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After nearly a quarter century of visionary leadership, Sue Abderholden announced Thursday she will retire as executive director of NAMI Minnesota (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) effective Oct. 15.

Abderholden has led NAMI Minnesota through an extraordinary period of growth and impact. When she began in October 2001, the organization had 2 1/2 staff members and a modest $160,000 budget. Under her leadership, NAMI Minnesota has grown into a $3 million organization with a staff of 37 and is recognized as one of the most effective and respected mental health advocacy organizations in the nation.

Throughout her tenure, Abderholden has been a driving force behind major legislative reforms that transformed Minnesota’s mental health system. Her advocacy helped pass more than two dozen landmark laws that reshaped education, healthcare, housing and criminal justice to better serve people living with mental illnesses.

Among her accomplishments, Abderholden championed laws requiring mental health training for teachers, secured mental health screenings for individuals entering jails, helped reform Minnesota’s commitment laws to promote voluntary engagement in treatment, expanded crisis and early intervention services, expanded the diversity of the workforce, strengthened mental health parity protections, and fought to restrict the use of solitary confinement for individuals with mental illnesses in prisons.

“Sue Abderholden’s leadership has been nothing short of transformational,” said Jessica Gourneau, PhD, LP, President of the NAMI Minnesota board of directors. “She has led NAMI Minnesota with vision, heart, and an unwavering commitment to those living with mental illnesses and their families. Because of Sue, our organization has grown in reach, reputation, and impact. Her fierce advocacy at the legislature, her strategic partnerships across sectors, and her tireless work to create culturally responsive, person-centered care have set the gold standard for mental health advocacy.”

Abderholden’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Health Equity Award from the Minneapolis Health Department, the Distinguished Citizen Award from Macalester College, the National NAMI Rona and Ken Purdy Award to End Discrimination, and repeated honors as one of Minnesota Physician’s “100 Most Influential Health Care Leaders.”

Reflecting on her decision to step down, Abderholden said, “It has been the honor of a lifetime to be part of this movement. The people who courageously shared their stories, the families who organized for change, and the advocates who never gave up — they are the reason for our success. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have worked alongside so many incredible individuals to help build a better, more compassionate mental health system for Minnesota.”

In the coming months, the NAMI Minnesota board of directors will launch a leadership transition process. The board has formed a Succession Committee to oversee a thoughtful and smooth transition and has retained the executive search firm Ballinger | Leafblad to support this important work.

Abderholden will remain in her role through Oct. 15 to support a seamless handover and ensure continuity of leadership.

For more information about NAMI Minnesota, visit www.namimn.org.