10-05-2025
Johanna Van Waveren steps down as executive director
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) – Johanna Van Waveren, who is the executive director for the Colorado National Monument Association (CNMA), states, 'The community has been really supportive of this decision. It's always hard to have somebody leave, especially someone who's worked in an organization for a while.'
Recently, Van Waveren announced her time is coming to a close. And she tells WesternSlopeNow, she is stepping away due to personal reasons.
Van Waveren states, 'I've been in this role for four and a half years and I've worked up here since 2015 with a small break. So after that amount of time, I'm just ready for the next step for my personal career.'
From starting her journey as a seasonal park tour guide for the monument to making her way to the top as an executive director has been a journey in itself.
Even though she will be stepping away from the leadership role, Van Waveren says she will still be a member of the community and continue to fight and protect the place she loves.
And that includes the upcoming Confluence Center.
Van Waveren states, 'It's a project I'm really passionate about, so I'll continue with those fundraising efforts until that building is standing.'
Rusty Lloyd, executive director for RiversEdge West, states, 'I knew she was a very capable executive director. She's really put the Colorado National Monument Association on the map and really developed that organization and worked hard at her job. Once we knew that organization was interested in being a part of the Confluence Center, we were instantly overjoyed because of her capabilities, her leadership.'
To put a local nonprofit on the map is not an easy task, but it can be seen from afar how much it has grown to where it is to the present day.
Jennifer Moore, who is the executive director for Eureka! McConnell Science Museum, states, 'It's been really wonderful to watch the growth of CNMA under Johanna's tenure as the executive director up there. The organization has just really blossomed and really reached more members of the community, and I think they're on the trajectory to be very successful in the future.'
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