Q&A with Dara Munson: 2024 Donald Stewart Fellowship Recipient

Dara Munson is President and CEO of Family Focus, an organization that helps families build social capital and achieve upward economic mobility through high-quality programming and services grounded in anti-racism and social justice. In a career spanning nearly 30 years, she has achieved numerous accomplishments, including being named a 2024 Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellow at the Erickson Institute and winning the Chicago Defender Women of Excellence Award. 

In 2024, she became the fifth recipient of the Donald Stewart Fellowship, awarded annually by African American Legacy to an individual embodying leadership in Chicago’s Black community. In an interview with Trust Content Specialist Liz Weber, Munson shares lessons learned in her career, her hopes for Chicago’s Black youth, and the people who inspire her.  

Can you talk about your career journey and how you got to where you are now?  

Dara Munson: I started in Detroit’s juvenile justice and criminal justice fields, working with male felons before they returned from incarceration. It made me think: What happened before incarceration? How did life look before that? I had a curiosity to find out how I could be impactful for people beyond my immediate circle, and had the opportunity to work at United Way as a funder and convener. After working there for several years, I became President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters. I was 30 years old and the youngest CEO of a major market affiliate. The position further piqued my curiosity about how to be intentional in showing up in young people’s lives. It led me to Chicago, where I had the opportunity to lead the Chicago Child Care Society, the oldest social service organization in Illinois. Later, I welcomed the chance to execute the merger between the Chicago Child Care Society and Family Focus.  

Today, I work on behalf of 20,000 children and families throughout Northeast Illinois, including Chicago, alongside a remarkable staff. We believe every child deserves a chance to realize their full potential, and that journey toward equity begins in the earliest years. Young people should have access to activities that promote positive behavior, healthy emotional well-being, and a chance to express themselves creatively as they grow. We are dedicated to supporting families through a whole-family approach to our efforts. Transitioning my work in criminal justice to advocating for our youngest learners has been a transformative journey for me.  

What are some lessons you’ve learned in your career? 

DM: To stay curious. Don’t ever rest on your laurels. Also, program participants should always share their perspectives and lived experiences – which I call their lived expertise – as it is the best way to create the most impact on the community in this work. Also, I’ve learned to never take myself out of the game. Some people call it imposter syndrome, or sometimes you may not feel ready for an experience or an opportunity. I always aim to press forward when given the chance to advance my goals, especially knowing my life’s work is to be a force for good.   

As the Donald Stewart Fellow, you are awarded money to support your work. What do you plan to use it for?  

DM: First, it’s meaningful to receive this opportunity. I don’t take it lightly. With Family Focus, as we think about early childhood education, I want to continue exploring birth equity work for the organization. We have recently expanded our doula service to enhance home visiting programs. I want us to think more about birth equity, not just as an extension of a program, but what that means for advocacy for moms and babies as we do our part to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in Black and Brown communities. That is a needed addition to the family-focused work in early childhood education, so I’m excited to explore this more. 

Our current strategic plan has an objective, Invest in Team Family Focus, which is caring for people who care for others. I We have over 400 team members who deliver very high-touch services, specific work that can be taxing when you’re in this space, especially emotionally. As we think about the realities that our team members combat daily, we want to ensure that we’re creating space for them to refuel and restore. The money will allow us to take a more holistic approach to what that means and think about the whole wellness aspect of our team members. There’s so much opportunity for positive impact for an award like this.  

Do you have blue-sky vision for Chicago’s future, especially when thinking about the Black community?  

DM: I have been in Chicago for eight years, but I’m a native Detroiter – born and raised on the West Side. My love, support and advocacy for children and families transcends geography. When I think of my hopes for my fellow Chicagoans, they’re the same hopes and dreams I had for my daughter when she was a little one: to grow up and experience the fullness of life based on the gifts she brings to this world. I have the same hope for every child who comes through the Family Focus doors, for every child born in Chicago, and for Black children with innate and natural talents. I hope for their abilities to be matched with financial resources so that they can hone those skills and talents and for them to achieve their dreams and hopes without the burden of emotional stress and trauma or financial, food, or housing insecurity.  

I also dream that Black children – all children, but specifically Black children – are educated by teachers who look like them and celebrate them in an educational environment they take pride in. Also, that they can be proud, celebrated, and happy. And that they can not only be told, “You are the future,” but envision that and know that every experience they have builds on the next. And that creates a foundation for their future and success.  

Are there leaders or icons, past or present, who inspire you?  

DM: I would be remiss if I did not share that Donald Stewart’s legacy is deeply inspirational. As I learned about his legacy in education and philanthropy, I can’t help but be inspired by that. Individuals like him remind me that I’m on the right path because it is challenging and daunting work but gratifying and necessary.  

Also, Michelle Obama, because of her commitment to being physically fit and taking control of your health and wellness. It was inspiring how she led as the first African American First Lady of the United States and the grace she created for herself, her family, Black Americans, and Americans in general. The way that she had to endure so much, yet she was strong in her conviction. The fact that she brought her mother to the White House was a signal around family and multi-generational households, a tradition in the African American community. Her professionalism, even before she got to the White House – she’s a brilliant legal mind with an insatiable dedication to community. She made me even more proud to be a Black woman in America.