This Is My Brave Founder Jennifer Marshall passes the mic; advocate and champion Erin Gallagher to serve as Interim Executive Director
Leesburg, VA – This Is My Brave (TIMB) announced today that Founder and Executive Director Jennifer Marshall will step down from her position on December 31, 2021. TIMB Program Manager Erin Gallagher will assume the role of Interim Executive Director immediately.
“I am incredibly excited about the future of This Is My Brave because our team is so dedicated and deeply passionate about continuing the important work of highlighting true, personal mental health stories via the performing arts to end stigma and save lives. I am especially eager to see our storytellers return to the stage in 2022 to inspire audiences across the country,” said outgoing Executive Director Jennifer Marshall.
Jennifer Marshall and Anne Marie Ames (1958﹣2017) co-Founded This Is My Brave because they were passionate about ending the stigma surrounding mental illness and saving lives through creative storytelling. Over the past eight years with Marshall at the helm, the nonprofit organization has hosted over 80 unique performances across the United States and in Australia featuring nearly 1,000 storytellers. In 2019, This Is My Brave debuted a short documentary film and launched high school and college pilot programs and earlier this month they debuted Brave Takes™, a teen mental health podcast.
“Jenn has touched the lives of so many people with her passion, compassion, and bravery,” said Claudia Matteo, Chair of the Board. “Jenn’s openness about her own experience with mental health has inspired Brave champions, college students, and teens from all backgrounds to tell their own stories and open conversations in their communities.”
“While we are saddened by Jenn’s departure, we are thrilled that Erin Gallagher will step into the role of Interim Executive Director. Erin has served This Is My Brave’s community for many years. Her personal connection to mental health and experience managing the organization’s programs will allow This Is My Brave to continue to inspire Brave communities across the country. As the microphone is passed, we remain one community in this movement to achieve our goal: that one day it won’t need to be brave to talk about mental health. It will simply be called talking.”
“Erin brings a fresh, new perspective and passion for the power of storytelling. Her commitment to the cause of mental health awareness is unmatched and I’m confident she will excel in leading This Is My Brave into its exciting next chapter of growth,” said Marshall.
ABOUT THIS IS MY BRAVE:
This Is My Brave was co-founded in Virginia by Jennifer Marshall and Anne Marie Ames (1958﹣2017), two women passionate about ending the stigma surrounding mental illness and saving lives through storytelling. In May of 2014, TIMB debuted its first ever live show in Arlington, VA, at the Spectrum Theatre to a sold-out crowd of nearly 400. Over the past eight years, the nonprofit organization has hosted 82 performances across the United States and in Australia featuring nearly 1,000 storytellers. TIMB has been featured in The Washington Post, O, The Oprah Magazine, Stage-Directions Magazine, and Health as well as on the TODAY Show and many local media outlets. In 2019, This Is My Brave debuted their short documentary film and launched high school and college pilot programs, and in 2021 TIMB and Principle Pictures launched Brave Takes™, a teen mental health podcast.
For more information about This Is My Brave, visit https://thisismybrave.org or https://youtube.com/thisismybrave.
###
