From Malone to Mission: Sarah Tunning ʼ00 appointed Chief Operating Officer at One Hope United
After gaining more than 25 years of experience in child welfare, mental health, and organizational leadership, Sarah Tunning ‘00, LMHC, has been appointed to the executive leadership team at Chicago-based One Hope United. The excellent and Christ-centered
stewardship she exemplifies in her daily work makes promotion within the organization a natural and well-deserved fit.
Tunning graduated from Malone with a B.A. in social work, where she was actively involved in the Social Work Club and was deeply committed to community engagement. As a student, she participated in service-learning trips to New York City, Jamaica, and Miami—experiences that deepened her appreciation for cultural relationships and continue to shape her approach to working with children and families today. She credits her Malone professors and other campus leaders for modeling what it means to serve others with purpose and compassion.
“Serving people is driven by my faith,” said Tunning. “My professors and resident assistant at Malone modeled what it means to serve others with humility and purpose. The lessons I learned about integrating faith and service have guided me throughout my career, and I’ve tried to carry that same blend of excellence and Christ-centered compassion into my work.”
As a social worker, cultivating a work ethic rooted in compassion and healing requires deep reflection, challenge, and critical thought. In moments when hope feels stalled by the complexities of the field, Tunning finds strength in remembering God’s unwavering grace—an anchor amid the ever-changing circumstances of the care she is called to provide.
“Staying hopeful when the work gets hard is one of the biggest challenges in this field,” said Tunning. “The lessons I carry forward—listening deeply, leading with empathy, and staying grounded in faith—remind me that true leadership is about service. Those values, rooted in my Malone experience and my career, continue to shape how I lead with hope and resilience in my new role as chief operating officer.”
Over time, the demands of leadership have deepened Tunning’s understanding of what it means to serve with both conviction and grace. Her experiences have not only shaped how she leads, but also how she reflects on the shared calling of colleagues – and future colleagues– who work in social services.
“Embrace every opportunity to learn—both in and beyond the classroom,” said Tunning. “This work requires empathy, patience, and resilience. Take your field and volunteer experiences seriously, listen well, and never lose sight of the humanity in every situation. Let your faith guide your purpose and trust that each experience, even the hard ones, is preparing you to make a lasting difference.”