Andy McNiel Appointed CEO of The Compassionate Friends

The Board of Directors of The Compassionate Friends (TCF) is excited to announce the appointment of Andy McNiel as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

A resident of Stuart, Florida, Andy brings TCF more than 30 years of leadership experience in national grief support organizations and has longstanding ties to both TCF and the TCF Foundation. Many of you already know Andy from his hands-on roles at our Annual Conferences and his often-inspirational training for TCF leaders across the country.

Since joining TCF as a consultant in 2019 to help us navigate a series of organizational challenges—including the COVID-19 shutdown—Andy has played a pivotal role in critical TCF accomplishments. These include:

• Our successful stabilization plan, concluding in the early repayment of the TCF Foundation’s bridge loan
• Modernization of operations, including the creation of a virtual National Office and the streamlining of financial, fundraising, and information technology systems
• Expansion of grant writing, notably securing and executing a multiyear grant from New York Life to educate employers who are dealing with grief in the workplace
• Growth of TCF’s online presence, offering a safe and supportive online space for grieving parents, grandparents, and siblings
• Enhanced training and resources for Chapter and Regional Leaders—who represent the beating heart of TCF’s mission

Andy’s leadership experience spans hospice care, regional and national grief organizations, and strategic consulting. He first reached out to TCF in 2004 as Executive Director of the Amelia Center, a comprehensive grief support organization affiliated with Children’s of Alabama. There, he helped TCF support a Chapter in Birmingham and welcomed Chapter meetings into the Amelia Center.

From 2011 to 2017, Andy led the Colorado-based National Alliance for Children’s Grief. He later co-founded and led The Satori Group, a consulting firm serving end-of-life and bereavement organizations. He is also a national trainer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and serves as Senior Advisor to Youth Programs at the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), whose thousands of volunteers serve bereaved military families.

Andy holds a BA in Religion from Palm Beach Atlantic University and a Master’s in Counseling from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He began his career as a youth minister in Alabama in 1994.

Andy’s passion for our cause has deep roots and emerged as his calling. As Andy himself once wrote in the early 1990s, during his clinical training as a grief counselor:

You cannot learn from a textbook how to support and hold space for people grieving a profound loss. You have to dedicate yourself to be a humble, compassionate, and caring presence committed fully for the long road of grief.

Andy has done just that. His special understanding of our unique organization—and his accomplished work with our Board, the TCF Foundation, our national staff, and our remarkable regional and chapter leaders—made him the clear choice for TCF’s top leadership position.

The Board is proud to welcome Andy McNiel as TCF’s Chief Executive Officer. Many of us have worked alongside Andy and bear witness to his ability to lead, inspire, and deliver results. As we embark on our new five-year strategic plan, we are confident in his vision and commitment.

Please join us in welcoming Andy as TCF continues to shine as a beacon of hope for families navigating the profound journey of grief. Through TCF—and with those who, like Andy, embrace our calling—we need not walk alone.

The TCF Board of Directors,

Bob Lane, Board President

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