Last Friday I said goodbye to my role in the Mama Dragons organization. It has been three of the best and hardest years of my life. I made connections with strong, beautiful, brilliant women. As a result, many have become my very best friends.
When I took on the role of President Elect back in January 2018, Mama Dragons was a private Facebook group with a majority of the mothers having ties to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With Julie Turnbull at the helm as President, we invested our time and resources into becoming an official 501(c)3 organization. Subsequently we were able to continue expanding and serving as many mothers as possible.
Working with our board chair, Jen Blair, I served as president from 2019-2020. As a result, our mission expanded to include all mothers of LGBTQ kids regardless of religious affiliation. Today Mama Dragons serves over 5,100 mothers from all walks of life and from all over the nation.
Our Executive Director, A Celeste Carolin, has subtly nudged me to learn and grow. She’s asked me to try things that were foreign to me including, “I’d love to see what you could create as a brand guide for us”. Or, “Have you ever heard of a white paper? Let’s see what you can come up with”. And, “We’ll need a go-to-market strategy for this project”. This year she’s spearheading a major project that will have far-reaching effects for parents of LGBTQ kids.
As passionate as I am for this project and for the exciting growth of the organization, I made the decision to step away. But I’ve handed the Director of Marketing baton into the capable hands of Olivia Petersen. She’ll be a huge asset to the organization as she does her magic. From personal experience, working with mothers of LGBTQ kids is often emotionally taxing. Devoting everyday to a non-profit that you’re passionate about is exciting, extremely fulfilling, and exhausting. After consulting with those closest to me over the holiday break, I came to the realization that I’m ready to move on and turn my attention to the things I’ve neglected over the past several years.
It’s truly been an honor to work with the hundreds of volunteers who serve this organization behind the scenes. I’ve been fortunate enough to rub elbows with an incredible board of directors. And lucky enough to collaborate with the passionate and tireless women who serve on our senior leadership team. Mama Dragons is an essential space for moms as we navigate parenting our LGBTQ kids in the safest and most affirmative ways. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow alongside them as a fellow Mama Dragon.