Five Frogs Announces New Executive Director, Lindsey Tengatenga!

Five Frogs is proud to announce Lindsey Tengatenga as its next Executive Director. After undertaking a search process, the Five Frogs’ Board of Directors unanimously voted to hire her for the full time role.   

Lindsey has been instrumental in guiding Five Frogs’ work as the Interim Executive Director over the past seven months, bringing 15 years of experience working in public service and a deep commitment to equity and justice. Prior to joining the Five Frogs team in this role, she spent 12 years developing early-stage grassroots leaders for Public Allies of Connecticut — the last nine years working as the organization’s Executive Director. She is a Five Frog’s Leadership Development Roundtable (LDR) alumna and has supported dozens of Connecticut leaders as an LDR coach. 

“It is an honor to nurture the incredible ecosystem of Five Frogs’ leaders across Connecticut,” said Tengatenga. “Nothing fills me with more purpose than powering the people doing the brave, bold work to change the structures and systems that allow inequities to persist. I look forward to connecting with Alumni and I have great trust in what we will achieve–and reimagine–together in this next chapter for Five Frogs.”

“Lindsey brings a wealth of experience and leadership to Five Frogs. Her commitment to leadership development through an equity lens will help ensure our continued impact across Connecticut,” said Tamara Smith, co-chair of the organization’s search committee.  

Board Chair, Mirellise Vazquez, added, “Lindsey is the right leader at this time in the organization’s life cycle and we are excited for the passion, commitment, and transformative vision she brings to the organization and its work. Lindsey always centers leaders and lives and models the organization’s mission and values”. 

Five Frogs is a hub of support for leaders at varying stages of their leadership journey. We are the only statewide, multi-sector leadership development organization building a movement for equity. The organization’s goal is to support leaders to maximize strengths, learn from experience, and leverage the power of an inclusive community of changemakers.

Five Frogs continues to expand its reach and now has over 700 community members, over 300 leadership development alumni, and 189 organizations participating in LDR, as well as group and individual coaching. We are committed to continuing our signature programming and creating new opportunities to connect and mobilize our alumni working to create a world where all Connecticut residents thrive. 

Lindsey officially began her tenure as Executive Director on September 1.