Friends of the Children - Colorado Springs Announces New Executive Director - Heather Steinman

Friends of the Children – Colorado Springs Announces New Executive Director

January 6, 2025 (COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Friends of the Children – Colorado Springs has named Heather Steinman as the nonprofit’s new executive director, effective Monday, January 13, 2025.

Friends of the Children is a non-profit national organization working to impact generational change by empowering youth who are facing the greatest obstacles through relationships with professional paid mentors called Friends. Friends of the Children – Colorado Springs is a chapter of the national organization.

Steinman replaces previous executive director Judy Cara who announced her plan to step down from the role in October but agreed to stay on in her executive capacity until the end of December. Cara was the chapter’s first Executive Director since its launch in 2021.

“The Friends of the Children – Colorado Springs Board is grateful to Judy for the role she has played in establishing this impactful organization in our community”, stated Mike Edmonds, Chair of the Board of Directors of Friends of the Children - Colorado Springs. “Friends of the Children changes lives. We welcome Heather in her new role. She is the ideal non-profit leader to advance the mission of Friends and grow our impact in our community. Heather’s reputation has gained her an immense amount of trust and respect.”

As head of the organization, Steinman will work alongside business leaders, community stakeholders and staff to forge partnerships aimed at improving the lives of children and their families.

“I am both humbled and excited to join Friends of the Children – Colorado Springs as Executive Director,” stated Steinman. “The incredible work already done by our dedicated staff and strong Board of Directors has laid a solid foundation for the organization’s continued success. Together, we have an unparalleled opportunity to build on that momentum and deepen our impact, empowering children and families through long-term, mentorship. I look forward to working alongside this talented team as we break down barriers and create lasting, positive change in the lives of those we serve.”

Steinman comes to her new role having most recently served as the Chief Operations Officer for Pikes Peak United Way, leading a variety of projects including the opening of the new Family Success Center in Southeast Colorado Springs.

Established in 2021, the Colorado Springs Chapter of Friends of the Children now serves more than 40 children, impacting the lives of the children, their siblings, guardians and extended families through the work of professional mentors.

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About Friends of the Children

Friends of the Children was founded in Oregon 31 years ago and specializes in serving youth who have been impacted by economic instability, foster care, substance abuse, parental incarceration, mental health challenges and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that create instability. Each child in our program has a paid, professional mentor. We enroll children between the ages of four and six and stay with each child for about 12 years, until they graduate from high school. Colorado Springs opened our chapter in 2021. You can learn more about the program at friendscoloradosprings.org.