Thank you for building family and community strength this year.
Whether you participated in programs, donated, volunteered or advocated, you helped weave together a stronger fabric in households and communities across Minneapolis.
One of our core beliefs is that all families and communities have strengths. As you read about staff, participants and partners sharing strengths of their own families and communities, we invite you to reflect:
- What strengths live in your family and community?
- What dreams are you carrying forward?
Together, let’s continue to nurture the strength that lives in each of us and pass it along to future generations.
When my grown sons come home for the holidays, we eat family meals together twice a day. It’s not mandatory, but none of us want to miss it. Full bellies, full hearts—that’s how we do it.
Emily Larson, President & CEO
When families and teachers work together, children grow stronger. I’m grateful to be part of that shared strength at Four Directions.
Kelly Suzick, Assistant Director, Four Directions Preschool
I’ve decided to live in the present and appreciate the people around me. Sharing blessings with my community helps us through the hard times.
Juan Cordero, Office Manager
My community and family are strong because it shows up for people when they are most vulnerable. Strength to me is not perfection—its compassion, consistency, and the willingness to help someone rebuild their lives when they have nothing left.
My family is strong because I have love and support. I finally have people who love and care about me. PRIDE has helped me rebuild my life, and showed me that community can be a lifeline, I walked in as a stranger, homeless in active addiction, being exploited through prostitution and mentally unstable. They provided safety, clothes, shower, food and case management. They were the first people I could trust in a very long time. They welcomed me with dignity and care.
PRIDE continues to strengthen me today, by walking beside me, through their support I was able to get and stay clean, they’ve helped with my housing and my education. Today I have full custody of my son, I have my own apartment and am working towards my goals. PRIDE did more than help me with resources; they helped restore my sense of belonging and showed me what a strong healthy community looks like. I invest in my own long-term healing and I see myself as part of that community not just a recipient.
PRIDE Participant
My family taught me that when things are hard, and you don’t feel strong, there is always a way forward—even if it is hard to see in the moment.
First, take a tiny step: gather your strength by looking for a silver lining. Turn to whatever positive you can find in the moment. Next, write down your options. There are always options! (And you have power there.)
Then, take just one tiny step forward—whatever is small enough to do. Make sure to celebrate every small win. As hard as it is, eventually, you feel strong again. And proud of what you endured.
Meshach Weber, Board Member
We wish you and yours a very Happy Holidays and bright start to 2026!
To learn more about building strength in families and communities through The Family Partnership, read about us, our services, and approach.
The Family Partnership is excited to welcome Emily Larson as the agency’s next President and CEO beginning July 1. Emily is a seasoned and trusted executive leader with clear values and tenacious dedication to families and community. Emily has two decades of experience setting long term vision, building high-impact teams, and establishing actionable steps to make meaningful change.
Most recently, Emily served as mayor of Duluth, Minnesota, where she managed complex budgets, fundraised millions of dollars for city improvements, and built deep relationships with stakeholders to coalesce around shared goals. Twice elected, she championed policies to support residents and improve the well-being of the community.
Emily is a Twin Cities native who started her career in social work. She credits her family as the origin of her passion for equity. “I grew up in St. Paul with a family of people who were doggedly justice minded. My aunty worked at TFP back when it was Family & Children Services. So, my first interaction with the organization was providing childcare for family meetings that my aunt facilitated.” Later, in Emily’s 12 years as a social worker, she partnered with families who had low or no income, who were experiencing housing instability, and who were navigating mental and chemical health issues.
Emily cites these experiences in direct service as her motivation for addressing systemic injustice at a larger scale. She pursued policy development, legislative advocacy, and organizational leadership as “preventative medicine” for the economic and racial injustices that impact families. She sought public office to promote housing justice and job cultivation, among many other social supports and strategies. Her goal in public office was to amplify the voices that are “underappreciated, undervalued, and pushed to the margin.”
“Emily has the ideal combination of operational expertise to lead TFP through the issues we face and she’s a visionary who can take TFP to great heights.”
Nima Desai, The Family Partnership Board Chair and Search Committee Member
TFP, like many nonprofits, faces an unpredictable political and financial landscape. Nima Desai, Board Chair and Search Committee member said, “Emily has the ideal combination of operational expertise to lead TFP through the issues we face and she’s a visionary who can take TFP to great heights.” We are grateful to CohenTaylor Executive Search Services for recruiting Emily and guiding the board through the search process. Emily has the experience, persistence, and grounded optimism necessary to stabilize TFP during this challenging time. When asked about this next chapter, Emily said, “TFP is about building power with families, and it has a great reputation in this community. This work needs to continue. There are not many other safety nets for families. The stakes are high. So, let’s get to work.”
“This work needs to continue. There are not many other safety nets for families. The stakes are high. So, let’s get to work.”
Emily Larson, New President and CEO of The Family Partnership
Emily Larson has 12 years of experience in public service, first as Duluth City Councilor & Duluth Economic Development Authority Commissioner, then as Duluth Mayor. She also has 8 years of experience as a non-profit consultant and 12 years of experience as a social worker & emergency outreach worker. Emily’s extensive board service includes local organizations like YWCA, Center City Housing, and Arrowhead Regional Development Commission. She has participated at a State level in the Governor’s Housing Task Force, Young Women’s Initiative of MN, MN Mayors Together and regionally and nationally with Great Lakes and St Lawrence Seaway Initiative Cities, SeaGrant, Climate Action Municipalities, National League of Cities, and Energy, Environment and Natural Resources.
Emily graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social work from the College of St. Scholastica and later earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She is married to Doug Zaun and together they have two sons. In taking on this new role, Emily and Doug will now split their time between Minneapolis and Duluth. In addition to her professional work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, trail running, mountain biking, and rock climbing. She loves reading, tending to her many plants, talking to her sister on the phone, and spending time with her beloved family.
Read the Star Tribune CEO announcement here.
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