. We hope to “WOW” you in person soon! In the meantime, enjoy the video made by Nate Zivin at ghostranch.org/donate GHOSTRANCH.ORG | 5
CHIMNEY ROCK SOCIETY
Chimney Rock photo by Diane Arenberg.
ust as we’re refreshing parts of the ranch for your return, we’d like to provide a refresher on the Chimney Rock Society and the endowment fund.
To reduce confusion, the fund previously known as the Chimney Rock Permanent Endowment Fund has been renamed the NGRF Permanent Endowment Fund. Only a donor may restrict a gift— annual, planned or other—to the NGRF Permanent Endowment Fund. The corpus of the endowment is permanently restricted; the NGRF board of directors designates how the earnings are used.
The Chimney Rock Society is a group of people who have included National Ghost Ranch Foundation (NGRF) in their planned giving options. A planned gift is a contribution that is arranged in the present and allocated at a future date. It is commonly given through a will or trust and is most often received by NGRF following the donor’s passing.
Chimney Rock Society members are not required to designate their planned gift to the Permanent Endowment Fund, although they may choose to do so. Similarly, the planned gifts received from Chimney Rock Society members are not applied automatically to the Permanent Endowment Fund, as only a donor can make that designation.
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For More Information Contact: SUZY MAY, DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR SUZYM@GHOSTRANCH.ORG | 505.685.1003, m 808.720.066
CHANGE IN FISCAL YEAR
N
ational Ghost Ranch Foundation, the stand-alone 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity that operates Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center, is moving to a new fiscal year! Beginning in 2021, our fiscal year will return to mirror the calendar year January 1 - December 31, annually.
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JANUARY TO DECEMBER
As part of refining financial operations and our ongoing commitment to donor transparency, we recently added our updated IRS forms 990 and audit statements for 2017, 2018 and 2019 on our website at: ghostranch.org/about/who-we-are/ annual-reports
MEET OUR
SUMMER LINE-UP
Looking forward to a family-friendly summer. Youth programming will run for five weeks starting the week of June 25 and ending July 30. Read more about the youth and senior high programs, and info about non-participants on our website.
REGISTRATION Opening Soon Ghost Ranch has been so quiet without our traditional mix of workshops guests. We are looking forward to hosting guests of all ages creating memories together. We follow state and CDC guidelines. Masks are required at this time. Smaller class sizes and continued respect for each other will help us keep each other safe. We expect to have registration open by May 1. All in-person programming is subject to change due to COVID-19 protocols set by the state. Please check ghostranch.org frequently for updates.
APRIL-MAY April 30-MAY 2
JUNE 6-12 (six nights)
virtual Dancing the Fertile Flow w/Marla Durden
Literally Letters Calligraphy & More • The Painted Word w/Annie Cicale • Paste Papers That Sing w/Elizabeth McKee • Monoline Alphabets and Creating Small Treasures w/Carol Pallesen • Oil Painting: Finding Your Voice Through Color and Technique w/Natasha Isenhour • Classic Black And White Photography: A Darkroom Adventure w/Kent Bowser • Bones & Blossoms w/Helen Byers
MAY 03-07 virtual Mapmaking: A Personal Cartography w/Guillermo Delgado virtual Beginning Watercolor w/Marty Meade
MAY 10-14 virtual Writing the 10-Minute Play w/Kate Snodgrass MAY 15 virtual Bluegrass Introduction JUNE 05 virtual Spiritual Exile & Seeds of Promise w/John Philip Newell
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JUNE-JULY June 27-July 2 (5 nights) • Tapestry Weaving w/Rose Vigil • Jicarilla Basket Weaving w/Melanie Molly Pesata • Hook Rugs, Save the Planet! w/Laura Salamy • Relax & Restore Your Life Rhythm w/Susan Weber • Paint a Ghost Ranch Mural w/Marian Berg • Navigating Life Transitions w/Jeannie Bowman (also offered August 29-Sept. 3)
JULY 2-5 (3 nights) 4th of July Special details coming soon.
JULY 5-10 (5 nights) • Beginning Silversmithing – An Introduction w/Jamie Halpern • Mosaic ACT: Abstract Color & Texture! w/Kathy Thaden • Pastels for Everyone w/Diane Arenberg • Puddle Play - Painting the Desert in Mixed Water Media w/Juliana Crownover • Pottery- the Way of Raku w/Barbara Campbell • Fire it Up! Art Welding w/Connie Burkhart, David Kadlec • Sabbath Healing w/Anita Amstutz • Archaeological Excavation w/John Hayden & team 8 | 505.685.1000
• Digital Photography: Seeing Differently w/Liz Arenberg • Senior High Initiative (Rock Carving) w/Robin Keck • Adult Service Corps
JULY 11-16 (5 nights) • Mimbres Painted Pottery w/Michael Thornton • Silversmithing: Stone, Shell & Silver w/Jamie Halpern • Mosaic Meditation and Mentoring w/Kathy Thaden • Painting Cliffs & Clouds in Oil w/Juliana Crownover • Fire it Up! Art Welding w/Connie Burkhart • For the Love of Photography w/Sandy Kaplan • Archaeological Excavation w/John Hayden & team • Mindful Hiking, Art and Yoga w/Guillermo Delgado, Susan Weber • Start Where You Are: Writing and Mindfulness Retreat w/Janis Newman • Beadwork: Circular Technique w/Merrick Tate • Flyfishing w/David Poole • Senior High Initiative (Photography Inside & Out) w/Liz Arenberg • Adult Service Corps
MORE
SUMMER LINE-UP
JULY 18-23 (5 nights) • Quilting with Georgia O’Keeffe: My Heavenly Stars! w/Ronnie Ashford • Weaving Over and Under: How Opposites Attract w/Sarah Noggle • Silversmithing Open Studio w/Jamie Halpern • Sketch the Painted Desert w/Juliana Crownover • True Green Pottery: Paper Clay w/Barbara Campbell • Slide Shows That Dazzle w/Sandy Kaplan • Paint Stories Like Frida Kahlo w/Guillermo Delgado • Flyfishing w/Tom Nichols, David Kadlec • Fused Glass Landscapes w/Katrina Jameson • Senior High Initiative (Weld & Wander) w/Connie Burkhart • Adult Service Corps
JULY 25-30 FAMILY WEEK & BLUEGRASS CAMP (5 nights) • Sew Happy Service Corps w/Ronnie Ashford • Your Pastel Groove w/Juliana Crownover • Photographing the Northern New Mexico Landscape w/Mark Schumann • Cowboy Hat Making w/Tom Hirt • Hiking the Harmonies w/Connie Burkhart
• Introduction to Art Quilting w/Melisa Hart • Spiritual Journey: Stillpoint • Bluegrass - Banjo, Bass, Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin • Senior High Initiative (Outdoor Adventures) w/Laurie Magoon • Adult Service Corps
AUGUST 22-28 (6 nights) • Mastering Silver and Stone w/Jamie Halpern • Level UP: Mastering the Landscape in Oil w/Natasha Isenhour • Pastel Landscape Intensive w/Diane Arenberg • The Daily Stone Carver w/Robin Keck • The Art of Environmental Portrait w/George DeLoache • Basic 4-Harness Weaving w/Rose Vigil • Earth Vessels of Micaceous Clay w/Camilla Trujillo • Drawing from Nature w/Helen Byers
AUGUST 26-29 (3 nights) • Georgia O’Keeffe Immersion w/Karen Butts, Margaret Wood GHOSTRANCH.ORG | 9
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Ghost Ranch Conference Center 280 Private Drive 1708 Abiquiu, NM 87510-2001
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