Between 2013 and 2028, it is estimated that 500,000 nonprofit executives are expected to exit their positions, according to a report by Building Movement Project. Sector trends across Southeast Michigan and beyond reflect this, attributed to factors such as burnout, racial inequities, and changing workforce trends more broadly.
How can our sector prepare for this leadership shift? What strategies, tools, and practices might we utilize to prioritize the rest and wellbeing of our teams, and support the next generation of leaders to carry this work forward in a more sustainable and effective way?
Join us over lunch for a candid conversation on reimagining our relationships with rest, wellness, and the way we work in the nonprofit sector. This panel will bring together nonprofit leaders to share their innovative approaches around prioritizing rest and wellness in their organizations. The panelists will also explore the ways they are thinking about succession planning, and how they prioritize their holistic wellbeing as nonprofit leaders.
After the panel, we encourage attendees to connect, reflect, and share ideas with others on how to bring wellness to the forefront of organizational culture.
Join us in-person to hear from the amazing leaders below:
- Shardaya Fuquay, Founding Executive Director, Journey to Healing
- Suma Karaman Rosen, Executive Director, InsideOut Literary Arts
- Nicole Wilson, Executive Director, The Yunion
- Terry Whitfield, Managing Director, Black Executive Director Alliance of Detroit (moderator)
Shardaya Fuquay, M.Ed, CCTP, GSC | Founding Executive Director, Journey to Healing
Shardaya Fuquay is a devoted community educator with a decade of experience crafting and implementing innovative programs to benefit diverse populations. Her fervent commitment to service, fortified by her educational background and certifications, has propelled her into a career devoted to uplifting her community.
With a Master’s Degree in Special Education, specializing in Cognitive Impairment and Learning Disabilities, Shardaya possesses the expertise to effectively engage individuals confronting various challenges. Hailing from Detroit, she maintains a profound connection to her community, a driving force fueling her mission to aid others. Shardaya’s professional journey spans roles in special education, curriculum development, and trauma-informed care, notably through her non-profit organization, Journey to Healing. As a Certified Clinical Trauma Practitioner and certified grief specialist, her proficiency in trauma-informed care underscores her commitment to guiding individuals through their healing processes.
Shardaya Fuquay’s life and work epitomize her genuine passion for service, her comprehensive expertise in education and trauma-informed care, and her steadfast commitment to cultivating an inclusive and supportive community for individuals navigating loss and mental health challenges. Her vision and actions reflect a profound empathy and an unwavering drive to effect transformative change in the lives of those she serves.
Suma Karaman Rosen | Executive Director, InsideOut Literary Arts
Dynamic classroom teacher turned nonprofit leader, Suma’s experience in corporate, nonprofit and educational settings has brought depth to her leadership of InsideOut Literary Arts since 2017. Prior to joining InsideOut, Suma served as Development Director at ACCESS, a human services organization; her success in fundraising is anchored in her ability to build lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with a wide array of stakeholders.
As an educator, Suma taught diverse learners at high-poverty schools in Oakland, California and Vancouver, Washington. She served as the School Site Lead for two consecutive years, representing her school, Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary, at the district level. Her love of creative writing has been a constant thread throughout her life, from writing and performing poetry in college, to incorporating it into her teaching practice. Writing also formed the foundation for her success in corporate communications, public relations and web content creation.
She holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MA in Educational Technology from the University of San Francisco and considers herself a lifelong learner. Suma is inspired daily by the resilient and empowered students InsideOut serves and is dedicated to amplifying youth voices far and wide.
Nicole Wilson | Executive Director, The Yunion
Nicole Wilson has served as Executive Director of The Yunion, Inc. since its inception, leading transformative programs for youth and families in Detroit. With over 25 years of leadership experience, including 21 in youth development, she has built an organization that blends creative expression with trauma-informed care to address academic, economic, and mental health challenges.
A former healthcare leader, Nicole’s career spans roles as Health Coordinator and Nurse Manager at institutions such as the Detroit Medical Center and American Red Cross, where she specialized in regulatory compliance, quality control, and staff training. Under her leadership, The Yunion has cultivated strategic partnerships, secured significant funding, and expanded its impact through community collaborations, multimedia projects, and promising practice curricula on HIV/STI prevention, bullying, suicide prevention, and self-defeating behaviors.
A Black Leadership Institute Fellow, Nicole is also an alumna of Stanford University’s Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders. She holds a BSN from the University of Michigan and an MBA in Healthcare Management. Most importantly, she is a devoted wife and mother, considering her family her greatest achievement.
Terry Whitfield | Managing Director, Black Executive Director Alliance of Detroit (BEDAD)
Terry is the principal consultant of TEWday Strategies, a consulting practice whose intention is to provide high energy capacity and high-impact thought partnership through highly purposeful engagement in cultivating executive leadership, professional development, and staff and stakeholder engagement strategies.
Terry brings nearly 20 years of experience in youth development and community organizing. Most recently, he served as a program officer of The Skillman Foundation, leading the Foundation’s After School Strategy, and managing the portfolio’s average annual budget of $4 million. Over his 6-plus years at The Skillman Foundation, his activities included grant-making ($35+ million in grants made) and collective impact efforts.
He has received formal training in the evaluation practice of emergent learning and has deep experience in strategy design, execution, and evaluation, as well as meeting design, facilitation, and evaluation. He possesses a master’s degree in youth development from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Western Michigan University.