By Staff Writer

On January 26, Executive Director Loretta Davis celebrated her 8th year working at The Retreat. In honor of this work anniversary, we profiled Loretta in our Spotlight series and on our blog. We are grateful for her dedication to The Retreat and steady leadership as we strive to end the cycle of abuse.

Before coming to The Retreat, Loretta worked in the nonprofit world and in the legal field.  She worked on Sandy Relief for Long Island and was a Town Justice in Tuxedo, New York for 19 years after working for a Wall Street firm and clerking for a Federal Judge in the SDNY. She has also worked with a number of nonprofits in NYC and on Long Island

As Executive Director at The Retreat, Loretta oversees the life changing programs and services of the agency and works with leadership on every level–the board of directors, donors, partners and department directors and managers. “I help to design and implement strategies to support the staff and to support our mission as we go forward. The success of The Retreat is dependent on collaboration, community support and our volunteers.”

She is passionate about the organization’s mission to provide safety, shelter and support for victims of domestic abuse and to break the cycle of family violence. 

When she is not working, Loretta unwinds with some of her hobbies, including gardening, yoga, hiking and just being outside in nature.

“I’ve hiked north of the Arctic Circle a couple of times,” she explained, adding, “You get dropped off by plane and picked up two weeks later. You follow the caribou trails.” On those trips, she saw a grizzly bear, a pack of wolves, and even had wolf pups run up to her and bark before running back into their den.

Whether it’s immersing herself in nature or furthering an important cause, Loretta makes a point to be fully committed.

Happy work anniversary!