The National Alliance for Grieving Children recently elected Carly Woythaler-Runestad to its national board of directors. Runestad’s seat on the NAGC board is one of only 13 seats nationwide.
Runestad has served as the executive director of the Mourning Hope Grief Center since April 2008. An Iowa native, Runestad graduated with a B.M. in music therapy from The University of Iowa. Following graduation, she served as the recreation therapy director of a 165-bed long-term care facility in Minneapolis, MN, and as the administrator of a 26-bed Alzheimer’s unit in Cedar Rapids, IA. In 2002, Carly returned to Iowa City to pursue a Master’s in Health Administration degree. Upon graduation, she worked for the Nebraska Hospital Association as the director of health policy, providing advocacy services at the local and state levels for 85 Nebraska hospitals. Runestad has served on a number of diverse community boards, and in 2012, she was identified as one of Lincoln’s “Top 20 Under 40” and was also named the “United Way Speaker of the Year.”
Founded in 1994, Mourning Hope Grief Center companions grieving children, teens, young adults and their families when someone significant in their lives has a serious illness or has died. Mourning Hope is located at 4919 Baldwin Avenue and provides support groups, community education, grief resources and referrals. For more information about Mourning Hope Grief Center call (402) 488-8989 or visit www.mourninghope.org.