GREAT FALLS — After 15 years leading the Great Falls Rescue Mission, Executive Director Jim McCormick has announced his retirement. Come spring, Development Director Carrie Matter will take over as the seventh leader in the organization's more than 60-year history — and the first woman to hold the position.
Matter, who may also be the youngest executive director in the Mission's history, comes from a family with deep roots in the organization. Her grandfather volunteered alongside founder Harold Ross, and her late father was a longtime volunteer who played piano for evening chapel services.
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"She has pretty much been raised at the rescue mission, and her family has been volunteering here for many, many years," McCormick said.
Matter previously worked at the Mission as a life advisor in the women's shelter before leaving for other opportunities. When McCormick needed to step down from his development director role, the organization approached her to return.
"When the time came for me to step out of my role as development director, we were looking for someone, and through conversation, we said, we need to approach Carrie," McCormick said.
In April, Matter will officially take over leadership of the organization that serves hundreds of people experiencing homelessness in Great Falls.
"There are times where the weight of what you do feels heavy because you're trying to keep people safe out of the elements. You have people that are going through recovery trying to keep so many people safe," Matter said. "You have hundreds of people in your building and your care, but yet you're trying to reach out all at the same time."
Matter said she was humbled to be selected from multiple internal and external candidates. The Mission's vision is something her family has embraced for generations.
"The vision of the mission is something that my family has captured over all these years, like longer before I was born," Matter said. "It's just something that I get excited thinking about for the future of the mission and what it's going to entail."
As a Great Falls native, Matter doesn't foresee major changes to the Mission but welcomes new ideas alongside proven approaches.
"You have to build upon what was started. I think sometimes I've watched organizations make a large overhaul and it didn't go well," Matter said. "I think we have some good things going on. We need to refine them. We need to improve upon them."
Matter said continuity is important for stakeholders in the Mission.
"The first comment someone said was, well, we're very relieved because you know our quirks," Matter said. "I know your strengths too. I think there is a sense of positivity. There's a sense of relief because I know our team, I know our volunteers, I know our donors, I know the community."
The spirit of service was instilled in Matter from a young age. She remembers accompanying her father to the Mission as a little girl and being amazed at the church community's support.
"The board was comprised of members from the local churches. I always wondered why there was such strong church support for so many years for the mission," Matter said. "It was because they all pitched in and they all helped. And that has remained strong throughout the decades."
Initially, Matter wasn't sold on taking the executive director position. Her husband's encouragement helped change her mind.
"It really wasn't until my husband said, I think you should take this seriously, you know, consider yourself seriously for this position," Matter said. "Knowing that I have my family, that I have people that are behind me, I'm excited."
Matter praised McCormick's approach to homeless ministry during his tenure, which began when the Cameron Family Center was relatively new.
"It's just really honing in on approaching homeless ministry with grace and mercy, but also having hard conversations that come from a place of love," Matter said.
McCormick expressed confidence in the transition, noting their strong working relationship.
"She's seen it for the five years I've done it. And then she watched Jim Kaiser before me. So she's had a lot of experience," McCormick said. "We've worked together very well over the years and I look forward to a smooth transition at the end of April."
Matter said working under McCormick and two other executive directors has prepared her to continue the Mission's success.
"We've seen some great successes. We've seen where more and more people housed. We have seen more lives transformed," Matter said. "It's really honing in on the vision and mission of who we are and what we do."
Matter compared leading the organization to a basketball game, requiring constant movement and pivoting to face different challenges.
"You're constantly moving, you're running. Then you stop and then you pivot," Matter said. "Sometimes it may feel like a game of Jumanji, you know, like things that you never thought that you would face."
McCormick plans to spend more time traveling in retirement but will continue volunteering with the Mission. Looking back on 15 years of leadership, he'll remember the emotional moments of seeing families reunited.
"We get to see that when they get their kids back, tears start flying," McCormick said. "It's probably the best day that you could possibly think of to see somebody get their children back. And it still brings tears to my eyes."
