TIPS Co-Founders Maureen Brotherton (left) & Tia Heim (right)
Teens In Public Service was co-founded in 1997 by Maureen Pleas Brotherton and her daughter Tia Heim. At the age of 16, Tia volunteered tutoring homeless children. She also held summer jobs that were typical for her age group. Tia found that full-time summer employment kept her from doing the volunteer work she found most fulfilling. Tia’s dilemma, paycheck or volunteerism, caught Maureen’s attention.
Recognizing the shortage of employment opportunities in Seattle that engaged young leaders in the non-profit sector, Tia and Maureen saw an immediate need for an organization that could offer young people an opportunity to have a meaningful summer work experience. Thus, Teens In Public Service (TIPS) was born. TIPS provides teens with the opportunity to work in a service-oriented field and compensates them for what typically would be unpaid volunteer work, while at the same time provides non-profits with bright and energetic high school students to fill their work force gaps.
Maureen is a mother of five children and the grandparent of four. She received her BA in Society & Justice, from the University of Washington and her MA in Not-For-Profit Leadership from Seattle University .
Tia is an attorney at D.R. Horton. She lives in Seattle with her husband Chris and their three children.
TIPS is the outcome of a daughter’s desire to serve others and a mother’s wish for more rewarding job opportunities for teens.