04/01/2026
Today we honor our founder, Ted Wiard, for his 64th birthday, for his official retirement as Executive Director of Golden Willow Retreat, and for his transition to our Board of Directors! Since founding Golden Willow with his wife Marcella 25 years ago, his passion, dedication, and service have helped thousands, from Taos County to internationally, through the difficult work of navigating grief.
We stand in gratitude to all he’s accomplished and the work he’s done to ensure Golden Willow will thrive into the future. We will continue to be a sanctuary of healing and of service to those in need, and look forward to continuing to support the people of Taos and New Mexico.
As Ted steps away from day-to-day operations, we welcome Rebecca Ford, our longtime Director of Operations, as our new Executive Director. We can’t wait to see what she, along with Clinical Director Karsyn Lahann and their skilled Golden Willow team, will build in the future.
This year will be one of Celebration for Golden Willow - for it’s 25th anniversary, for the incredible legacy of Ted Wiard’s life’s work and his new role as Board President, and for the bright future of the organization he founded and built. Please save the dates – we invite you to join us in celebrating Golden Willow Retreat’s 25 years of service on July 25th, 2026 at our annual butterfly release and on October 25th, 2026 for a celebration dinner in the Taos Ski Valley.
