Regarding Transitions: Staffing Changes at Diocesan Office

At the conclusion of the 2020 Duncan Park retreat season, Katie Young, Director of Duncan Park announced to the Rt. Rev. David Reed, Bishop of West Texas, and other colleagues that she will be leaving the diocesan staff at the end of the calendar year.

Katie joined the diocesan Camps and Conferences staff in 2015 and has worked closely with Rob Watson, Director of Camps & Conferences, and other diocesan staff to continue to grow and develop Duncan Park's summer camp programming, retreat offerings, facilities, and commitment to environmental stewardship. Although it is many miles from the diocese, located 25 miles northwest of Boulder, Colorado and 9,500 feet above sea level, Duncan Park is at the heart of the Camps & Conferences' mission to provide spaces for people to gather, deepen their faith, experience the love of God in community, and feel empowered to share this grace with their home congregations and neighbors.

The work of Duncan Park will continue under the direction of Rob Watson, with support from other camp staff. As the Camps & Conferences Department plans to host a full calendar of youth camps and family retreats in 2021, the diocese will accept applicants for Duncan Park Director as well. As a member of the year-round camp staff, the Director is responsible for overseeing the Duncan Park facilities, staff and programs. Potential candidates will be leaders who know Christian hospitality, understand adventure programming, and enjoy living off the grid. Experience in a similar facility or job is expected. Interested individuals may click here for more information or contact Rob Watson, at rob.watson@dwtx.org.

Regarding her time as Director of Duncan Park, Katie Young shares the following letter to the Diocese.

Dear diocesan and Duncan Park family,

It is with a reluctant heart, that I share that 2020 will be my last season as Director of Duncan Park. During the past five years shared between the Texas Hill Country and the Rocky Mountains, I have been overwhelmed by the beauty of this space and the kindness of the people who have traveled here in search of rest, adventure, stillness, beauty, fellowship with one another, and a connection with God.

I am grateful for the teenagers who taught me how to play and continually renewed my appreciation for the mountains, as I witnessed the wonder that filled their eyes each time our hikes brought us to an incredible view. I am grateful for the summer staff who challenged me at every turn, always made me laugh at just the right moment, and who I watched grow over the course of each summer. I am grateful for the adults who braved a week in the woods and for all the stories shared of laughter, hard lessons, and wisdom. I am still learning from our guests’ willingness to move past their discomfort to lean into new experiences.

Every person that has spent time at Duncan Park, and every minute that I have spent here, has changed me. West Texas, thank you for letting me call you my home these past few years. I don’t know what is next on my path, but I do know that wherever I go, I will carry the spirit of camp and your stories with me out into the world.

Gratefully yours,

Katie Young