Danie Rice, Joni Zieldorff, Stefanie Hill, Meghan Schmelzer, and Rebecca Wheeler
Author Note: This article is written by a group of colleagues working within and alongside MI-AIMH. It reflects our collective learning and shared belief that leadership in infant and early childhood mental health must evolve in relationship, just as the field itself does. What follows is not a how-to, but a window into one organization’s ongoing journey—shaped by community, reflection, and care. By embracing co-leadership, MI-AIMH is learning how to lead with trust, center lived experience, and build a future rooted in shared power—even when it’s messy, even when it’s hard.
A New Way of Leading Together
At first glance, co-leadership might seem like a logistical solution—two people sharing a role, dividing up tasks. But at the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH), it has become something much deeper: a bold and necessary reimagining of how power, care, and leadership are practiced.
“At its core, co-leadership means sharing power, responsibility, and influence between two or more people,” explained Danie, one of MI-AIMH’s co-executive directors. “But we’re discovering that it’s also deeply rooted in vulnerability, equity, and caring for one another. It challenges the traditional ideas we’ve held about what it means to lead.”
This isn’t just about two people at the top—it’s about shifting culture across the organization. Kristina Figaro, Chair of MI-AIMH’s Centering Equity Committee, sees this as part of a deeper organizational transformation:
“The way Danie and Joni lead together is a model for the kind of equitable and inclusive decision-making we’ve been advocating for in the field. It’s not just about shared power between them—it’s about making space for diverse voices at every level of the organization.”
Rooted in Collective History
Shared leadership is not a new idea. For generations, communities—particularly those rooted in resistance and liberation work—have practiced collective leadership. Grassroots organizing, Black liberation movements, and Indigenous traditions have long centered leadership as a communal, not individual, endeavor.
At MI-AIMH, this historical lineage is being honored through intentional practice. While Danie and Joni are the first to formally share the title of co-executive directors, their leadership reflects the kind of collaborative spirit that has long defined the organization’s values.
The spirit of collaboration has been a part of MI-AIMH since the formation of the organization. What began as a small grassroots network of passionate professionals, united by a shared commitment to the emotional well-being of babies, young children, and the adults who care for them, has grown into a nationally recognized organization. For nearly five decades, MI-AIMH has evolved in relationship with families, practitioners, and a broader, multi-sector community working in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH).
The co-leadership model builds on this rich legacy—deepening an approach that has always centered care, humility, and a willingness to grow together.
“Co-leadership gives us permission to say, ‘I don’t have to do this alone. I don’t have to be good at everything,’” Joni shared. It allows us to lean on one another, to rest, to reflect—and to lead from a place of honesty.
This honesty extends beyond leadership titles—it shapes how the entire organization shows up. Kandice Moss, Workforce Engagement Facilitator, reflected on how this approach empowers everyone: “Because they are so intentional about listening, reflecting, and seeking input from all of us, we’ve grown more confident in bringing our ideas to the table.”
Expanding Perspective Through Collective Stewardship
Part of what makes this leadership model work is MI-AIMH’s commitment to learning—not just from within, but from voices beyond the infant mental health field. The organization regularly partners with business strategists, communications coaches, and other external consultants who bring fresh insight to critical areas like storytelling, sustainability, and long-term planning. For the first time in its history, MI-AIMH has also brought on a Chief Financial Officer to deepen its financial strategy and infrastructure.
These investments reflect a powerful belief: that leadership is not meant to be carried alone. By inviting in outside perspectives, MI-AIMH models humility, clarity, and shared responsibility—leading not from ego, but in service of something much larger than any one role or person.
Embracing Complexity with Care
One of the myths many of us carry is that leaders must always have the answers. Co-leadership challenges that.
“What happens when co-leaders have different answers?” Joni asked. We’ve had to learn to sit with that discomfort, to trust each other deeply, and to embrace the messiness. That messiness, we’ve found, is often where the most transformative learning happens.
Leadership, in this model, is not about performance. It’s about practice. About showing up as our full authentic selves.
“Reflective consultation has been essential to our work,” said Danie. “It’s our place to process, to feel, to pause. It’s where we can be vulnerable—not just with each other, but with ourselves—and that helps us lead with more clarity and compassion.”
Healing the Loneliness of Leadership
Leadership can be isolating. Traditional hierarchies often place a burden of perfection and performance on those at the top. But shared leadership interrupts that pattern.
“One thing we’ve learned is that co-leadership can actually be a powerful antidote to that isolation,” said Joni. We have someone to bounce ideas off of, someone who truly understands the weight of the work. That shared understanding doesn’t just benefit the leaders—it creates space for collective care.
Now, staff meetings often begin with check-ins about joy, rest, and well-being—small practices that reflect deeper values. As Danie noted, “Rest is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. And our co-leadership model helps us hold that truth—when one of us needs to pause, the other can hold things down.” Something that Danie and Joni learned through their reflective consultation together.
This shift toward more humane leadership is part of a broader arc of transformation. Stefanie Hill, a respected leader and throughout partner within the MI-AIMH community, sees it as a continuation of legacy:
“The work Danie and Joni are doing now is a reflection of decades of work. Together, they bring the hope of creating spaces for all people, regardless of race or ethnicity.”
Looking Ahead: A Commitment to Becoming
As MI-AIMH continues to evolve, Danie and Joni are committed to holding space for growth—not only for themselves, but for the organization and its mission.
“This is not about perfection,” Joni said. “It’s about practice. It’s about learning. And it’s about showing up, again and again, for each other and for this work.”
In the end, what’s emerging at MI-AIMH is not just a new leadership structure, but a new way of being in relationship—with each other, with power, and with the communities they serve.
“We may not have all the answers,” Danie shared, “but we’re committed to listening, to reflecting, and to building something that’s real, together.” And in that shared commitment lies the potential for a future rooted in community care, where every individual is recognized, valued, and supported, and shared leadership becomes the standard, not the exception.