Courage to Caregivers Names Successor

Courage to Caregivers names successor as founder plans 2027 retirement by Maura Zurick, Cleveland.Com

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio -- Nearly a decade after turning her own experience with caregiver burnout into a nonprofit dedicated to helping others, Kristi Horner is preparing to hand over the organization she built.

Courage to Caregivers has named Angela Cartwright as its next executive director, effective in March 2027.

That’s when Horner plans to retire from the role, as the organization approaches its 10th anniversary.

For Horner, the transition has been years in the making.

Horner founded Courage to Caregivers after caring for her brother, her son and two aging parents and experiencing significant caregiver burnout herself.

She said she saw plenty of support focused on the people she loved, but little attention paid to the health and well-being of the person providing that care.

“I knew we could do better,” Horner said.

The organization began with three pilot programs and later expanded its reach significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it moved to virtual programming and discovered that it could connect with caregivers far beyond its original geographic area.

Today, Courage to Caregivers provides peer support, prevention programming, advocacy, workforce development and professional education for unpaid family caregivers.

The organization has served thousands of caregivers and secured more than $1.7 million in philanthropic support, according to the nonprofit.

Horner said planning for the day when someone else would lead the organization was always part of her thinking.

With what she described as her “Medicare birthday” approaching and her husband already retired, she gave the board three years’ notice that she planned to step down in March 2027.

The Cleveland Foundation provided support for succession planning, sustainability and organizational growth, allowing Courage to Caregivers to work with Nonprofit Nav to prepare for the transition.

Horner said she believes the organization is now in a position where it can continue to grow without depending on its founder.

“I’ve always believed that a founder’s job isn’t to build an organization that depends on them; it’s to build one that can thrive without them,” Horner said.

“Seeing Courage to Caregivers reach that point feels like a pretty wonderful way to begin its second decade.”

Cartwright joined Courage to Caregivers as associate director in January 2026 and has worked alongside Horner on fundraising, organizational infrastructure, statewide partnerships and strategic initiatives.

She brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in higher education, nonprofit partnerships, strategic planning, workforce training and community engagement.

Before joining the nonprofit, Cartwright served as director of campus initiatives and community engagement at West Virginia University, where her work included caregiver wellness, mental health and community collaboration.

Over the coming months, Cartwright and Horner will continue working together as the organization prepares for the change in leadership.

Cartwright said the transition period will give her an opportunity to learn not only the organization’s operations, but also the relationships and instincts Horner has developed during its first decade.

“During these months alongside Kristi, I’m most focused on absorbing everything I can, especially the aspects of her leadership that transcend processes,” Cartwright said.

That includes learning how Horner has cultivated relationships with funders and community partners and how she has determined when the organization is ready to grow without stretching its capacity too far.

One thing Cartwright said she does not want to change is the nonprofit’s emphasis on lived experience.

Courage to Caregivers is a peer-run organization built by and for people who understand what it means to care for family members with behavioral health challenges, chronic illnesses or developmental disabilities, Cartwright said.

“Whatever we grow into in our next 10 years, it will be a reflection of the lived experiences that drive our work,” she said.

As she prepares to take over, Cartwright said her priorities include reaching more caregivers throughout Ohio, strengthening partnerships and ensuring that the nonprofit has the staffing and systems necessary to sustain that expansion.

She also wants caregivers themselves to continue driving decisions about future programming, rather than having the organization assume what families need.

The need for support remains significant, Cartwright said.

She said family caregivers are increasingly describing themselves as stretched thin financially, emotionally and by the amount of time their responsibilities demand.

Many are simultaneously working full time, managing other family obligations and navigating health and social service systems with little guidance.

Isolation is another recurring concern.

“Caregivers frequently say the hardest part isn’t the caregiving itself, it’s feeling like no one else understands it or even sees it,” Cartwright said.

“That’s precisely the gap peer support is built to fill -- connecting with someone who’s walked the same road.”

Cartwright said her previous work has taught her that organizations need strong systems and relationships if they are going to survive changes in leadership and continue growing.

Her experience includes developing professional training programs, supporting multimillion-dollar grant initiatives, strategic planning and building partnerships across health care, education, government and nonprofit organizations.

“My background has taught me that lasting impact comes from building systems and relationships,” Cartwright said.

For Courage to Caregivers, she said that means making sustainability a priority as the nonprofit enters its second decade.

“We want to make sure that as we grow, we’re not just doing more; we’re doing it in a way that can last another 10 years and beyond,” Cartwright said.

Horner, meanwhile, does not plan to sever her ties with Courage to Caregivers after retiring as executive director.

She is expected to remain involved in a limited contractor and advisory role.

Depending on the organization’s needs, that could include continuing to work with select Family Peer Support clients; leading Question, Persuade, Refer suicide prevention trainings; providing mentoring and workforce development support; and assisting with special projects.

Horner said stepping away from the day-to-day responsibilities of overseeing staff, volunteers and operations will allow her to continue doing some of the work she enjoys most, while giving Cartwright room to lead the organization into its next chapter.

“So, handing over leadership is certainly bittersweet,” Horner said. “But more than anything, I feel proud, grateful and ready.”

Courage to Caregivers will celebrate its 10th anniversary with “Everyone Has a Story: Ripples of Hope” on March 6, 2027.

The event will recognize the caregivers, volunteers, donors, partners and supporters who have contributed to the organization while marking the beginning of its next generation of leadership.