Letter from Milly Seraus-Roache, Outgoing Executive Director

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

Letter from Board of Directors

Dear Future Leaders in Action (FLIA) Community,

It is with a combination of gratitude and sadness that we announce Milly Seraus-Roache’s departure from her role as FLIA’s Executive Director, effective June 27, 2025. Over the past four years, it has been a pleasure to innovate, collaborate, grow and advance FLIA’s mission with Milly, as she led FLIA through our first leadership transition. 

As we now prepare for another transition, we want to take a moment to reflect on the impact that Milly has had on the organization during her tenure as Executive Director. We are incredibly proud to have supported Milly as she worked with 46 fellows across 24 different youth-focused organizations, initiated new revenue streams for FLIA, and developed a new tradition of creating space for our community to come together each December for trivia. We appreciate the innovation that Milly brought to expand upon FLIA’s foundation and look forward to continuing to build upon her work. 

Milly’s dedication to FLIA’s mission continues to show through her work and commitment to a smooth transition. Over the past several months, we have been working with Milly to ensure continuous operations, and we are initiating the  process of hiring a temporary Program Director who will run our 10-year anniversary grant program. We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and will aim to have a final decision on hiring by July 15, 2025. Please find the job description here. To ensure the success of the Program Director, Milly has agreed to provide additional onboarding support when the Program Director begins.  

Over the next six months, we, as the Board of Directors, will leverage the learnings over the past ten years, feedback from alumni, fellows, partners, and other stakeholders to identify our plans to inform our Executive Director search. We are committed to uninterrupted programming and  to the community of fellows, partners, alumni and supporters that have made FLIA the organization it is today. 

As we are simultaneously celebrating our 10-year anniversary and navigating this transition, we have repeatedly returned to the importance of our “triple win” model: a win for fellows, partners, and the youth our partners serve. This serves as a guiding force as we navigate this transition and the future of FLIA. This quote from an alumni during a 10-year anniversary impact survey highlights this impact: “FLIA helped me get my foot into the door with the social sector. I was introduced to a local non-profit I had never heard of before. Fast forward, full circle I am now working with that same non-profit in a position that I absolutely love. At the time, I had no degree and FLIA also helped to get me into undergrad school. I obtained my social worker degree in 2022. FLIA helped give me the confidence and support navigating the social sector.”

We are excited for Milly’s next steps and look forward to continuing our relationships with her in a new capacity. Please read Milly’s letter here. If you have any questions about the transition or FLIA, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Board Chair Kirsten Abel (Kirsten@futureleadersinaction.org) or one of our alumni Board Members, Denisha Renovales (transition@futureleadersinaction.org). 

Sincerely, 

Future Leaders in Action’s Board of Directors

Letter from Board of Directors

Dear Friends, Alumni, Partners and Supporters of Future Leaders in Action,

Since 2015, we have enjoyed working with Kirsten Abel, Executive Director, as she led FLIA from an idea into a thriving organization. We have developed a strong organization foundation, and we are excited for what will come. As Kirsten completes her tenure with FLIA as the Executive Director, we have invited her to join Future Leaders in Action’s Board of Directors.

The Transition Committee will lead the process of permanently filling the position. The Committee is led by Board Member, Juan J. Ramirez, and includes Board Treasurer, Julie Stapor, and FLIA Alumnae and Board Member, Clare Connaughton, and Executive Director, Kirsten Abel. FLIA will be accepting applications for the Executive Director position through February 15, 2021, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please see the Executive Director job description here. We invite those interested to apply, and for others to share with individuals who would be interested.

In order to ensure a smooth transition, the new Executive Director and Kirsten will overlap for a period of training and support. We are confident that this will be a smooth transition for our fellows, alumni, partners, and supporters.

If you have any questions about the transition or FLIA, do not hesitate to reach out to Kirsten or Transition Committee Chair, Juan.

Sincerely,
FLIA Board of Directors