Co-Chair Interview

Welcome Tom & Anna!

Earlier this year, we were delighted to welcome not one but two esteemed board members to serve as the new Co-Chairs of the Bridge Meadows Board of Directors.

 Anna Allen and Tom Bahrman are not new Bridge Meadows champions. However, they do represent a significant part of our new direction toward an inclusive board governance model of shared leadership that will align with our 2024-27 Strategic Plan.

This month, we invited Anna and Tom to share their thoughts with us about how their new roles will prepare the board to Partner, Create, and Inspire Bridge Meadows toward a vision to create a world where every generation is cherished.

Q: What inspired you to become an advocate for the well-being of children, elders, and families?

ANNA: I first became acquainted with the Bridge Meadows intergenerational model of care while working for the Native American Youth and Family Center and immediately saw alignment between the organizational mission, my personal values, and my lived experience.

When I was young, my family faced constant instability that ultimately led to our temporary separation. While my brothers and I didn’t end up “in the system,” my brothers stayed with family while I couch-surfed at different homes and ended up dropping out of school. Through the assistance of intergenerational, community-centered social and housing services, my family was able to be reunified and stabilized. These connected programs provided us with the necessary support to put us on the path of opportunity and future prosperity. The profound impact that these experiences have had on my life led me to Bridge Meadows because this model works.

TOM: The work that Bridge Meadows does to support elders, young people, and families is nothing short of amazing. I’m proud to be part of an organization that shapes positive futures for multiple generations from so many collaborative sources. Whenever you listen to the stories from our community members, you can immediately understand and appreciate how the Bridge Meadows model works to ensure that they aren’t just surviving, they’re thriving, and a large part of that is due to the residents being part of connected, intergenerational communities of people who genuinely care for one another. We can’t create these types of outcomes by working in silos – it’s done through establishing and sustaining relationships with diverse organizations and the populations they serve. I value being part of an organization that places an emphasis on creating spaces that offer people a sense of belonging.

Q: Where do you see the future of Bridge Meadows headed under your shared leadership as co-chairs?

TOM: I’m deeply aware of the importance of leveraging strategic partnerships in our work – not only in a business sense but also as it relates to the strength of our communities as a whole. That said, I am grateful to have the capacity to lend my real estate development and finance background to Anna’s years of expertise in policy influence/development and diverse community engagement. I believe that this will help Bridge Meadows reach major milestones in our Strategic Plan while ensuring that they remain focused on doing so equitably and inclusively.

ANNA: I appreciate being part of a co-chairship with Tom, as this style of governance gives me an opportunity to challenge the way I think about my growth and development in nonprofit leadership roles. Another benefit of having co-chairs is the fact that not only does it make tasks easier to “divide and conquer,” but it also provides space for the board to position itself as a think tank of innovation that can take our ideas from conversation to implementation in a much shorter amount of time.

Tom and Anna are looking forward to meeting you in person at our 19th Annual IMAGINE Auction and Gala on Thursday, September 19th. We hope you will save the date and join us for an evening that will further connect you to the work Bridge Meadows is doing in tandem with our talented and dedicated board members.