Name: Myriah Mhoon
Age: 34
Title: CEO of New Life Center
Married/Single: Single
Kids: 2
City you live in: Tempe
A typical day in my life includes…
being woken up by a 5 a.m. daily email from work. By 6 a.m. my wide-eyed toddler and 9-year-old are bouncing on my bed waiting for me to feed and dress them for the day. After a couple hours of mommy duty, I land in my office and immediately turn on the lavender aromatherapy, dive into my emails, calendars and to-do list. New Life Center is open 24/7, so I am always on call, ready to respond if a crisis or concerns arises. Being the Chief, my 9-5 schedule changes and looks different every week. It is rare to see me just at my desk, I’m usually in and out of meetings, and responding to emails on my phone/laptop. By the time I get home its dinner, playtime with the boys, lights out by 7:30pm, and then a glass of wine for mom!
I was born…
in Sweet Home Chicago!
My favorite thing about Arizona…
is the weather of course! Also, the ability to be in a cooler climate and in the mountains within 90 mins.
I’m listening to…
Prince (always) but lately I’ve also been enjoying Brandi Carlile, as well. Unfortunately, I’m also listening to toddler and tween music on YouTube; we have a lot of dance parties.
My family…
is everything to me. They are supportive, eccentric, kindhearted and full of conversations that will make you belly laugh until you cry.
If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be…
10 years ago me and future me. Talk about an interesting conversation!
One thing I cannot live without…
is my family, having a job that I’m passionate about and sadly my phone!
When I was younger, I wanted to be…
a ballet dancer, I studied for 15 years in Chicago.
I’m inspired by…
the clients we serve at NLC and the amazing advocates I work with. We deal with high impact crisis situation, and I have the highest reverence for the folks that work beside me.
The one person who motivates me is…
my children. I live to make them proud and want to give them the world.
If I could change anything in the world, it would be…
the need to have an agency like mine.
The perfect day would be…
having an equal amount of alone time and work/mommy duty time. My job and children are high energy, finding that balance of calm and quite would be utopia.
My first job was…
working with my dad at a record label owned by Frank Thomas, it was great!
My favorite escape…
is the spa. I love taking advantage of all the discounted resort spa’s in the valley during the hot months.
My life…
is incredible and dynamic! I feel extremely thankful and have so much to be thankful for. Being in field of violence response makes your perspective on life a little different. I never take having a life that is free from violence for granted.
I’m currently working on…
unpacking and putting together Ikea furniture. I just moved from Scottsdale to Tempe.
Always…
be kind and respectful, especially with those you don’t understand and/or agree with.
Never…
assume!
Favorite Quote…
“I do not understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.” -Anne Lamott
Biggest Dream…
is for my boys and all children to be successful and happy in life. Children are resilient but need supportive communities that will let them thrive.
My Pet Peeve(s)…
being lied to.
More About Myriah and New Life Center…
Myriah Mhoon is the current CEO of New Life Center, one of the largest domestic violence shelters in the country with 104-beds. They provide a comprehensive program using the trauma-informed care model to support families in starting independent lives – free from violence. In addition to shelter and safety, New Life Center provides the necessary living needs for all its residents.
Mhoon has been a direct service provider as a social worker, but most recently, became a statewide leader working at the Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family. Mhoon oversaw the Arizona Governor’s Commission to Prevent Violence Against Women. During her three-year tenure, Mhoon led the domestic violence awareness campaign, Lighting Arizona Purple. In 2016, she sat on Arizona’s Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit Task Force, guiding the governor’s office with recommendations to combat the backlog of rape kits in the state.
