A Message from Natalie Lente: Transitioning from My Role as Executive Director

Dear Mockingbird Community,

With a full and tender heart, I’m writing to share that I will be stepping down as Executive Director of The Mockingbird Society at the end of June 2025. My family and I have made the decision to relocate to Mexico at the end of May, a deeply personal choice rooted in our desire to live more intentionally and in alignment with our values.

This decision has not been easy. Leading Mockingbird has been one of the most powerful, transformative chapters of my life. And while I will no longer be in this role, I will forever remain part of the movement we’ve built together.

When I stepped into this position in late 2022, I joined a community of youth, staff, board members, and partners who believed fiercely in justice, in equity, and in the power of lived experience to reshape systems. Together, we took that belief and built something deeper, what we often called Mockingbird 2.0.

In just two and a half years, we reimagined the foundation of the organization. We strengthened our infrastructure, clarified our strategy, and embedded racial equity and social justice into every layer of our work. We launched evaluation strategies that measure impact while honoring complexity. We elevated youth leadership, not only creating space for stories, but making room for strategy, decision-making, and bold systems change.

We leaned into joyful resistance, recognizing that systems don’t just shift through policy, but through collective imagination, healing, and authentic relationship. We returned to our roots as a movement, not just an organization. And in doing so, we found renewed clarity about who we are and what kind of world we are here to build.

None of this would have been possible without the people who make up this community, our donors, partners, supporters, and most especially, our young people and Mockingbird families. Your trust, your vision, and your relentless commitment to equity have made this a place where justice is not only a value, it is a daily practice.

As I prepare to step away, I do so knowing that Mockingbird is in an incredibly strong position. Our Director of Operations, Zivit Shechter-Nissim, will assume the newly reclassified role of Chief of Operations and take on interim executive responsibilities during the transition. Zivit has been at the heart of our transformation, anchoring our systems, supporting our people, and showing up with deep integrity every step of the way.

I also want to express my complete confidence in our senior leadership team, each of whom is already guiding their departments with skill, care, and vision. Together, this team will ensure our mission continues with the same momentum and purpose that has shaped us over the past several years.

Our Board of Directors has been a steadfast partner in this journey, leaning into bold questions, centering racial equity, and walking alongside us through change and growth. Their commitment to Mockingbird’s future is unwavering. The board has already begun preparing for a thoughtful, inclusive executive search process that reflects our values, our mission, and the vital leadership of young people with lived experience. I have complete trust in their ability to steward this transition with care, transparency, and purpose.

Although I won’t have time to meet with each of you individually before I leave, please know this: I carry immense gratitude for every person who has walked beside me in this work. You’ve helped build something extraordinary, and I will be cheering Mockingbird on, always.

With deep appreciation and unwavering belief in what comes next,

Natalie Lente
Executive Director
The Mockingbird Society