Our President & CEO, Yodit Mesfin Johnson, shares some of her experiences during the first chapter of her sabbatical, taken in summer of 2023. The sabbatical is part of the McGregor Fund’s 2023 Eugene A. Miller fellowship, of which Yodit was one of nine (9) awardees. The program supports McGregor’s grant partners’ CEOs and executive directors to take extended time away from their organizations to recharge, immerse in enriching experiences, build skills and knowledge, and broaden their vision – all according to a plan of their own design.

In many ways, ecological gardening is a form of magic. When done well, the garden becomes more rich year after year, while the gardener intervenes less and less. In a few years, a barren patch of land can become a food forest, lush with flowers, fruit trees, and vegetable vines that produce in abundance. By connecting the systems, the gardener closes loops that western agricultural methods leave open and helps cultivate balance. Every living thing within the garden contributes to the health and survival of everything else. And while there is still loss – everything dies eventually – even those deaths are part of the cycle, the resources used to make the ecosystem stronger. It is essentially everything we want for our social sector and vibrant communities.

For me, this journey was about being honest with our beliefs and allowing them to guide our actions. It has been a journey of discovery and transformation to remain relevant in the ecosystem we serve. This path demanded great patience, thoughtfulness, and a strategic approach. Together, we crafted an expression of our organization’s soul. It may not be perfect, but I feel pretty darn good about it.