Client Toast For 2025: NHAEYC
With the end of 2025 in sight, I would like to take a moment to honor a client who has made remarkable progress.
Over the past six months, I have worked with the New Hampshire Association for the Education of Young Children (NHAEYC). It has been a rewarding experience as the organization and its executive director have advanced hand over fist, demonstrating remarkable leadership and strategic clarity.
In the past six months, NHAEYC received 501(c)3 status, approval as a nonprofit by the state, and significant support from foundations. It also established its founding board of directors, earned accreditation as an affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and developed impactful programming for early childhood educators, children, and families, as it influenced the design of an early childhood education system in New Hampshire. This progress positions the organization to sustain growth, deepen impact, and navigate future challenges.
The key to NHAEYC’s success is the leadership of its Executive Director, Jackie Firmin. Jackie’s commanding leadership is anchored in a clear, compelling vision for what the organization can achieve. That vision has set the strategic course for NHAEYC, and her steadfast commitment to its mission has guided the organization through both steady and turbulent waters.
When challenges arose — for example, when a major funder stepped back — Jackie’s focus on mission and long-term impact kept the organization on a steady course. Rather than reacting to short-term pressure, she reinforced priorities, rallied stakeholders, and sought sustainable solutions that align with the organization’s values. Her ability to navigate uncertainty, maintain organizational cohesion, and make decisions grounded in purpose enabled NHAEYC to weather the disruption and move into calmer waters with renewed clarity and momentum.
Jackie’s leadership demonstrates how vision-driven direction and mission-centered persistence create resilience. Her strategic clarity, steady presence in moments of crisis, and dedication to the organization’s goals have been central to NHAEYC’s continued progress and growing impact.
As the horizon for this challenging year for nonprofits comes into view and the holidays bring possibilities to mind, I hope every nonprofit leader thinks of Jackie.
She models what it looks like to transform conviction into action. Faced with uncertainty and the ordinary resistance that greets new initiatives, Jackie and her board held steady to a clear vision and a mission-driven strategy. Their persistence turned an idea into NHAEYC — an organization that not only survived early trials but continues to flourish.
What Jackie’s story offers every leader is:
A reminder that clarity of purpose anchors organizations during transition.
An example of collaborative governance: board and staff aligned around mission, not ego.
Proof that steady, incremental progress compounds into lasting impact.
As you plan for the year ahead, consider these practical takeaways from her example:
Revisit and re-articulate your core mission, so it guides decisions and priorities.
Build rituals that keep the board and staff connected to strategic goals.
Treat change as a series of manageable steps.
Celebrate small wins to maintain momentum.
Invest in leadership development, so people are prepared to lead through disruption.
Before taking a break to enjoy the holidays with family and friends, I want to toast Jackie and every leader who has faced challenges head-on this year. Here’s to staying true to your vision, pursuing your mission, and welcoming the new year in a better place than last year!
May Jackie’s story inspire renewed courage and disciplined focus for your organization in 2026!
Happy Holidays!
