October 20, 2020
Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, a Phoenix based non-profit, today announced President and Chief Executive Officer, Susan Berman, informed the board of directors of her intention to retire from her position on June 30, 2021. Fresh Start’s board has initiated a search process to identify her successor.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, a Phoenix based non-profit, today announced President and Chief Executive Officer, Susan Berman, informed the board of directors of her intention to retire from her position on June 30, 2021. Fresh Start’s board has initiated a search process to identify her successor. The organization will continue to benefit from Ms. Berman’s experience and perspective through this process as she plans to remain in her current position until her successor is appointed and fully transitioned.
After a decade at the helm, Ms. Berman has achieved her goal to establish Fresh Start as a strong and exemplary leader in the community. Her background and experience in social work and programming informed her vision for implementing quality programs to help women achieve self-sufficiency. Further, her implementation of robust data collection and analysis, as well as quality assurance and reporting standards, helped validate essential core programming needs and identify new areas for growth such as computer literacy and career training. Today, Fresh Start provides computer literacy training for more than 2000 women each year. Additionally, the recent launch of its Upward Mobility program provides training to help women achieve financial independence and a stable career path.
“It has been the privilege of my professional life to serve as president and chief executive officer of Fresh Start Women’s Foundation for the past decade,”said Ms. Berman. “I am very proud of the significant difference we have made in our community by helping thousands of women achieve self-sufficiency. I extend my deepest gratitude to our entire team, board members and donors, without whom our shared success would not have been possible. We have a great team in place and I have complete confidence that Fresh Start will continue to grow and thrive. I look forward to working with the board of directors to ensure a seamless transition to my successor,” Ms. Berman said.
During Ms. Berman’s tenure, more than 20,000 women have benefited from the life-changing programs offered at The Jewell McFarland Lewis Fresh Start Women’s Resource Center. Further, her collaborative approach with other agencies has led to more than 160 community partners working together to optimize resources and provide non-duplicative services for women in Maricopa County.
“For the past decade, Ms. Berman has provided Fresh Start with a clear vision, superb leadership and admirable dedication,” stated Kim McWaters, board chair. “Her passion for the organization’s mission and her commitment to provide quality, comprehensive programs and services has changed thousands of women’s lives for the better. Ms. Berman is leaving Fresh Start in an excellent position as the quality and strength of the staff and programs have never been better. The solid financial position of the organization has enabled Fresh Start to effectively navigate the global pandemic while investing for the future. Susan has the profound gratitude of the board of directors for her leadership and many years of service. We congratulate Susan on her well-deserved retirement and wish her the very best,” said Ms. McWaters.
Ms. Berman plans to travel with her loving husband, Steve Berman, spend time with her five, fabulous grandchildren and summer at their home in Prescott. In her spare time, she plans on volunteering at Fresh Start and continuing to support women as she has her entire life.
About Fresh Start Women’s Foundation: Since 1992, Fresh Start Women’s Foundation has been on a mission to provide education, resources and support for women to positively transform their lives and strengthen the community. The non-profit organization provides a variety of programs and services focusing on career, education, and life skills and offers supportive services to assist women over the age of 18 in reaching her full potential.
For more information, visit freshstartwomen.org or connect with us on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.