Ellen Reed, executive director of Turning Point Advocacy Services, is retiring from her position.Reed spent six years transforming Turning Point from a grassroots nonprofit into a professionally organized and executed mission to help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and exploitation and adult sex trafficking.Turning Point is hosting a retirement party to honor Reed from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 27, in the Little Red Barn at Cedar Lake Cellars, 11008 Schreckengast Road in Wright City.Light hors d’oeuvres and nonalcoholic drinks will be served. Guests will have access to a full cash bar.The evening will officially launch the Ellen G. Reed Legacy of 100 Sparking Lights, a legacy fund created to provide ongoing support for Turning Point in Reed’s honor.To attend, RSVP to retirement@turningpointdvs.com. To contribute to the Ellen G. Reed Legacy of 100 Sparkling Lights, visit www.turningpointdvs.com.Helping victims of gendered violence has been Reed’s life work and she leaves a lasting impact on Turning Point, board members said.“I’ve had the privilege of working with some intelligent and compassionate professional women who have dedicated their lives to helping people in one kind of need or another,” said Laura Adams, chairperson of Turning Point’s governing board. “Ellen Reed is in the top tier. She has educated, cajoled, befriended, coached and begged — all in the service of vulnerable women and children.”Turning Point was founded in 1994. Regulation changes during the 2000s in the nonprofit sector required more complex reporting for accountability and transparency. As a result nonprofits needed executive leadership with specialized skills.Turning Point was under the leadership of Joyce Karrenbrock its first 18 years of operation. After such long tenure, Karrenbrock’s illness and death in 2012 left a void, Adams said.Reed volunteered to help cover the shelter and ultimately became the organization’s executive director that same year. Reed holds a master’s degree in public policy administration with an emphasis in nonprofit management.“Turning Point was still operating as a grassroots organization. They had a great mission and a strong vision, but very little appropriate organizational infrastructure,” Reed said of her arrival.Reed was tasked with rebuilding the organization. Through the years she managed to stabilize and then grow the programs, staff and facilities.Under her leadership the board of directors was redefined and professionalized. Reporting was overhauled to ensure appropriate financial and data reporting.The organization increased its shelter capacity without a capital campaign, increased revenues and increased the number of individuals they were able to help. Victims’ services expanded into six counties — Franklin, Gasconade, Lincoln, Montgomery, west St. Charles and Warren.The organization refined its guiding mission, vision and values in 2017 to reflect what it had become. Out of the revisioning effort came an official name change.After 21 years as the Warren County Council Against Domestic Violence and being known as Turning Point, the organization became Turning Point Advocacy Services.The state also recognized Reed’s expertise. She was commissioned in 2016 to work with the Missouri Supreme Court’s Commission on Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking.Reed is leaving Turning Point in a stable position with a clear direction.“In all my 25 years doing this work, Turning Point has been both the most challenging and the most rewarding organization of my career,” Reed said. “I have faith that the strength and passion of the staff and the dedication and skills of the board will carry this organization forward.”In her retirement, Reed plans to spend time with her family and travel. She will continue her life’s work in advocacy by doing contract work for nonprofits.In her absence, she said, “I hope Turning Point continues to envision and work toward a culture of nonviolence in our community — where healthy relationships flourish; where people are equally valued; and where lives are free of abuse.”She leaves a message to those her work has helped: “Be brave. Be bold. Hug your babies and teach them well.”Turning Point