The Friends of San Damiano Board of Directors announced Tuesday that, effective next Tuesday, Cara Erickson will become the organization’s first executive director, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
The appointment marks the culmination of a four-month search and a new agreement with the city of Monona, which makes the organization responsible for the management and future development of the San Damiano property on Lake Monona. The nonprofit is working to transform the 10-acre site into a public space for recreation, programming and peaceful reflection.
Erickson was previously the director of marketing and communications at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, a position she held for the last 10 years. She helped complete multiple capital campaigns, launched the Nature Preschool and the Trailside Backpack program, and established the Adult Summer Camp, the nonprofit’s newest fundraiser.
The Friends of San Damiano said that Erickson’s hire was made possible through a 2024 capacity building grant from the Madison Community Foundation.
