Tillys Life Center

MANAGEMENT

CEO/Executive Director

Colleen Versteeg

CEO/Executive Director Experience

Colleen began her career by working with young people in the juvenile justice system. She later transitioned to teaching in the early education field and dedicated several years to social service work. For most of her professional life, she has worked in administration for non-profit organizations and school districts in Orange County. In the face of immense difficulty, Colleen persevered through the loss of her husband and several very close friends to terminal cancer within a short period. The added weight of all their children in their adolescent years at the time only compounded her heartbreak. However, this experience lit a fire within Colleen to seek out mental health resources that could support young people facing adversity. Her passion for serving youth was reignited, and she was determined to make a positive impact. When the opportunity arose at TLC, Colleen knew it was the perfect fit for her, both personally and professionally. With optimism and enthusiasm, she looks forward to continuing her mission of helping others navigate difficult times and emerge stronger on the other side. Professionally, Colleen brings a wealth of experience and expertise. Her journey has been marked by her ability to identify opportunities for expanded services, organizational advancement, and quality improvement and guide and oversee programmatic operations to ensure the highest standards in current and emerging practices. Colleen's commitment to evaluating the performance and effectiveness of services and systems is matched by her dedication to implementing continuous quality improvement efforts across the organizations she has had the honor to serve. As the Executive Director at Orange County Head Start, Inc. from July 2007 to October 2022, and currently as the CEO of Tilly's Life Center since November 2022, she has been fortunate enough to drive strategic and organizational excellence initiatives. Colleen's commitment to being a transformational leader and motivating team members to achieve collective goals in a collaborative environment has been instrumental in this success. Her passion for leadership also extends to mentoring and encouraging teams to excel in personal and organizational performance. Colleen is a strong advocate for children and youth, and her advocacy extends beyond organizational boundaries to the local, state, and national levels. She is a results-oriented, people-focused professional with excellent communication skills across all levels of an organization. Her skills in analyzing, understanding, and conducting root cause analysis are complemented by her ability to develop and apply appropriate measures for operational improvement. She has spent a significant part of her career educating legislators and advocating for essential services that support vulnerable children and youth in our state and country. Colleen holds a Bachelor's in Child and Adolescent Development and a Master's in Leadership and Organizational Studies.

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