Staff & Board

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.

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.

Ellie Bullard

Digital Communications Manager

As ServeMinnesota’s Digital Communications 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.

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.

Anthony Coetzer-Liversage, PhD

Director of Healthy Futures Impact

Dr. Anthony Coetzer-Liversage is an accomplished academic-practitioner specializing in implementation science, with a focus on closing the research-to-practice gap in mental and behavioral health. His extensive background in public health integrates both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to navigate the complexities of implementation science. Dr. Anthony Coetzer-Liversage has collaborated on projects funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), where he has developed and tested implementation theories, assessed factors influencing implementation, and evaluated measures for monitoring intervention processes. His role also includes exploring the experiences of professionals in the field.

In addition to his research, Dr. Anthony Coetzer-Liversage’s expertise in project administration—spanning staffing, research ethics, and budget management—equips him to effectively lead research, teaching, and service initiatives. His scholarly contributions include several peer-reviewed publications, reflecting his commitment to advancing academic discourse. Dr. Anthony Coetzer-Liversage values clear communication and strategic planning in both research and practical applications.

Janice Collova

Special Projects Associate

Janice supports the Research and Development team with data analysis, research projects, program evaluation, and project management. She also works alongside her colleague Susan to continually improve and implement our Bridge2Read program.

Before she joined ServeMinnesota, she served as a Minnesota Reading Corps tutor for four years. She’s also worked in recreation, Montessori education, 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.

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.

Mayank Gupta

Information Systems Analyst

From app development and support to building Power BI dashboards for stakeholders, I love transforming data collection systems and reporting into meaningful insights that highlight the incredible work our members do. As a Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP) AmeriCorps member from 2013 to 2015, I had the privilege of teaching essential technology skills to communities in St. Paul and Minneapolis. Some of my most rewarding moments came when a participant had an “ah-ha!” realization—the instant I could see everything click. The AmeriCorps “I will get things done” mindset has stayed with me ever since, shaping how I approach challenges and solutions.

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

Director of Educational Evaluation

Patrick Kaiser serves as the Director of Educational Evaluation 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.

Isa Kibira

Community Engagement Evaluator

Isa Kibira is a Community Engagement Evaluator at ServeMinnesota, leading evaluation efforts for AmeriCorps programs focused on early learning, math education, and community impact. He designs and implements evaluations, analyzes program data, and supports continuous improvement efforts. 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.

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

Senior Innovation Manager

As Senior Innovation Manager, 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 is also working towards his PhD in Philosophy with an emphasis on ethics and questions of personhood.