Bold LeadHERS | Episode 6 Suzanne Greenberg & Julie Thomasma

Lorri Rishar Jandron, MBA, Owner & CEO, EDGE Partnerships, along with Becky Burtka, VP of member engagement, Michigan Chamber, Lansing, MI. Co-Hosts of the new MBN show "BOLD LeadHERS" now into Episode 6. In this episode of Bold LeadHERS, they recently interviewed Suzanne Greenberg and Julie Thomasma: Suzanne - Nonprofit CEO | Executive Director with a strong background in leading all aspects for successful operations. Suzanne has a long list of accomplishments. She is currently the executive director of Children Trust Michigan in Lansing, MI. Julie - Has served as Chief Executive Officer of Child and Family Charities since 2015. Her passion is building supportive services for children, youth and families to thrive in our community. Notes: Child & Family Charities is a valued Prevention Partner of Children Trust Michigan. One of several that provide services and programs for families and children in all of Michigan’s 83 counties. We will want to provide each of them time to talk about their respective organizations, especially if this airs around the time of end-of-year giving. CTM will want to share a few details about the 2026 Auction. Questions: 1. What inspired you to step into leadership within child advocacy and family support work? 2. How has your leadership style evolved as you've navigated challenges in the nonprofit space? 3. What’s one decision or moment that shaped your leadership journey most profoundly? 4. As women leading organizations focused on children and families, what unique perspectives do you bring to the table? 5. How do you balance empathy and strategy when making tough decisions that impact vulnerable communities? 6. Who were the bold women who shaped your path, and how are you paying that forward? 7. What advice would you give to young women considering careers in nonprofit leadership or advocacy? 8. How do you care for your own mental health while supporting others through trauma and crisis? 9. What practices help you stay grounded and resilient in emotionally demanding work? 10. What gives you hope for the future of child and family services in Michigan? 11. If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about how we support families, what would it be? In this episode, Lorri and Becky met with Suzanne Greenberg and Julie Thomasma. Suzanne and Julie are partners in Child Abuse Prevention in the state of Michigan. Suzanne was able to give us a deep dive into what she does with her work at Children Trust Michigan and Julie was able to share the same about her work at Child and Family Charities. We also learned more about their backgrounds and how they began their work and how they got to the position they are in now. If you would like to help support either of these great organizations you can head to their website at https://www.childrentrustmichigan.org/ and https://childandfamily.org/