Dear Friends,

I write to you today full of excitement, anticipation, and hope for the future of NAMI Central Texas and the mental health of our community.

Leading NAMI Central Texas as executive director for the last seven years has been my great privilege. We have grown and expanded to serve more people, we’ve built new programs to fill mental health resource gaps, and we’ve helped create systemic and lasting change.

I am exceedingly proud of what our entire team and I have accomplished, including most recently the development of new workplace outreach and education service offerings. This innovative programming provides workplaces with mental health consulting and education through a fee-for-service model.

Our workplace programming is designed to change the way we talk about mental health at work while also providing a new source of revenue to support our organization’s sustainability. I’ve been leading the early stages of this mission-aligned program for more than 18 months, including delivering programming for 30 businesses across our region.

Due to the overwhelming interest we’ve received for these services with zero public promotion to date, I am transitioning out of my current role as executive director to focus solely on this new initiative so we can be best poised to meet the needs of our community. I look forward to directing the next phase of this work to help us achieve one of our 3-year Strategic Plan goals: “diversifying funding to ensure mission sustainability.”

Now is a great time to pass the torch to someone who can bring new enthusiasm and a fresh perspective to guide NAMI Central Texas through this next phase of exciting growth. Therefore, the NAMI Central Texas Board of Directors has secured an interim executive director to assist with the transition as we search for a new executive director.

Brenda Coleman-Beattie serves as the CEO of a national business strategy consulting company that provides services for private and public sector organizations. Known for her ability to structure and execute useful guidance around complex and innovative strategy choices, she readily facilitates visionary and courageous conversations. Her work includes interim executive management, board development and training, strategic and business plans, and organizational assessments. Most importantly, Brenda has a strong connection to our mission as a long-time NAMI Central Texas supporter and past board president.

I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve this organization in a new capacity that will provide the additional resources needed to expand our education and support programming. Until we select a new executive director, you will still see me serving as executive director in external settings, such as media interviews, stakeholder meetings, and events.

With much gratitude for your support,

Karen Ranus
Executive Director