Staff & Board
Catalysts for High-Impact Service
Our ServeMinnesota team provides the building blocks that help AmeriCorps programs run across the state of Minnesota.
We foster a welcoming workplace environment made up of individuals all strongly committed to mission-driven work and service to our communities.
ServeMinnesota is a proud Employer of National Service. Currently nearly half of our staff are AmeriCorps alumni.
Senior Leadership
Julia Quanrud
Chief Executive Officer
Julia Quanrud joined the ServeMinnesota team as Chief Executive Officer in April of 2023. Before joining ServeMinnesota, Julia led, built, and launched evidence-based AmeriCorps programs as Chief of Staff at Ampact, including Math Corps and Reading Corps during key years of growth in Minnesota and multiple other states. She also led Ampact as interim Chief Program Officer for the first eighteen months of the COVID-19 pandemic, launching Contact Tracing Corps and the Emergency Response Initiative to help Minnesota respond to the crisis. Julia is a proud AmeriCorps alum, having served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member for two years, first with Minnesota Campus Compact and then with Minneapolis Public Schools. In her second year, she was elected President of the InterCorps Council (ICC), where she led a banner year for the organization, managing service days, events, and projects, while collaborating with fellow AmeriCorps members on the ICC’s vision, procedures, and reporting. Julia holds a Bachelor of the Arts from Macalester College as well as a Master in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Lindsay Dolce, J.D.
Chief Policy and Growth Officer
Lindsay Dolce is the Chief Policy and Growth Officer for ServeMinnesota. She has an extensive background in national and state-level advocacy and outreach, and provides executive leadership to securing federal, state, and philanthropic resources for continuous program improvement and scaling proven strategic initiatives. She also provides critical direction to all Executive Directors for development, growth, and replication efforts nationally.
She previously served as the Executive Director of Serve Colorado, the state’s service commission, and also worked with Colorado Reads, Colorado’s Early Literacy Initiative. In these roles, she provided statewide leadership in AmeriCorps programs, working on strategic planning, program development, community outreach, organizational and financial operations, and administration.
Before her time at Serve Colorado, Dolce worked as the Senior Program Manager for the David and Laura Merage Foundation, where she supported the implementation of a shared services approach for early care and education providers. Her career started in law, where she worked as a domestic relations attorney, a judicial law clerk, and a domestic violence prosecutor. Prior to law school, she served as a staff member for United States Senator J. Robert Kerrey and United States Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond in Washington, D.C.
Dolce holds a B.A. in English, Political Science, and International Relations from William Jewell College. She also studied at St. Peter’s College at Oxford University and earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Her educational background, coupled with her comprehensive expertise, positions her well in her current role at Ampact, where she is instrumental in sourcing growth capital, forming site partnerships, and launching the replication of various AmeriCorps programs across the country.
Mohamed Omar
Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer, Mohamed Omar leads ServeMinnesota’s technological, operational, and financial infrastructure. Mohamed brings deep experience across private, public, and nonprofit sectors to ServeMinnesota’s senior leadership team. He’s worked as a senior financial executive with organizations across MN, including the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund and the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities. Directly prior to joining ServeMinnesota, he was the chief administrative officer and chief of staff at Washburn Center For Children.
Omar began his career in accounting at PricewaterhouseCoopers before expanding his expertise in strategy and operations as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs and as a management consultant at Guidehouse and MorganFranklin. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs Policy Fellows Program. He holds a Master of Science in information systems as well as an MBA in finance and entrepreneurship from Johns Hopkins University, in addition to a BA from George Mason University.
In addition to his work at ServeMinnesota, Mohamed contributes his expertise to three nonprofit boards. He chairs the board for Hennepin Healthcare and is the first Somali American to lead a hospital board in Minnesota. He is also vice president of the board for WellShare International and treasurer for CommonBond Communities.
Sandy Pulles, Ph.D.
Chief Impact Officer
Sandy Pulles is the Chief Impact Officer at ServeMinnesota. Dedicated to enhancing the impact of AmeriCorps programs in Minnesota, Sandy focuses on strengthening program management and demonstrating measurable outcomes in key areas such as literacy, math, and school engagement for students. Her work addresses critical public health challenges, including substance use disorder and housing instability, while also promoting environmental resilience in collaboration with the State of Minnesota and Native nations. Additionally, she expands strategies within ServeMinnesota’s AmeriCorps portfolio to address critical needs in Minnesota’s workforce, all while working to grow the number of individuals serving in Minnesota and enhancing ServeMinnesota’s capacity to attract a wide range of people passionate about making a positive difference in their communities. She is a member of the Minnesota Governor’s Workforce Development Board and remains committed to advancing workforce development opportunities through AmeriCorps experiences.
Sandy brings extensive experience to ServeMinnesota, previously working in schools as a school psychologist. She also previously led the design of AmeriCorps programs and trained AmeriCorps members in education programs. She holds a master’s and doctoral degree in educational psychology.
Jessica Ayers-Bean
Vice President of Development
Jessica Ayers-Bean joined ServeMinnesota as Vice President of Development in 2024. She is responsible for leading the organization’s fundraising efforts and growing philanthropic resources to support ServeMinnesota and our strategic initiatives.
Jessica is a proud AmeriCorps alum who brings over 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership. Prior to ServeMinnesota, she held development leadership roles at Montessori Center of Minnesota and Camp Fire Minnesota. Before Camp Fire, she served as an Education Policy Aide for Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and co-coordinated Early Literacy Corps at Literacy Minnesota.
She received her Bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Business Administration from the University of Iowa. In 2024, she completed the CARE early childhood advocacy fellowship. Jessica serves on the board of directors for Conservation Minnesota.
Lynn Lewis
Vice President of Finance
Lynn Lewis serves as the Vice President of Finance at ServeMinnesota. She is responsible for all aspects of the financial management of the organization. This includes managing the finances of the organization as well as providing fiscal support and monitoring to programs that ServeMinnesota supports.
Lynn has more than 20 years of non-profit accounting experience. Lynn joined the ServeMinnesota team in 2007, prior to working for ServeMinnesota she worked for Rise, Inc., a non-profit organization that had an AmeriCorps program at the time. Lynn has a B.S. in Accounting from St. Cloud State University.
David Parker, Ph.D.
Vice President of Educational Research
David Parker leads the National Science and Service Collaborative at ServeMinnesota, which includes research and development efforts, including new program design, program evaluation and innovation, and the development of robust data management systems. He has been part of the ServeMinnesota mission for more than 10 years. David has a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota, where he nurtured a passion for researching ways to help students develop strong reading and math skills. He and his team remain actively committed to demonstrating the unique contribution of AmeriCorps in advancing research to practice across various issue areas. He publishes frequently in top-tiered research journals, presents at national, state and local conferences, and has helped secure over $2 million for grant-funded research projects.
Stacey Scherschligt
Vice President of Programs and Grantmaking
Stacey Scherschligt has been with ServeMinnesota since 2006 and currently serves as the Vice President of Programs and Grantmaking. She is responsible for providing guidance to new applicants, managing the Request for Proposal process, providing training and technical assistance to AmeriCorps grantees and ensuring compliance with federal regulations. Prior to ServeMinnesota, she served as the Program Coordinator for the National Service Training Project where she provided training and technical assistance to AmeriCorps programs across the country. Stacey received a B.S. in Business Management from the University of South Dakota and is an AmeriCorps alum who served two years with the USVets program in Washington, DC. In 2019, she was awarded Outstanding Commission Staff Member of the Year by America’s Service Commissions.
Lisa Winkler
Vice President of External Relations
Lisa leads marketing communications, public affairs and government relations for ServeMinnesota, working with organizations, constituents and community leaders from all sectors of the state. She also oversees college student recruitment at the University of Minnesota and other campuses, driving the groundbreaking work to attract GenZ and millennials to national service. Her expertise reflects her passion to deliver results through strategic solutions and teamwork.
She brings the wisdom from more than 25 years of professional experience in both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and has served in leadership roles at The Saint Paul Foundation, St. Paul Companies (now Travelers), Girl Scouts and United Way. She joined ServeMinnesota in 2009.
Committed to collaboration and building the capacity of the field, Lisa chairs the national Communications Learning Community for America’s Service Commissions that represents commissions from 52 states and territories. She also serves on University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts Employer Advisory Council and the Board of Advocates for Backpack, a student-led marketing communications agency. She graduated with honors and has a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Staff
Michael Beverly, Jr., DBA, MBA
Controller
Dr. Michael Beverly, Jr., joined ServeMinnesota as Controller in September 2025. He is responsible for overseeing the accounting operations and financial planning functions. His professional career extends over twelve years within the banking and nonprofit industry, holding positions ranging from Risk Analyst, Assistant Controller, Controller, Internal Audit Manager, Director of Finance, and Chief Financial Officer. He also spent three years in public accounting as Director, Accounting & Tax Services, managing a client portfolio comprised of 90% non-profit organizations and 10% for-profit businesses.
Born and raised in Omaha, NE, he is still getting accustomed to the Twin Cities. He obtained his B.S.B.A. in Finance from Creighton University and M.B.A. with an emphasis in accounting from Bellevue University. In February 2024, he obtained his Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree with an emphasis in Leadership from Walden University.
In addition to his work at ServeMinnesota, Michael contributes his expertise by volunteering within the community via board positions and mentoring our youth.
Sadie Botine
Program Officer
Sadie Botine is a Program Officer at ServeMinnesota where she supports AmeriCorps programs across the state with program management and grants monitoring. Prior to joining ServeMinnesota, Sadie was a Lead Program Manager at Ampact supporting AmeriCorps members during their service with Reading Corps, Math Corps, and Early Learning Corps. Originally from Iowa, Sadie also completed her own AmeriCorps VISTA service at a refugee resettlement agency in Des Moines followed by two years of service as a Youth Development Specialist with the Peace Corps in Eswatini. In her role as a Program Officer, Sadie hopes to utilize and build off her past experience with AmeriCorps to better serve programs in Minnesota.
Sadie holds a B.A. in International Studies and Sociology from Luther College. In her spare time she enjoys reading, baking, completing home renovation projects, and playing with her rescue pup, Cassius.
Kristin Burger
Director of Literacy
Kristin began her career in education as a VISTA with the Minnesota Literacy Council, where she started and coordinated English learning programs for adult refugees from Laos, Thailand, Russia, and Cambodia. This initial experience inspired Kristin to get her elementary teacher license through an alternative certification program. Her work as a classroom teacher, reading intervention teacher, and literacy coach cultivated a deep and persistent interest in how children learn to read, especially students historically marginalized by traditional practices. She pursued a doctorate at the University of Minnesota to bring research knowledge from multiple domains, including instructional research, cognitive research, and implementation research, to teachers and school leaders to improve student reading outcomes. Her dissertation focused on using informational science texts in the primary grades for knowledge and language acquisition. Kristin also loves to cross-country ski, bike, and swim.
Brett Burk
Strategic Partnerships Manager
Brett Burk joined ServeMinnesota as Strategic Partnerships Manager in April 2025. In this role, he supports cross-sector collaboration to expand service opportunities and strengthen community partnerships.
Brett began his national service journey as an AmeriCorps member, coordinating volunteers at a refugee-led organization in Iowa. He later supervised a team of AmeriCorps members, led professional development across statewide programs, and directed a planning grant to design an AmeriCorps apprenticeship program. His favorite part of his national service roles has been coaching others to achieve their personal and professional goals through work and community-based learning.
Brett is deeply committed to civic engagement. Before relocating to Minnesota, he chaired the Des Moines Civil & Human Rights Commission, served on local nonprofit boards, and participated in community organizing initiatives. He holds a BA in Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of Iowa and a Master of Public Administration from Drake University.
Kaia Chambers
Strategic Communications Manager
Kaia Chambers joined ServeMinnesota as Strategic Communications Manager in 2025. In her role, she helps lead the organization’s communications strategy, supporting internal and external storytelling, media relations, and community engagement to advance ServeMinnesota’s mission and amplify the impact of AmeriCorps programs across the state.
Kaia brings more than a decade of communications experience across nonprofit, higher education, and private sector settings. She has held roles at Greater Twin Cities United Way, Augustana University in Sioux Falls, and Augsburg University in Minneapolis, where she built a reputation as a “jack of all trades” communicator. Her private sector experience further broadened her skills in strategic messaging and outreach.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Concordia College – Moorhead and a master’s degree from South Dakota State University. Outside of her professional work, Kaia serves on the City of Dayton’s Parks Commission and volunteers as a Minnesota Master Naturalist, combining her passion for community service with her love of the outdoors.
Lindsay Fondow
Special Initiatives Project Manager
Lindsay Fondow is the Special Initiatives Project Manager at ServeMinnesota. In this role, Lindsay manages and supports evaluation projects related to the 4-8 Math Corps program and Infant and Toddler Initiative.
Prior to joining ServeMinnesota, Lindsay managed quality improvement initiatives for a national early childhood home visiting model. Lindsay received her B.A. in Psychology from Knox College and MSW with a concentration in social and economic development from Washington University in St. Louis. She is a proud AmeriCorps alum having done two years of service with College Possible in the Twin Cities, supporting students’ access to colleges outside of Minnesota.
Lindsay lives in Shoreview with her husband and two young daughters.
Allie Handberg
Senior Development Manager
Allie Handberg is a Development Manager at ServeMinnesota where she supports the development team to secure grant funds for strategic initiatives. She supports the team to develop and maintain a mulitfaceted portfolio of institutional and individual funders. Prior to joining ServeMinnesota, Allie was the Grants Manager at The Arc Minnesota where she worked with funders across Minnesota.
Allie holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
Sam Hartzell
Program Associate
I completed multiple years as an AmeriCorps member, including as a VISTA Leader, and I always relished the opportunity to serve alongside so many brilliant, community-minded people. After joining the ServeMinnesota team, I now provide administrative and program support to our program staff. To me, service means being part of something bigger than yourself and helping others. I’m thrilled to be among so many like-minded and talented folks here at ServeMinnesota.
When not voyaging the many realms of our databases, I typically either have my nose in a book or my swing dancing shoes laced tight.
Maggie Jacoby
Development Manager
Maggie is a Development Manager at ServeMinnesota, helping to raise grant funds for strategic initiatives. Before joining the team in 2022, she was a Program Pilots Manager at Ampact supporting key partnerships. She is an AmeriCorps Alum, having served as a VISTA at the Saint Paul Public Schools Foundation for two terms of service. She received her BA in History at Macalester College. Maggie is originally from Los Angeles and now makes Minneapolis her home. In her spare time she loves traveling, eating, and spending time with her dog, Tillie.
Patrick Kaiser
Senior Director of Evaluation and Improvement
Patrick Kaiser serves as the Senior Director of Evaluation and Improvement at ServeMinnesota where he manages evaluation and reporting for ServeMinnesota’s programs with a focus on the strategic initiatives of Reading Corps, Math Corps, and Early Learning Corps. He also supports the evaluation needs of partner organizations replicating these programs across the country. Patrick previously taught fifth grade in Savannah, GA as an AmeriCorps member and worked in education policy advocacy in Atlanta, GA. Patrick attended the University of Notre Dame where he received a B.A. in Political Science and Economics and a M.Ed. in Elementary Education.
Dmitry Konopatski
Principal Software Engineer
Dmitry Konopatski has served as the Principal Software Engineer for ServeMinnesota since 2016. He was initially hired as a part-time IT contractor to build from scratch a cost-effective Data Warehouse system. Later, he switched to a full-time position and is now responsible for the systems design, development and maintenance of our state-of-art data management systems running behind Minnesota Reading Corps and Minnesota Math Corps programs. He also oversees the quality and efficiency of the technical solutions delivered by the remote development team.
Dmitry has more than 20 years of experience in computer programming and software development, with expertise in database design and performance tuning, data mining and web development. Before joining ServeMinnesota, he worked as a software developer for the Office of Information Technology at the University of Minnesota, where he was involved in multiple enterprise-level projects, including the Electronic Grants Management System (EGMS) and large-scale Enterprise Systems Upgrade Program (ESUP).
Lisa Lambert
Program Officer
Lisa Lambert serves as a Program Officer for ServeMinnesota and is part of the team responsible for program management, monitoring, and support. Through her role, Lisa hopes to help programs maximize the impact of AmeriCorps service – both on the communities being served and on the members serving. A self-proclaimed “AmeriCorps Lifer,” Lisa has been connected to AmeriCorps since 2002, when she served in the City of Lakes AmeriCorps program. Following that, she became an AmeriCorps site supervisor (and after-school program coordinator) for Minneapolis Public Schools before becoming AmeriCorps program staff in 2008. In her various program staff roles over 14+ years, Lisa gained experience with member training and support, grant writing and reporting, financial management, and AmeriCorps grant compliance. Her direct involvement with members and program outcomes, combined with her experience in the Education and Youth Development fields, fuel Lisa’s belief in the people power of AmeriCorps – that people are our nation’s best resource, and AmeriCorps is an ideal way to utilize that resource in addressing our nation’s challenges.
Lisa holds a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a minor concentration in Journalism. True to form, she enjoys any activity involving stories.
Sarah McKee
Community Outreach and Engagement Specialist
Prior to joining ServeMinnesota, Sarah spent time as an AmeriCorps member for the COVID-19 Emergency Response Initiative at Humboldt High School in St. Paul. She helped coordinate summer learning programs for youth grades kindergarten through twelfth grade. This experience solidified her desire to establish a career in nonprofit and to do work that is impactful to the greater community.
Sarah holds a B.A. in History and Professional & Technical Writing from University of Wisconsin- La Crosse.
Julie McLeod
Director of Strategic Initiatives
As Director of Strategic Initiatives, Julie oversees ServeMinnesota’s workforce development strategy, building career pathways for AmeriCorps members to well-paying jobs in high-demand fields across Minnesota. She also oversees evaluation and reporting on career outcomes for AmeriCorps members and alumni. Julie has worked on a number of strategic initiatives in her time with ServeMinnesota, including expanding Math Corps programming to preschool through 3rd grade. Prior to joining ServeMinnesota, Julie worked at Minneapolis Public Schools in a variety of roles, including building pathways to teaching for paraprofessionals.
Julie received her B.A. in Secondary Education and History from Boston College and a M.A. in Evaluation Studies at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities. Julie is a proud AmeriCorps VISTA alum.
Ben Suker
Impact and Improvement Evaluator
Ben is an Impact and Improvement Evaluator, primarily working on projects related to the Recovery Corps and Minnesota Public Health Corps. He has experience in data design and systems development for capturing program activities and their impact, and actively engages in ongoing program evaluation efforts. Prior to joining ServeMinnesota, Ben worked for a program evaluation consultancy, specifically focusing on collecting and analyzing data pertaining to the Minnesota Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) program for Dakota County and developing technical assistance toolkits and culturally valid evaluation practices for the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board. He holds a Masters of Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and is an AmeriCorps alumni who served as a Promise Fellow, doing drop-out prevention work in the South Metro area.
Susan Thomson
Senior Strategic Analyst
Susan helps lead research, program innovation and strategic initiatives. She plays a critical role in developing the programs, partnerships and resources needed to grow and expand Reading Corps. Susan leads ServeMinnesota’s role in HELP (Higher Education Literacy Partnership) a statewide network of reading professionals committed to improve reading skills for struggling readers including students with dyslexia. Prior to joining ServeMinnesota, Susan worked as a reading tutor and organized a parent advocacy group that engaged in successful passage of reading legislation and related funding for schools. She also worked as a member of the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board Special Education work group and its Reading task force to redesign reading standards for newly-licensed teachers. In 2009, she received the STAR Literacy Award from the National Association for Reading First for her efforts on the Minnesota Literacy Bill. Susan holds a BA in Economics from Carleton College.
David Williams
Development Manager
David serves as one of the development managers. He’s passionate in doing the best work he can within strong teams driven to solve hard problems which demonstrably improve real life outcomes. David is excited to join the ServeMN team as of fall 2021.
David recently earned his PhD in Philosophy with an emphasis on ethics and questions of personhood.
Not Pictured: Lisa Carlson, Development Associate
Board of Directors
Nomin Angarag
Board Member
Nomin Angarag, of Minneapolis, brings experience in the nonprofit sector from her time leading Friends of Global Market where she spearheaded a capital campaign raising $1.8M and built infrastructure to support the Market’s 45 BIPOC business owners through COVID. While a first-generation college student, she founded and managed Gracious Acts which recruited more than 500 volunteers and raised funds to build a school in Mongolia. She currently works at U.S. Bank.
Jennifer Bartles
Board Member
Jennifer Bartels, of Minneapolis, is the Vice President of People & Impact at Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities. Her areas of expertise include the employee experience, change management, process improvement, leadership coaching, strategic planning and accountability, and board governance. Jennifer serves as a community member representative and also serves on the board of Doing Good Together nonprofit.
Archie Black
Board Member
Archie Black, of Golden Valley, served as CEO and Executive Chair of the Board of SPS Commerce (NASDAQ: SPSC), where he co-led SPS since 1998 from a groundbreaking, disruptive idea into one of the industry’s most successful technology solutions businesses that connect and empower omnichannel ecosystems in retail. Since Q1 2001, SPS has continually delivered quarterly revenue growth and expanded to more than 3,000 professionals worldwide.
Archie’s board service includes roles as director, chair and committee member with many high-profile corporate and non-profit boards. He leverages his experience leading, innovating and positioning businesses for sustainable growth, his passion for K12 and higher education, and his commitment to develop and strengthen business and local communities. He is known for high-integrity, pragmatic leadership and collaboration to help organizations elevate their impact on stakeholders and the communities they serve.
Sarah Clyne
Board Member
Sarah Clyne, of St. Paul, is currently the Executive Director of EquaSpace. Prior to that role, she was the executive director for Northside Funders Group (NFG), a funder collaborative that makes strategic investments in North Minneapolis. Sarah is passionate about education, social justice, ending gender-based violence, and building cross-sector relationships to dismantle disparities in our communities. Sarah received a master’s degree in education and a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and Spanish, both from the University of Minnesota. Sarah is on the ServeMinnesota Commission as a community member representative.
John Ellenberger
Board Chair
John Ellenberger served as Senior Vice President, Land O’Lakes, Inc., and Executive Director of Land O’Lakes Venture37, a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1981 before retiring in 2025. Prior to joining Land O’Lakes, John led corporate marketing at American Medical Systems and spent 15 years in various marketing and general management roles at General Mills, Inc. He earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA from the University of Minnesota and participated in professional development programs at Harvard Business School and Kellogg School of Management. He previously served on the Board of Directors for Gillette Children’s hospital and clinics.
Sydney Ellison
Board Member
Sydney is a graduate of Macalester College where she holds a B.A in English Literature and Legal Studies. Sydney originally hails from Birmingham, AL but her love for Minnesota was so large she opted to bear the winters to stick around. Sydney has a passion for people and mission-based community engagement. Her nonprofit career started out as a love for broadening her personal community and has grown to seek to expand the capacities of communities driven to help young people reach their greatest educational aspirations. Sydney has worked with many youth facing initiatives and non-profits such as Breakthrough Twin Cities, Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board, Minnesota Alliance With Youth. Sydney has served three terms as an AmeriCorps member and credits much of her ability to thrive and develop as a young professional to those opportunities. She currently holds the Manager of Executive Support, Board Administration, and Special Projects at Teach for America Twin Cities.
Elizabeth Emerson George
Board Member
Elizabeth Emerson George, of St. Paul, is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at Goff Public. Elizabeth is active in her community, leading business and neighborhood festivals and events. She is an AmeriCorps VISTA alum, serving after completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan. She holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota Humphrey School as well. Elizabeth is on the ServeMinnesota Commission as a community member representative and chairs the External Relations committee.
Linda Gilligan
Board Member
Linda Gilligan, of Edina, was an officer in the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis internal audit function serving as assistant general auditor from January 1998 to September 2000, when she was appointed by the Board of Directors as general auditor, reporting to the audit committee. She served in this role through the end of 2015, and retired from the Federal Reserve effective February 2016. This pedigree is rare and so important to our fiduciary work. Linda is currently an accounting instructor at the Herberger Business School of St. Cloud State University teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in corporate governance, internal auditing, fraud and forensics, and financial and managerial accounting. Linda is on the ServeMinnesota Commission as a community member representative and also serves on the Ampact board.
Karen Larson
Board Vice Chair
Karen Larson, of Hugo, was the Chief Operating Officer for the YMCA of the North before retiring in 2025. Prior to joining the Y, Karen held leadership positions at a number of organizations, including as chief financial officer for the National Arthritis Foundation, chief executive officer for the Upper Midwest Region of the Arthritis Foundation and a number of senior leadership positions for the Star Tribune. Karen holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and a master’s degree in finance from the University of St. Thomas. Karen serves as the national service representative.
Mauricio Leon
Board Member
Mauricio León Méndez serves on the board of ServeMinnesota, contributing to the oversight of the AmeriCorps program in the state. Professionally, Mauricio is an Economic Policy Analyst at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), where he integrates economic analysis into environmental regulations and the state’s Climate Action Framework. He is a proud alumnus of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs (MS-STEP ’17) and is currently pursuing his PhD there, focusing on the implementation of state and local climate policy.
Jane Leonard
Board Member
Jane Leonard, of St. Paul and Isle Harbor Township (in Mille Lacs County), retired in 2022 as president of Growth & Justice. She currently chairs the Minnesotans for the American Community Survey & 2030 Census (MACS) board and serves on the Trillium Family Foundation board. Previously she worked for the State of Minnesota as the broadband grants administrator, community faculty member at Metropolitan State University, senior manager at the Bush Foundation, and as president of Minnesota Rural Partners. Jane earned her Master of Arts in mass communications from the University of Minnesota and her Bachelor of Science in journalism and agriculture from the University of Maryland. Jane serves as a community member representative.
Daniel McConnell
Board Member
Dan McConnell is the President of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council and also Serves as Business Manager of the Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council. In these roles he advocates on behalf of more than 70,000 skilled construction workers in the State of Minnesota. Prior to his tenure at the Building Trades, he served for six years as Political Director for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 292. Dan is an Electrician by trade and is licensed by the State of Minnesota as a Master Electrician. He is a graduate of Dunwoody College of Technology and Minneapolis Roosevelt High School. Dan serves on the boards of the Minneapolis Workforce Council, Building Strong Communities, Minnesota State Board of Investment’s Investment Advisory Council, Serve MN and the Minneapolis Labor Temple Association. He also serves as the president of the Minneapolis Board of Business Agents, financial secretary – treasurer of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, and Chairs the Executive Board of IBEW Local 292. Dan is married and lives with his wife, daughter, and two German Shepherds in the Longfellow Neighborhood of South Minneapolis. Dan serves as the labor representative role on the ServeMinnesota board.
Amy Meuers
Board Member
Amy Meuers, of Brooklyn Park, is the CEO of the National Youth Leadership Council, a Brooklyn Park City Commissioner, and a dedicated advocate for youth empowerment. With a career centered on elevating youth voice and civic engagement, she has led national initiatives that inspire young people to lead and serve. Beyond her professional role, Amy is deeply involved in her community, volunteering on local boards and committees that advance education, equity, and public service. She actively supports voter engagement efforts, youth leadership programs, and community development projects, demonstrating her commitment to building inclusive and engaged communities at both local and national levels.
Joseph Nayquonabe
Board Member
Joseph Nayquonabe, Jr., of Onamia, earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing at St. Cloud State and his MBA from the University of Minnesota and his Master of Tribal Administration & Governance from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Joseph serves as the Tribal Representative.
Nathan Prouty
Board Member
Nathan Prouty, of Apple Valley, has worked for the past 20 years in public relations with Public Affairs Company in Minneapolis. Previously, he worked for the Governor Pawlenty Administration where he was a communications specialist with the Minnesota Department of Education, was a district field representative for former Congressman Mark Kennedy, and a legislative assistant in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Nathan earned his Bachelor of Science degree with honors from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Nathan serves as a community member representative.
Mary Quirk
Board Member
Mary Quirk, of Minneapolis, is retired from her position as the Executive Director of Living At Home Network. She earned her Masters of Public Health and Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota and her Bachelor of Arts from Grinnel College. Mary is on the the ServeMinnesota commission as the volunteerism with older adults representative. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Vital Aging Network and serves as the Volunteer Support Chair for the Hennepin County Master Gardener Program.
Philip Rutherford
Board Member
Philip Rutherford is Vice President; Substance Use Continuum at The National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Rutherford has managed strategy and operations for several recovery-focused organizations. He is a member of committees at the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and other federal agencies. He serves as board chair for Serve Minnesota and the Police Treatment and Community Collaborative. He also holds board seats at the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers and the Recovery Policy Collaborative. In 2020 Rutherford launched Black Faces Black Voices, a community-focused collaborative centering the needs of Black communities. This group now represents roughly 100 organizations around the country. Prior to the nonprofit world, he spent most of his career at Microsoft, Micron Electronics, and the Taylor Corporation. Rutherford is an active member of the recovery community and has considerable experience in the areas of reentry and health access.
