Inperium Honors the Life of Cher Ofstedahl and Her Impact on Trinity Youth Services

Written by Robert Bloomingfield for ValiantCEO.

Inperium is honoring the life and legacy of a deeply respected leader, partner, and friend. Cher Ofstedahl, CEO of Trinity Youth Services, passed away recently, leaving behind an enduring imprint shaped by the children she championed, the programs she helped advance, and the compassion that defined her leadership.

For those across the Inperium constellation and beyond, Cher’s passing is deeply personal. Her work was never distant or administrative. It was human, immediate, and rooted in lived understanding. Long before she became an executive leader in child welfare, her advocacy was shaped by her own childhood experiences with trauma and instability, experiences that ultimately fueled her lifelong commitment to helping children break cycles of abuse and neglect.

That personal history shaped her philosophy of care. She believed children were more than the hardships they endured. In a recent podcast appearance, she spoke about the possibility of healing beyond trauma, of moving past blame and toward freedom. It was a message she carried not only in words, but in the structure and services Trinity Youth Services delivered every day.

Under her leadership, Trinity provided foster care, adoption services, short-term residential treatment, and support for unaccompanied minors, programs that operate around the clock for children who cannot safely remain at home. Her work extended beyond operational oversight; she helped shape environments where healing could begin and dignity could be restored.

Her relationship with Inperium strengthened that mission. Through affiliation, Trinity gained expanded administrative and operational support, enabling teams to stay focused on direct service delivery during an increasingly complex funding and care landscape. The collaboration also helped extend resources through the Children’s Foundation of America, supporting essential needs that traditional funding streams often could not cover.

For Ryan Dewey Smith, Founding Executive Chairman & CEO of Inperium, Cher’s influence reached far beyond organizational strategy. “Cher was a rare and beautiful soul, a deeply principled, unwavering leader whose belief in the mission of Trinity Youth Services changed lives and strengthened our entire constellation,” he says.

He reflected not only on her professional leadership but on her humanity, her openness, her generosity, and her presence within the affiliate family. “I feel incredibly grateful to have met and worked with her, and especially thankful that she shared her life, her work, and her heart with us at Inperium,” Smith adds. “That truly mattered; she mattered.”

Colleagues consistently recall her warmth alongside her dedication. Dr. Vince LaSorsa, Chief Relationship Officer & Ombudsman at Inperium, credits a leader whose energy was as impactful as her expertise. “I had the wonderful opportunity to get to know Cher since Trinity’s affiliation. She was always so positive, upbeat, and fun, always lighting up the room with her smile and sense of humor,” he says.

But her joy never overshadowed her professional conviction. He adds, “Professionally, she was profoundly devoted to Trinity and their work, caring for the most vulnerable children in our society. She took great pride in this and considered her contributions to this important endeavor as her privilege.”

That sense of purpose resonated across the affiliate constellation. Vicki Niedermayer, CEO of Helping Restore Ability, reflected on Cher’s presence in deeply personal terms, explaining her as someone who gave selflessly to everyone around her. “Cher had a way of making every person feel seen, valued, and supported,” Niedermayer says. “She shared her time, her compassion, and her spirit so freely that you couldn’t help but be changed by knowing her.”

That generosity of spirit translated directly into her work. Cher’s leadership could be seen in the programs she helped expand, the care models she helped strengthen, and the resources she championed for youth navigating foster care and transitional services. Her influence was present not only in large-scale initiatives but also in deeply personal touches, like ensuring children had proper luggage when moving between placements, reinforcing dignity in moments that often felt uncertain. It was this balance of systemic vision and human sensitivity that shaped her approach to trauma-informed care.

Her leadership gave Trinity momentum, ensuring that its mission would continue evolving to meet rising mental health and placement needs among vulnerable youth populations. Even as colleagues grieve, there is a shared recognition that her work endures in the systems she helped build and the people she inspired.

Smith reflects on that continuation of impact, noting that while the loss is profound, so too is the responsibility it leaves behind. “We are heartbroken by her loss, but profoundly grateful for the time we had with her,” he says. “We will carry forward her legacy and the many contributions she made, and will continue to make in our world.”

Inperium and its affiliates now move forward with that charge: to carry her love, her light, and her life into the future of child welfare. Because for Cher Ofstedahl, the mission was always about the children, and the belief that healing, connection, and hope should reach every one of them.