Planning my retirement from One Spirit
From Ilene Sameth, CEO
Dear beloved community:
As some of you know, I have spent the last many years being the primary caretaker for my mom, who passed away in January of this year. Since that time, I have been in deep discernment about what this change means for me, both as a daughter and a leader. Listening deeply to my heart has led me to the decision that I will be moving towards my retirement, not only from One Spirit but from my work life as I enter the next phase of whatever is calling me. As I enter my ninth year of leadership of this wonderful organization, I will move to prepare One Spirit to replace me with a new person of vision to take us to the next stage of our work.
Little did I know, when I accepted the invitation to become the CEO of One Spirit Learning Alliance, that I would be taking on the best and most exciting job in my very long career. I could never find a better job, and I don’t even want to try. I am ready to step towards the next phase of my life with a beginner's mind, being open to whatever travels, studies, volunteer opportunities as well as other things I cannot even yet imagine to unfold.
I have told the Board I am ready to stay until Commencement in June 2024, but if the right next leader is found, I will work to move the transition forward sooner. But whatever the timeline may be, I will always be a part of the One Spirit family.
Ilene Sameth,
CEO, One Spirit Learning Alliance
From Brad Learmonth,
President of the Board
When Ilene informed us of her decision to step toward retirement, there was no shortage of tears. But we listened with open hearts and minds as she articulated her process of deep discernment and personal inquiry. And as always, she put the well-being of One Spirit front and center. She has our support and our deepest respect and gratitude.
It is no small feat to step into an organization growing from its founding phase to its next iteration and, over the past eight years, Ilene has taken the helm with such skill and care as to make our job on the board easy. She created systems and cohesion in the operations of One Spirit and has guided the succession of both the seminary leadership and the revisioning and restructuring of the counseling/companioning program.
Ilene deftly navigated the huge upheaval of COVID and the subsequent urgency to more fully step into the work of antiracism and decolonization. A hallmark of this work has been our fair share tuition program. Through all of this, she has held to the core of One Spirit and modeled the best example of collaborative leadership.
We are thrilled that Ilene will now dedicate herself to helping identify the very best leader to move One Spirit into its next evolution of growth and change. We offer Ilene heartfelt thanks and know that she will always be part of our One Spirit family.
In One Spirit,
Brad Learmonth and the Board
From Rev. Diane Berke
Our Founder & Spiritual Director
I have lost count of how many times over the past 8 years that I have thought, felt, or said, “Hiring Ilene Sameth as One Spirit’s CEO was one of the best decisions One Spirit ever made!” In December 2015, Ilene was the perfect person at the perfect time to step into the executive leadership of One Spirit. Her extensive executive skills and organizational leadership experience, together with her collaborative engagement style, personal warmth, great sense of humor, and plain old willingness to roll up her sleeves and do whatever needs to be done have been an incredible blessing to One Spirit, and to me personally. As she announces her decision to retire and explore what wonderful adventures post-career life holds for her, I extend on all our behalf deep gratitude for all that she has brought to our beloved community and every blessing for her continued growth, joy, and service to others as she goes forward.
When anything unexpected happens, my friend Vy always says, “I can’t wait to see what great good comes out of this.” I have witnessed Spirit bring great good out of every change One Spirit has gone through over the past 21 years, and I have deep trust that Spirit is fully in charge of, and choreographing, this change as well. I can’t wait to see what great good comes out of it, for One Spirit and for the world.
Blessings, love, and gratitude,
Rev. Diane Berke,
Founder & Spiritual Director
