Staff & Board

Katie Boehm

Development and Communications Manager

AmeriCorps service as a Reading Corps tutor gave Katie a chance to reconsider a career in teaching. While she loved the service, she realized the classroom wasn’t a good fit for her. She then took on a role in marketing for a global company. Now as Development Associate at ServeMinnesota, she combines her passion for service with her writing experience to support fundraising and communications for AmeriCorps programs.

Katie holds a BA in English from the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University.

Ellie Bullard

Content Marketing Manager

As ServeMinnesota’s Content Marketing Manager, Ellie Bullard manages content and audience engagement strategy across all communications channels. In her role, she enjoys thinking about messaging and storytelling for ServeMinnesota’s many audiences. Ellie has worked at the intersection of communications, content development, and constituent relations for nearly a decade, with previous employers in higher education and public relations. She is thrilled to work on ServeMinnesota’s team!

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Lisa Carlson

Administrative & Finance Associate

Janice Collova

Special Projects Associate

Janice assists the Research and Development Team with various projects to help inform and enhance AmeriCorps’ programs. For example, she might collect data on students’ reading performances over time to provide insight on the effectiveness of Minnesota Reading Corps interventions.

Before she joined ServeMinnesota, she served as a Minnesota Reading Corps tutor for four years. She’s also worked in recreation, Montessori education, music, journalism, and food service. Her goals are to always strengthen communities and show love and kindness to our world.

Janice graduated from Bethel University in 2017 with a bachelor’s in Literature and a theater minor. For fun, she enjoys painting, drawing, singing and playing handbells at church, and playing games like Bananagrams and Sushi Go with friends and family.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Sharon Delcambre, PhD

Impact and Improvement Evaluator

Sharon serves as an Improvement and Impact Evaluator.  She works with ServeMinnesota’s environmental programs, with a focus on program design and improvement in the climate change mitigation and resiliency space.  Before coming to ServeMinnesota, Sharon worked as an earth and environmental science educator in the Portland, OR metro area.  She earned a BA in physics at Gustavus Adolphus College and a MS and Ph.D. in atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along with a Certificate in Research, Teaching, and Learning from the Delta Institute.  In her free time, she can be found walking her extra-large dog and exploring local parks and bike trails with her family.

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Mayank Gupta

Information Systems Analyst

From data collection development and support, to website development, to reporting out to our stakeholders, I enjoy anything and everything technology related. I served as a Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP) AmeriCorps member from 2013 to 2015 and enjoyed teaching vital technology skills to underserved populations in St. Paul and Minneapolis. My favorite moments as an AmeriCorps member were whenever a participant had an “ah-ha!” moment, and I could see the light switch flip in their head. The “I will get things done” AmeriCorps mentality has stuck with me ever since I served.

In my free time I enjoy producing music, hanging out with my cat and learning everything I can related to cryptocurrency. I enjoy all types of music such as electronic, alternative, jazz and classical — anything but country!

Pronouns: He/him/his

Allie Handberg

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 diverse 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.

Pronouns: She/her/hers

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.

Pronouns: He/his/him

Alicia Jackson-Thole

Staff Accountant

Hailing from Ithaca, NY, Alicia is a Northern lady with Southern Belle charm and Midwestern grace. Obtaining a BBA in Accounting from Georgia Southern University, Alicia brings over 10 years of experience in the accounting industry to ServeMinnesota, most recently having worked for the largest liquor distributor in the United States, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. In her spare time, Alicia enjoys traveling and spending time with family, friends, and her furbabies.  She has recently taken up the hobby of hiking.

Maggie Jacoby

Development Manager

Maggie is a Development Manager at ServeMinnesota, helping to raise grant funds for strategic initiatives. Most recently, she was a Program Pilots Manager at Ampact supporting key partnerships. Prior to her position at Ampact, Maggie was the Volunteer Services Manager at the Animal Humane Society.  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 travelling, eating, and taking long walks to get ice cream.

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Patrick Kaiser

Director of Educational Evaluation

Patrick Kaiser serves as the Senior Evaluation Manager at ServeMinnesota where he manages evaluation and reporting for ServeMinnesota’s programs with a focus on the strategic initiatives of Minnesota Reading Corps and Minnesota Math 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.

Pronouns: He/him/his

Isa Kibira

Community Engagement Evaluator

Isa Kibira is the Community Engagement Evaluator at ServeMinnesota where he leads support initiatives and workforce development opportunities for BIPOC AmeriCorps Members. He also works closely with the research teams at ServeMinnesota to engage community members in the evaluation of AmeriCorps programs.

Prior to joining ServeMinnesota, Isa served as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow, and later a Program Coordinator, in the Office of Black Student Achievement (OBSA) in Minneapolis Public Schools. In OBSA, Isa led a class called B.L.A.C.K (Building Lives and Acquiring Cultural Knowledge) at NE Middle School, Fair High School, and Patrick Henry High School. Isa received a BA in Politics from Occidental College.

Pronouns: He/him/his

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).

Pronouns: He/him/his

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

Grants Associate

Sarah works as the grants associate at ServeMinnesota, where she provides administrative and grant management support for the development team in order to attain grant funds and new strategic initiatives.

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.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Julie McLeod

Senior Innovation Manager

Julie McLeod serves as the Innovation Program Manager on ServeMinnesota’s Research & Development Team. Julie is responsible for managing the development and implementation of new education initiatives and programs. She approaches all projects with a strong strategic focus, passion for achieving equitable outcomes for all students, and overseeing multidisciplinary teams while maintaining a clear path towards achieving project goals. Currently, Julie oversees the K-3 Math Pilot project, which launched in the 2020-21 school year to provide math intervention support to students in early elementary grades.

Julie brings 10+ years of expertise in education and project management to ServeMinnesota. Prior to joining ServeMinnesota, she worked at Minneapolis Public Schools in a variety of roles, including volunteer management, community partnerships, and building pathways to teaching. Most recently, she designed and launched a paraprofessional to special education teacher residency program with the goal of recruiting and retaining diverse candidates in the teaching profession.

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 alum, having served as a VISTA at Edison High School in Minneapolis.

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Becky Newgren

Impact and Improvement Evaluator

Becky is an Impact and Improvement Evaluator for ServeMinnesota, where she provides assessment and collaborative solutions for improvement with Healthy Futures programming. Prior to joining ServeMinnesota, Becky was a Lead Program Manager for Heading Home Corps with Ampact, worked as a social worker in Baltimore, and completed a service term as a Community Health Volunteer with Peace Corps in Mozambique.

Becky received a BA from the University of Minnesota in Sociology and Gender Studies and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Maryland – Baltimore focusing on community organizing and qualitative studies in the Baltimore City Public Schools.

In her free time, Becky enjoys being in the great outdoors visiting state and national parks, on the water in the summers paddle-boarding, and traveling to tropical places.

Pronouns: she/her

Stacey Scherschligt

Director of Programs

Stacey Scherschligt has been with ServeMinnesota since 2006 and currently serves as the Director of Programs. 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.

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Ben Suker

Impact and Improvement Evaluator

Ben is an Impact and Improvement Evaluator, primarily working on projects related to Recovery Corps. He has experience in developing and maintaining record-keeping systems to capture capacity building processes and program effectivenesses and supports training and program materials design for the Recovery Corps program. 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.

Donna Svendsen

Strategic Outreach Director

As Strategic Outreach Director, Donna Svendsen forges relationships and builds partnerships between ServeMinnesota and stakeholders in the communities we serve. She also co-leads ServeMinnesota’s strategic process for recruiting and retaining AmeriCorps members of color. Donna’s expertise in Minnesota’s non-profit landscape spans 20+ years and uniquely positions her for these efforts. Before her current role, Donna was the Associate Director for the General Mills Foundation, where she led the company’s global employee engagement program, grants programs, and its multi-million dollar United Way campaign in the U.S. and Canada. Donna’s experience also includes working as the Media Relations Manager for Macalester College and as a Reporter & Producer for Minnesota Public Radio. Donna has a B.A. in Journalism from Drake University.

Pronouns: She/her/hers

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.

Michelle Walkup

Community Outreach and Engagement Specialist

Michelle Walkup is the Community Outreach and Engagement Specialist at ServeMinnesota where she develops and strengthens relationships between the organization and individuals interested in national service that supports critical community needs. She also works closely with recruitment processes at local and state universities. Michelle’s goal is to facilitate the research and application experience of community innovators so as to ensure a positive and seamless pathway to creating positive social change.

Michelle received a BA in Sociology and a BA in Spanish Studies from the University of Minnesota, studied at the University Carlos III of Madrid, and also holds an Emergency Medical Technician certification.

Pronouns: She/her/hers

David Williams

Development Manager