Retirement: A Time of Celebration
A letter from Mark Sundby, MDiv, PhD, LP.
On December 31, 2026, I will officially retire from LeaderWise. It’s also the day I move from active status to retired status as a United Methodist pastor.
A year ago, Mary Kay DuChene and I stepped down as co-directors of the center. This culminated a well-planned, several-year leadership transition to the next generation. Drew Benson, the third co-director, became executive director, and Heather Koshiol continued as director of operations. Together, they have built an outstanding new leadership team, promoting Kelly Jordan to assessment team lead and emilie boggis to leadership development team lead.
How do I feel? After 22 years as executive director, 3 years as a co-director, and the past year as a staff psychologist, I am thrilled with this transition. After Mary Kay and I stepped back from our co-director roles, we devoted part of the next staff meeting to hearing how the rest of the staff was experiencing the transition. While many appreciated our leadership, several also said they hadn’t noticed any difference. They were satisfied with their work before the transition and remained satisfied afterward. To me, that was success: a smooth transition without any notable disruptions.
Several years ago, a talented Spanish-speaking psychologist worked at our center. One morning he announced his retirement, commenting to me, “Mark, do you know the Spanish word for retirement? It’s ‘celebration!’” His comment has remained with me. That’s exactly how this transition to retirement feels to me: celebration. It’s a culmination of 26 years as a paid staff member at LeaderWise. As I’ve read more about the Spanish word jubilación, I’ve learned it has much more nuance, especially as it’s evolved over the centuries and in common usage. At its core, though, the word comes from the Latin iūbilāre, or “to shout out joyfully.” What a lovely way to approach retirement!
Beyond celebration, I also feel deep gratitude. Thank you. Thank you for the chance to be part of your ministry. I thoroughly enjoyed fielding phone calls from denominational executives and problem-solving with them, meeting with candidates for ministry to explore their call from a psychological perspective, conferring with pastors in midcareer who were discerning next steps, and regularly traveling to Synod School in Iowa, church basements in Indiana, the plains of the Dakotas, and numerous other places to facilitate workshops. Thank you for trusting and confiding in me, and making my career one of the most rewarding imaginable.
I also want to thank the staff and board of directors at LeaderWise. Many years ago, with a team now all retired, we identified the center’s “core values” as part of strategic planning. Working together, two values rose to the top: excellence and integrity. It was true for the staff and board at the center's inception over 55 years ago; it was true at the strategic planning session 20 years ago; and it’s true now. I’m absolutely confident of the integrity and excellence of the current staff. Rest assured, LeaderWise will walk alongside your ministers and ministries for years to come!
What’s next for me? I will continue to work at LeaderWise, providing therapy as a part-time contract employee. This isn't just a continuation of work; it is a conscious choice to do what I love. I’ve stepped back from leadership, budgets, and the rest, and I’m returning to my original calling as a psychologist. After months of discernment, including much internal soul-searching and, at times, struggle, I’m at peace. My new phrase: “I’m retired—and I choose to work part-time as a therapist.” This decision reflects a renewed focus on why I became a psychologist in the first place. It also means more time for family, friends, travel, and personal interests.
A colleague who recently retired remarked, “There was a sense of completion. I’d done all that I was meant to do, and now I get to do what I want to do.” As I retire, I feel that way, too. There is a shout of joy, profound gratitude, a sense of completion, and a new chapter in life.
