Northeast Youth and Family Services and the Twin Cities community are mourning the passing of Kay Andrews, an inspiring leader and NYFS’ President and CEO from 1987 to 2009. Kay started at NYFS in 1976, the year of its founding, as the first family therapist. During her 33-year tenure, Kay oversaw NYFS’ growth from a small team of 4 staff members to a critical asset and the primary resource in the community for youth mental health referrals and services. Under her leadership NYFS became a trusted partner for the schools, cities, and law enforcement in the area. From the start Kay was dedicated to ensuring NYFS was filling gaps in community services, and she asked regularly, “Okay, what is the next thing that kids and families need?!”
NYFS staff and community partners continue to reflect on the profound impact of Kay’s leadership on the organization and our community. As a tribute to Kay Andrews, the current President and CEO Angela Lewis-Dmello, her son Andy Bischoff, and longtime colleague Amelia Maijala share their reflections on Kay’s leadership and the positive and enduring impact she had on NYFS.
Andy Bischoff, Son
Kay’s approach to life and work was characterized by resilience and determination. Losing her sight at the age of 10 profoundly shaped her perspective, driving her to live a full and meaningful life despite her disability. Kay embraced her independence and tackled challenges on her own terms. This commitment to authenticity and self-reliance defined her character, as she always chose to navigate her journey in her unique way, viewing her experiences as just part of her life rather than something extraordinary.
Kay envisioned NYFS as a vital resource for families seeking support in various challenging situations. Additionally, she aimed to foster strong connections with the community, which she believed were essential for effective support. This vision materialized through the range of programming that expanded over the years, allowing NYFS to reach more people in the community.
Kay approached her leadership role with a focus on listening first and solving problems second. Her blindness enhanced her ability to truly hear and understand others. She always allowed for a collaborative environment among team members in the workspace and ensured that everyone had a voice.
Amelia Maijala, Former NYFS Colleague
Kay was fearless and joyful as a leader. She was a great listener and gave thoughtful feedback. She never doubted that there was a way to do the impossible.
She will be remembered for her willingness to try new things. Staff learned not to say “can’t” around Kay. She’d challenge the team about why something couldn’t be done. Sometimes it was a better decision not to do something, but she wouldn’t say something couldn’t be done.
She always wanted the agency to grow and explore new avenues of providing services. She was clear that NYFS’ original base of counseling and diversion services were just the start and that new programs would continually be added. Individuals and communities are complex, and we needed multi-faceted approaches to be effective.
Kay was always a connector of people and programs. She believed that we are stronger and much more effective together.
Angela Lewis-Dmello, President and CEO
Of the many parts of an organization, the hardest to build and maintain is an organization’s culture. Organizations often struggle to ensure cultures that are truly mission driven and client centered – while genuinely caring about and supporting the people who work in them. Kay provided powerful leadership in many ways, but the most important thing she did that has reaped benefits for everyone that has worked in or with, or received services from NYFS, is invest in and nurture the NYFS culture. Because of this investment, NYFS has a culture of dedication, perception, hard work, reflection, client-centeredness, community responsiveness, and very importantly humor, creativity, playfulness, and connection. NYFS is a place where compassion and kindness seep from the walls – all such critical parts of doing this hard work long term. This is because of Kay.
Kay’s legacy will live on at NYFS through the organization’s vision, values, and the culture that she built and nourished. NYFS will continue to foster strong connections with the community, maintain a can-do spirit of innovation and responsiveness through a multi-faceted approach, and invest in a dedicated, playful, and authentic organizational culture.
