We launched True North Executive Solutions with a bold idea rooted in real experience: that organizations navigating change need more than just advice, they need a trusted partner who’s been in their seat. 

With decades of combined leadership as CEO, COO, and CHRO, we knew the weight of leading through complexity, transitions, and uncertainty. We also knew the profound value of having the right support in those moments. That understanding became the heart of True North. 

What started as an idea to provide interim and fractional leadership services quickly evolved. We realized our greatest impact came from helping organizations step back, assess holistically, and act strategically.  This led to us to taking a step back and assessing our service offerings and pivoting to more strategic focused services, such as our Future Ready Organizational Assessment, Strategic Planning Enablement and Comprehensive HR Evaluation. (You can learn more about our services here: True North Executive Solutions)

 Our mission is clear: to guide organizations in transition toward stability and sustainable growth. Our clients come to us when:

• They’re preparing for a leadership change.

• They’re tasked with creating a strategic plan.

• They’re facing HR gaps, high turnover, or compliance risks.

• They need to scale, but don’t know where to start.

 We meet those challenges with a unique advantage: we’ve lived them. As former C-suite executives, we bring not only strategic expertise but also deep empathy and clarity. We don’t just diagnose problems; we design realistic solutions grounded in lived experience.

 What sets us apart is our signature approach:
🔹 We’ve been in your seat, and we remember how it felt.
🔹 We future proof your business with strategy, structure, and sustainability.
🔹 We guide you through transitions with honest insight and a calm, collaborative approach.

We’ve helped boards prepare for CEO transitions, supported HR teams through compliance evaluations, and empowered leaders to make bold, informed decisions. We’ve also refined our brand with a clear value proposition: We empower you to build the strategic HR and operational foundation to ensure your organization is future ready. 

As we look ahead, we’re energized by the organizations and leaders we’ve partnered with and those we’ve yet to meet. Thank you for trusting us, believing in us, and growing with us.

Here’s to the next year ahead and to helping more organizations navigate change with confidence.

Warmly,

Christina Gullo & Michelle Lee

Co-Founders, True North Executive Solutions

In this issue:

• True North Year in Review

• True North Highlights

• Key HR Updates and Action Items

• Courageous and Authentic Leadership

• Non-profit Grant Funding Opportunity

• Partnership Spotlight: Mission Advancement Group, LLC

True North Year in Review

True North Highlights

Key HR Updates and Action Items

NYS Lactation Leave

• Effective June 19, 2024, all New York employers must provide 30-minute paid lactation breaks for nursing employees. This is in addition to any unpaid break time already required under state and federal law.

• Key points:

  • Breaks must be paid and provided each time an employee needs to express milk for three (3) years following childbirth.

  • Employers must make reasonable efforts to provide a private, non-bathroom space for lactation.

  • This applies to all employers, regardless of size.

  Now is a great time to review your lactation accommodation policy and ensure your team is trained on these new requirements. Additional information can be found here:

  Breast Milk Expression in the Workplace | Department of Labor

NYS Prenatal Care Leave

Effective January 1, 2025, New York State requires all private-sector employers to provide 20 hours of paid prenatal leave per year to pregnant employees.

Key Points:

• Separate from other sick leave

• Available immediately upon hire

• Paid at the employee’s regular rate (or minimum wage, whichever is higher)

• Usable hourly for appointments like exams, monitoring, or fertility care

• Cannot request medical documentation or personal health details to approve this leave

Make sure to update your leave policies and train managers on this new requirement.

Additional guidance can be found here:

New York State Paid Prenatal Leave

Courageous & Authentic Leadership

Pictured above is Betsy Truax, VP of Equity and Compensation for First American Equipment Finance. Betsy worked closely with the Learning & Development team at First American to prepare an enriching session on Courageous & Authentic Leadership. Betsy delivered this session to 22 of her colleagues at First American and at the heart of it was Courageous & Authentic Leadership, authored by True North Co-owner, Christina Gullo. 

In Betsy’s words, “There’s something powerful in the clarity and compassion of your message, and I knew I wanted our emerging leaders at First American to experience that, too.”

Non-Profit Grant Funding Opportunity

United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes is offering financial support to non-profit organizations in our community through their Creating Synergy for a Stronger Future Grant. This grant provides capacity-building support for nonprofits’ organizational health, vitality, and sustainability.

The United Way is accepting applications from July 1, 2025-August 12, 2025. More information on the grant, including how to apply can be found here:

Impact Grants | United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes

Partnership Spotlight: Mission Advancement Group LLC

Mission Advancement Group LLC is a local consulting firm founded by Gerianne Puskas, President & CEO, that helps nonprofits and executives align their vision with strategy and map out how to achieve it. They offer a variety of services focused on advancing an organization’s mission into the future.

Earlier this year, True North Executive Solutions partnered with Mission Advancement Group LLC and successfully facilitated 8 key workshops through our Empowerment Leadership Academy. These workshops focused on building leadership skills and professional growth in HR Basics, Strategy, Board Governance, and Fundraising.

In May, Christina Gullo, Co-owner, True North Executive Solutions, and Gerianne Puskas, President & CEO, Mission Advancement Group LLC, co-presented at the AFP Genesee Valley Conference. Their session, "From Passive to Powerful: Transforming Your Board into Strategic Champions," shared their work together at Villa of Hope.

Pictured below: (Left) Christina Gullo, MBA, SHRM-SCP, MSW, Co-owner, True North Executive Solutions and (Right) Gerianne Puskas, MBA, CNPM, CFRE, President & CEO, Mission Advancement Group LLC.

If you would like to discuss any topics covered in this newsletter or would like to learn more about our services, please contact us. We are here to assist you.

Transforming Challenges into Opportunities!