Wisdom in Community – Our July Board Retreat
Guest Post – Gabriela Robles, Chief Executive
Last month, the St. Joseph Fund Board gathered in Missoula, Montana, for a three-day retreat that centered Wisdom in Community. We stepped away from our routines to connect deeply with one another, our mission, and especially with the communities we are privileged to serve.
Our time began with a warm welcome and dinner. Benjamin “Benji” Headswift of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe offered a moving land acknowledgment and a round dance, setting the tone for our retreat with humility, gratitude, and a connection to the land and people.
The next morning, we met at Providence St. Patrick Hospital, where local leadership welcomed us. Greg Hoffman, Providence CFO, walked us through financial updates, including sharing the impetus behind the workgroups that will explore how to sustain our mission in the future. This is a meaningful conversation for us as we prepare to celebrate SJF’s 40th anniversary in 2026 and discuss how we will continue to be stewards of our communities.
This retreat, facilitated by Sarah Middleton, President and CEO of Mission Up, was different from others we’ve had in the past. Instead of inviting community partners to come to us, we went to them. A local community expert from Missoula provided context about the land, history, and current challenges as we traveled to Ninepipes Lodge, named for Chief Joseph (Nganta) Ninepipes, a respected Bitterroot Salish leader, located near the Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge and the Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana.
That afternoon, we were welcomed and hosted by a planning committee comprised of community partners and tribal representatives. Both elders and others from multiple Native nations gathered with us to introduce themselves and share their thoughts on what community means to them. We listened to stories about legacy and lived experience, from doulas to educators to artists, all working to preserve and honor tribal history while building a stronger future.
The partners we were honored to spend time with included Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies of Montana | Native American Initiative; Montana Consortium for Urban Indian Health; SNQWEYLMISTN; Western Montana Area Health Education Center; and Headwaters Foundation. Community leaders included members from the Blackfeet Nation, the Rocky Boy Reservation, the Fort Belknap Indian Community, the Lolo and Browning Nations, as well as representatives from Three Forks, Helena, Flathead, Missoula, and Billings.
For many of us, the role reversal in which we, the board, were the guests was new and very impactful. We each had the opportunity to introduce ourselves, not with titles, but with our “why.” There was vulnerability, honesty, connection, and profound respect for the trust extended to us, as well as for the integrity and passion of those we met. These weren’t performative conversations. They were personal, heartfelt, and honest.
We also visited St. Ignatius Mission, where the Sisters of Providence were first invited to Montana by Jesuits to begin their education ministry, laying the groundwork for what would become Providence St. Patrick Hospital.
The final day of the retreat focused on looking ahead, specifically on how we will honor our 40th anniversary next year. This milestone is as much about the future as it is about the past.
I’m proud of how we’ve shifted our model to partner with and connect to our community. We spent quality time together, listening deeply and allowing space for storytelling to take root. It’s a practice we need to continue, not just at retreats, but in how we lead and manage our work.
Wisdom doesn’t reside in boardrooms alone. It lives in community, stories, reconciliation, and relationships built over shared meals. As we approach our 40th year, I’m proud of our accomplishments, but I am also excited for what’s to come, thanks to our willingness to listen, learn, and move forward in love.
