The Rothko Chapel’s Board of Directors has announced that longtime Executive Director David Leslie will retire in June 2025.
David Leslie
Mr. Leslie joined the Chapel in March 2015 having previously served as the Executive Director of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, a statewide nonprofit organization of interfaith partners supporting local communities. His career has focused on human rights, interfaith relations, immigration reform, ending homelessness, and addressing the societal impacts of climate change.
In a press release, Troy Porter, Chair of the Chapel’s Board, commented, “We are so proud of the legacy that David has created. He is leaving the Chapel an even better institution than he inherited 10 years ago. Speaking for the entire Board, we are sad to see him go, but wish him only the very best as he moves into this next phase of his life.”
During his tenure at the Chapel, Mr. Leslie grew the organization’s programming related to human rights, civil rights, social and environmental justice, and spirituality. He expanded community engagement, in part through online programming during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also been an integral part of the multi-year campus development project Opening Spaces, a comprehensive restorative and transformative initiative. Together with the Board, Mr. Leslie has also worked to create the framework for the new Institute of Spirituality and Social Justice, which will guide the organization’s programming and support leaders working for an equitable and just society.
Christopher Rothko, son of Mark Rothko and former Chair of the Chapel’s Board, noted, “David has steered the Chapel through a remarkable period of change and growth, including helping the Chapel through a global pandemic and guiding the largest capital project in our history, with both a steady hand and a sense of possibility about the kind of place the Chapel could be for future generations.”
Mr. Leslie remarked, “To be a steward of this transformative spiritual and cultural institution, and to further the de Menil’s legacy of social justice, has been the honor of a lifetime. I know that the Chapel’s next leader will continue to expand our mission of both contemplation and action at the intersection of art, spirituality, and human rights.”
The Board of Directors has begun a national search process to identify the organization’s next Executive Director.
