M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust

Women in Leadership

Providing resources, support and leadership skills to women in nonprofit management

Women in Leadership

Women in Leadership is a series of gatherings that supports mid-level/mid-career women nonprofit leaders in the Pacific Northwest to thrive in their leadership by developing skills, deepening character, growing spirituality, enhancing life practices and expanding networks.

The gatherings are intergenerational, so women of all ages can learn from each other’s experience and wisdom. Women network and collaborate, hear from a guest speaker and have time for group interaction. Content is rooted in a Christian worldview, and women are offered a unique opportunity to explore key issues vital to their work and life.

The Conference

The annual conference is a three-day, two-night gathering in Vancouver, Washington, each spring and is a core piece of the Women in Leadership program. The speakers and content are anchored in a Christian worldview, but resources and learnings can be applicable to all mid-level/mid-career women, regardless of faith. The conference is a space to move between concepts and application to real life with the goal of helping women leaders become better equipped for their work.

If you are interested in taking part in the Women in Leadership Conference, please review the past conference resources below and listen to some of the recordings to get a sense of whether the content fits with your interests. If after reviewing the resources, you are interested in being invited to the program, please email womeninleadership@murdocktrust.org.

The Lunch Gathering

A group of women gather around a table at the Women in Leadership Conference.

In addition to the annual conference, the Women in Leadership program includes regional lunch gatherings in the Murdock Trust’s funding region (currently in Montana and Idaho). The gatherings are held in the fall (paused for 2024) and include lunch, a short program to receive content/tools/resources, facilitated networking with other leaders attending the event and introduction to the Murdock Trust’s grants and enrichment opportunities.

If you are interested in taking participating in future lunch gatherings, please email womeninleadership@murdocktrust.org.

Our Next Conference

May 1-3, 2024: Thriving in the Midst of Challenges – A Pathway toward Wholeness

As women professionals, we know that challenges and hardships affect every aspect of our lives, not just our leadership. What is not always clear is how exactly that happens and whether we can thrive amidst those difficult circumstances. During this conference we will identify, name, and process the different challenges and hardships impacting our minds, hearts and bodies and, through practices and postures that follow Scriptures and the life of Jesus, we will discern the unique invitation that God has for us in the midst of all that is going on around us—and within us. Together, we will discover that we don’t need to wait for our pain or struggles to end in order to step fully into our leadership and experience wholeness, healing, and freedom in our lives.

Learning Objectives

During our three-day gathering, we will:

  • Identify the limiting beliefs that hinder our growth and diminish our ability to grow as leaders
  • Explore practices and postures to help us listen to our bodies, tune into the voice of God, and gently tend to our fears and worries to open up space for our hopes and dreams
  • Discern God’s unique invitation for us in our particular context and season of life
  • Embrace personal pathways towards wholeness that integrate our leadership and life story, our challenges and aspirations, and our body, mind, and soul

About Our Speaker, Gaby Viesca:

Gaby Viesca, 2024 Women in Leadership speaker

Gaby hails from a desert-like city in northern Mexico called Torreón. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Business (Universidad de las Americas) and a master’s degree in Biblical Studies (Regent University). 

Gaby’s career spans over a decade of working in ministry and the business world. As a pastor-theologian, she is passionate about building bridges between the Church and Academia, preaching and writing, and curating experiences to help people see and experience God in fully embodied ways. She has served in full-time ministry in Israel, Mexico and the Pacific Northwest.

On the business side of her career, Gaby has designed global strategies for General Electric, worked as junior business consultant in southern Mexico, and promoted several start-ups with young entrepreneurs in the city of Puebla. Some of her previous roles include Director of Masters Programs at Portland Seminary and Campus Pastor at George Fox University. She currently serves as Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Missio Alliance and is Chair of the Evangelical Studies Unit at the American Academy of Religion.

She lives in Portland, OR with her husband, Daniel, and their son, Elliot, and is thrilled to be part of this year’s Women in Leadership Conference.

A Few More Details:

  • Conference cost: $100
  • Conference will be hosted at the Hilton in Vancouver, WA
  • Registration will open in late February.
  • Attendance Eligibility:
    • This conference is a faith-based, invitation-only event.
    • Women participants must be employed full time at a nonprofit organization within the Murdock Trust’s funding region (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, Vancouver, B.C.). Exceptions may be made for staff from grantee organizations outside of this region.
    • Preference for registration may be given to those nonprofits in one of the Murdock Trust’s sector areas:
      • Arts, Culture, & Education
      • Health & Environmental Stewardship
      • Civic Engagement & Community Services
      • Scientific Research
    • Staff of churches are not eligible to participate at this time.
    • Participation is limited to no more than 3 staff representatives from one organization.
  • We are pleased to introduce leadership specialists and event organizers, Leadership Training Initiative (LTI), who will be supporting the conference programming this year. You may see their team referenced in future communications.
  • If you have not participated in the Women in Leadership conference before and would like to be considered to attend, please send your name, organization, website, and role/title to Hannah Pick, Program Manager, at womeninleadership@murdocktrust.org

Have questions? Contact us at womeninleadership@murdocktrust.org or 360.906.6077.

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