Dear FLIA Community,
I’m writing to share that I will be stepping down from my role as Executive Director of Future Leaders in Action, with my last day being June 27, 2025.
It’s been almost four years since I stepped into this role in July 2021, and during that time, I’ve had the extraordinary privilege of working alongside a powerful network of fellows, nonprofit partners, board members, and supporters. I’ve had the honor of working with 46 fellows and managing partnerships with 24 youth-focused organizations. Fourteen of those were new collaborations I helped initiate. These partnerships have spanned the New York City metro area, the Des Moines–Central Iowa region, and, most recently, a renewed presence in Chicago.
I’m deeply grateful for the relationship I’ve built with our board, especially our founder and chair, Kirsten Abel. We share a lived experience of navigating the uncertainties of life after college and a belief in the importance of accessible, purpose-driven, and well-paying opportunities for emerging leaders, regardless of socioeconomic background. That belief has grounded me in this work and guided the way I’ve approached community-building here in New York City and beyond.
When I started at FLIA, the organization was adapting to the pandemic. Together, we found our footing in a virtual world and eventually reintroduced in-person programming in summer 2022. Since then, we’ve embraced a hybrid approach, offering fellows dynamic professional development experiences that not only support them during their placements but also prepare them to build their personal brands as early career professionals.
I leave this role with the same conviction I had when I started: that FLIA’s mission is essential. As a first-generation college graduate, I understand how critical it is to have access to career pathways and the support to navigate them. And now, as a working parent raising two children in New York City, I see firsthand the extraordinary value that youth-serving nonprofits bring to our communities. My own family benefits from the types of programs FLIA fellows help strengthen, from afterschool opportunities to summer enrichment, and in that way, this work is deeply personal. I carry with me an abiding belief in what FLIA stands for, and I will continue to champion its mission in new ways as the organization enters its next chapter.
With deep gratitude,
Milly