April Connections Flourish into May
Well, it simultaneously feels like I have been in this new position for the last 15 years and for a day. So much feels like second nature and yet every day I walk away with at least one newly learned skill/thought/feeling. I am both exhausted and energized. I think it is fair to say the pendulum continues to swing for me, as is expected. But I can say with one hundred percent certainty that there is no place I’d rather be.
I would say the best part about this position thus far is the connections I have made. I am a connector by nature. You can ask any friend or family member of mine and they will tell you that I love to bring people together who might not typically be introduced to one another. I enjoy finding the common threads that bind us together, as I do believe we are inextricably linked to some degree. Hearing people’s stories, discovering what makes them tick, and how we can work together makes me so happy. I remember reading somewhere that connection creates joy, and I couldn’t agree more.
This desire to connect with others has opened my eyes to how much good there is in the world, especially once we go outside of our comfort zones. It is a place where stereotypes don’t exist, everything is a shade of gray, and humanity is on full display. How very fortunate I am to experience so many different walks of life and have the opportunity to help them intersect. It is truly a magical experience.
This magic has graced Bellis once again in our hiring experience. I am thrilled to announce Vanessa Mullenix as our new Director of Operations.
Vanessa's career encompasses both public and private sector impacts on health, wellness, and education with special focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. With over a decade of experience in communications, research, and operations, she most recently served as Vice President at Orman Guidance, Inc.
Vanessa is skilled in data collection and interpretation, storytelling, and event management; creativity and empathy are at the heart of her approach. She has also volunteered in our adoption education program and served as a consultant for our business plan proposal.
From Vanessa, "As a birth mom myself, I am thrilled and honored to serve this role in the continued support and healing of women whose children are parented by others. I am prepared to do the hard work behind the scenes and eager to get started."
We said we were looking for a unicorn to fulfill this position and indeed we have found her. We are so excited for the talent, heart, drive, and perspective Vanessa brings to Bellis. I could not be more thrilled.
As we wind down our FIFTH cohort at Shakopee Women’s Prison, we have begun the process of hiring a new co-facilitator for the next cohort. We have received a lot of interest already for this position and I look forward to identifying another facilitator with that amazing mix of compassion and expertise that all our facilitators possess.
I displayed at a the recent conference for the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (pictured right).
Bellis will present at the Permanency and Adoption Competency Certification conference along with facilitator, Paola Schnabel, and Natalie Netzel, our partner from Mitchell Hamline’s Institute to Transform Child Protection. The topic is “Offering Legal Guidance as a Healing Tool after a Termination of Parental Rights.”
Getting our name and our mission out to more people is high on our agenda. I am so very proud of the work we are doing, and its impact reaches far further than the women we serve. It is important to the women as they continue to release their shame around their experiences that their stories are shared to let others know about the systems that keep these experiences on repeat and to help others avoid a similar fate. We are actively working on bringing awareness to create a societal sea change in acknowledging these women’s traumas, offering grief support, and upsetting the systemic dysfunction that keeps these cycles perpetuated. We welcome any suggestions, participation, and innovation on creating this consciousness.
As you can see, there is always something in the hopper over here! What remains the same is keeping the women we serve at the heart of what we do. We can’t do it without your support, and we are so very grateful.
Thank you!
~Kelly Tronstad
Executive Director
M.Ed. and Licensed Parent and Family Educator
