Catholic Charities leader resigns

A cyclist has a lot of time to think during all-day rides.

For Jason Christensen, his thoughts while pedaling 70 miles a day for months around the country led to his decision to leave Catholic Charities, he said Thursday.

“Things get put in perspective when you are out there on the road,” Christensen said.

A couple weeks ago, Christensen and the Catholic Charities board mutually agreed that he would step down as CEO and president of the nonprofit. He gave his formal resignation Tuesday.

Christensen, 40, said he resigned because of burnout and a desire to work more with children. He said Catholic Charities doesn’t emphasize that because of the many other Springs groups dedicated to helping children.

In recent weeks he’s interviewed with three children’s organizations, one in Denver and two out of state.

“I want to make a transformation change in children’s lives,” he said.

The germ of Christensen’s career move was planted in May, when he and other Catholic leaders started riding in Cycling for Change, a Catholic-sponsored 5,100-mile bike ride across the United States. The ride was created to raise awareness of the 100th anniversary of Catholic Charities USA and its goal of cutting poverty in half by 2020.

But on July 28, Christensen, a diabetic, left the event because of health reasons. Since then, he’s been home convalescing and spending time with his wife and two children, ages six and eight.

Next week he’ll resume the cycling event, which concludes in the Florida Keys in September.

Christensen took over leadership of Catholic Charities in April 2007. Prior to that, he was regional director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Rockford, Ill., for six years.

During his time at the Springs nonprofit, Christensen oversaw the funding and building of the $8 million Marian House at 14 W. Bijou St. He also grappled with the realities of a shrinking budget.

The fiscal 2009 budget was slashed from $8.6 million to about $7 million, while spending increased by about $1.3 million, according to Guidestar, an independent firm that tracks finances of nonprofits.

Over the past two years, meanwhile, the Marian House’s soup kitchen has seen a daily increase from 450 to about 650 people a day.

Christensen said the organization’s financial struggles led in part to his decision to leave. “You spend the majority of your time seeking dollars” as CEO and president, he said.

Msgr. Don Dunn, interim CEO and president of Catholic Charities since Christensen started his cycling trek, said he will continue to lead day-to-day operations until a replacement is found.

Christensen will be missed, he said.

“He represented us in the general community very well,” Dunn said. “He had a good vision for us to work toward.”

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