Job Description

Executive Director, Elohee Retreat Center

Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia

About Elohee

Elohee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nature-based retreat center dedicated to self-discovery, healing, and awakening. Founded over a decade ago with the intention of creating a sanctuary for personal transformation in nature, Elohee has grown into a respected destination for retreats that integrate contemplative practices, holistic wellness, and meaningful human connection. Named for a Cherokee word meaning earth, Elohee is situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the traditional homelands of the Cherokee Nation. We honor and respect the indigenous stewards past and present who maintain an enduring connection to this sacred land.

Elohee sits on 225+ acres of forested mountain land in Northeast Georgia, developed thoughtfully over time with a deep commitment to land stewardship, community, and the support of meaningful inner work. Elohee consists of three main retreat and exploration areas which include the trails of Landsong, Bald Mountain center, and the forest nestled Thanksgiving House. Showcasing panoramic mountain views, a 100 foot waterfall canyon, miles of trails, and relaxing spa, and at full capacity holds 50-60 individuals. The annual operating budget is approximately $1M and there is a close-knit team of 11 full-time and part-time employees, as well as landscaping, cleaning, spa, marketing, and technology contractors. Each year, Elohee hosts around 100 retreats led by more than 70 facilitators from across the country and the world. Growth has been steady and organic, driven largely by word of mouth, repeat facilitators, and returning guests.

The current Executive Director has collaboratively led Elohee since its first retreat in 2011 and is preparing to transition to a Founder-in-Residence role in early 2027.

For more information please visit www.elohee.org.

About the Position

Elohee is seeking an Executive Director to work closely and collaboratively with the staff, board, and Founder-in-Residence and lead the organization into its next chapter. Deeply focused on Elohee values and rooted in a reverence for everything that has made Elohee special, the new leader will oversee the strategy, operations, team management, partnerships, marketing, and guest experience. The Executive Director will be humble, listen first, learn from the current staff and board, and steep themselves in the environment in which Elohee has flourished since 2011. With this understanding, the Executive Director will work cooperatively with the team and co-design ways to intentionally increase capacity and performance over time.

The Executive Director will live onsite and serve as an active, visible, and present leader of Elohee, overseeing team and organizational performance, guest experience, and relationships with the hundreds of retreat facilitators who lead retreats at Elohee. In addition, the Executive Director will serve as a leader in regional and national collaboratives and membership organizations focused on continuous learning from other leaders in the field.

The Executive Director will manage a team of five who work on-site, hybrid, and remotely, including:

• Facilities Director
• Retreat Director
• Director of Guest Experience (currently vacant)
• Executive Chef
• Head of Technology

Other staff include:

• Facilities Manager
• Retreat Vision Coordinator
• Marketing Manager

In addition to these staff, there is a small group of contractors who manage the grounds and cleaning.

The Executive Director will have strong, open, and direct lines of communication with the staff and board, ensuring trusted and transparent relationships with the small group of individuals who have created and built Elohee into what it is today. The current Board of Directors is active and engaged, and the majority of decisionmaking will be shared with this group.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Vision

• Partner with the Board to define and execute a medium to long-term vision oriented toward sustainability, growth, increased occupancy, program development, and an expanded facilitator network.
• Bring an orientation toward continuous improvement, using new tools, processes, and ideas to help a small team work more effectively.

Revenue Generation (Philanthropic and Earned Income)

• Bring a long-term desire to grow Elohee's programs, facilities, team, and scholarship capacity with intention and with a focus on preserving Elohee values and culture.
• Serve as Elohee's fundraising leader, developing and executing a philanthropic fundraising strategy, including cultivating, closing, and stewarding donors.
• Grow earned income opportunities, including retreat occupancy, the gift shop, and the spa, in partnership with the Director of Guest Experience.

Financial and Operational Management

• Oversee financial performance for a multi-revenue-stream operation with a minimum $1M operating budget, approaching $2M in scale, including budgeting, financial statements, and revenue growth.
• Lead day-to-day operations across guest experience, facilities, and retreat logistics, in partnership with the Retreat Director and Director of Guest Experience.
• Exercise entrepreneurial judgment and manage operational risk.

Team Leadership

• Recruit, lead, and develop a values-driven team.
• Build the organizational infrastructure Elohee needs for its next stage, including an employee manual, org chart, onboarding process, and conflict resolution framework.
• Lead a collaborative and positive culture: value staff input and shared decision-making, while making clear, mission-driven calls when needed.

External Relationship-Building and Facilitator Development

• Serve as Elohee's primary ambassador to partners, donors, and the broader community.
• Proactively cultivate relationships with facilitators who bring their own following, including national outreach, to help keep Elohee's retreat calendar full and diverse.
• Represent Elohee within the broader retreat center community, including ongoing participation in retreat center consortium meetings.

Board Partnership and Governance

• Report to and work closely with the Board of Directors, including Elohee's founder in her new Board role.
• Support the Board's ongoing expansion, helping bring a broader range of skills and perspectives into governance.
• Understand and respect that Elohee's founding family retains ownership and long-term vision for the organization, and work within that structure rather than around it.

Change Management and Transition

• Partner closely with the outgoing Executive Director through a structured first 90 days, with clear decision-making authority from day one and coaching support as needed.
• Advance organizational growth and change while holding space for a team that is navigating this transition, listening and gathering input before making decisions.

Qualifications

• Genuine resonance and alignment with Elohee's focus on healing, conscious living, transformation, self-discovery, human growth and potential, and the power of nature to heal and connect.
• A collaborative and inclusive leadership style, high emotional intelligence, and strong interpersonal communication. A record of leading directly, kindly, and with clarity, and the humility to listen before acting.
• 7+ years of senior leadership experience in nonprofit, hospitality, retreat, or wellness settings, or comparably mission-driven organizations.
• Budget management experience and authority of at least $1M, ideally within a multi-revenue-stream operation.
• Experience overseeing organizational operations, including financial management and systems-building.
• Record of success reading, interpreting, and acting on financial statements, and understanding the business model and risk behind the numbers.
• Experience co-creating a medium to long-term vision and strategy, ideally in a retreat, hospitality, or wellness context.
• A genuine growth mindset: you continuously look for ways to improve how a small team works, and can point to real examples of using new tools or approaches to increase efficiency over the past year.
• Experience overseeing a team of about five, with a record of success in hiring, training, and staff development.
• Availability for full-time residential leadership, including regular off-hours and weekend work.

Preferred

• Experience in retreat centers or similar environments.
• Background in contemplative or healing practices.
• Existing relationships within the facilitator or wellness community.
• Fundraising or development experience, including individual major donor cultivation.

Living and Working at Elohee

The Executive Director is expected to live on the property to support the continuous, largely 24/7 nature of retreat operations.

Most retreats run Thursday or Friday through Sunday. The Executive Director is expected to be present for facilitator arrivals and the Sunday retreat debrief, working a Wednesday through Sunday schedule during active retreat weekends. The Director of Guest Experience will lead day-to-day retreat execution; the Executive Director's role during retreats is to be visible and available without inserting into the retreat itself, building relationships with facilitators and learning what will help Elohee support them even better over time.

This is a fully integrated, hands-on leadership position. Presence on the land is an essential part of supporting the guest experience, the staff, and the overall stewardship of Elohee.

Compensation

Salary Range: $95,000 to $120,000, commensurate with experience.

A private, on-site mountain home (3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms) is provided as part of the overall compensation package, offering a unique lifestyle opportunity in an extraordinary natural setting.

Relocation assistance may be available for the right candidate. Benefits package to be discussed.