On behalf of the HOPE 4 Youth Board of Directors, I want to make you aware that President and CEO Lisa Jacobson is no longer with the organization.

The Board is grateful for the accomplishments Lisa made during her tenure with us. Lisa is a great advocate for HOPE 4 Youth and genuinely believed in our mission. Not only is she a skilled and inspiring public speaker who knows how to engage with the community, but we found her to be an amazing fundraiser. In fact, our financials are in great shape thanks to Lisa’s efforts. I am sure you join us in wishing her well in her future endeavors.

Moving forward, HOPE 4 Youth has engaged Cheryl Jensen as our Interim Executive Director. Cheryl is a seasoned nonprofit leader whose consulting firm, Strategic Consulting & Coaching, LLC (SCC) is already familiar with HOPE 4 Youth, having worked with us in recent years on several projects, including strategic planning. Cheryl has more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership transitions including working with diverse communities and in our human services mission area. Cheryl began her work as our Interim Executive Director July 24 and will manage our daily operations, support the Board of Directors through the transition process, and facilitate our executive search process for a new Executive Director.

We will maintain our momentum and focus on delivering high-level service to our clients, community partners, volunteers, generous investors and supporters.

A Note from Brian Swanson, HOPE 4 Youth founder:

Since we opened our doors in March 2013, we’ve never wavered in our commitment of serving youth experiencing homelessness. The work we’ve done together has been phenomenal and has impacted thousands of young lives. While every organization experiences ups and downs and a variety of challenges, I’m confident that our staff and volunteers will continue to carry our mission forward as we work through the process of a leadership transition. I’m so proud of our team and the passion they bring to helping young people through some of the most frightening and uncertain times in their lives. To you, our community partner, you have helped build a solid foundation under our feet and we are grateful for you. Thank you for your support. Together we will move forward!

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or Cheryl Jensen (cjensen@hope4youthmn.org). On behalf of the Board, we appreciate your support and commitment to our mission of serving youth at high risk of or currently experiencing homelessness.

Sincerely,

Sue Woodard

Board Chair