Staff

CEO
kredepenning@mnyouth.net
651.724.7221

Kori is responsible for directing all activities of Minnesota Alliance With Youth and works in partnership with the Board of Directors, staff, and other key stakeholders to develop and implement the Alliance’s strategic direction, work plans, and the financial and human resources required to fulfill the Alliance’s mission and goals. In addition, Kori is responsible for day to day operations, including resource and program management, communications, personnel oversight, partnership development, and budgeting/finances. She provides vision and direction for the Alliance’s values-driven work with Minnesota youth and those who serve them. Kori transitioned to the role of CEO in November of 2017, most recently serving as the Chief Strategy Officer. Prior to her time at the Alliance, Kori spent six years serving as the Director of the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship, at Northeastern University in Boston. She is also a proud AmeriCorps alumnus. Born and raised in Minnesota, Kori graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a BA in Entrepreneurship. Kori also holds an MBA from Northeastern University, with a concentration in marketing and entrepreneurship. Kori recently served as a 2015-2016 Policy Fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. In her free time, Kori loves hanging out with her 14 nieces and nephews, and spending time with her son and wife.

Compliance and Program Manager
bbenson@mnyouth.net
651.340.0758

Bette is a proud AmeriCorps alumna, having served with the Alliance as both a Promise Fellow and VISTA Leader. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a B.A. in Political Science, International Studies and Latin American Studies. Her interest in working in the non-profit sector was sparked through her studies which focused predominantly on economic development and its ties to public policy. In her free time, Bette likes to cuddle with her two cats, train for her next half marathon, listen to podcasts, and is on the hunt for the best burger in the Twin Cities (hint: it's Blue Door Pub).

Strategic Partnerships & Recruitment Manager
cberget@mnyouth.net
651.587.0531

Christina joins the Alliance with years of experience in youth-oriented employee recruitment/training and partnership cultivation. Most recently, she worked as the Education Director for a non-profit youth arts organization, where she designed programming, orchestrated training and hiring efforts, and managed school district and community partnerships. She has also worked in donor relations at St. Olaf College, and as the Camp Manager for Hidden Pines Ranch, a day camp located in Stillwater. She holds a B.A. in Human Resource Psychology from St. Olaf College. Christina enjoys traveling with her “adventure buddies,” exploring the Twin Cities theater scene, and is very passionate about finding the best chips and salsa in Minnesota.

Youth Policy Manager
bboelter@mnyouth.net

Bailey joined Minnesota Alliance With Youth in August 2016 with a position in collaboration with our friends across the hall, Minnesota Education Equity Partnership. As Youth Policy Manager, she focuses on the Solutions Not Suspensions Committee and building student voice at the state legislature through the Minnesota Youth Council’s Policy Committee. Bailey served 2 years as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow, with Children’s Defense Fund-MN and the Minnesota Youth Council. Originally planning to be a history and geography teacher, Bailey’s plans changed while studying at UW-Eau Claire and going on the school’s Civil Rights Pilgrimage. Bailey hopes to attend graduate school at Humphrey School of Public Affairs someday and is the slowest coffee drinker you’ll ever meet.

Youth Education Partnerships Coordinator
bbrooks@mnyouth.net

Brandon, an AmeriCorps Public Allies alumni, supports the Education Committee of the Minnesota Youth Council. During his AmeriCorps term of service with Minnesota Education Equity Partnership, he supported the Solutions Not Suspensions Coalition as they centered youth voice in conversations around school climate and discipline. Brandon is currently enrolled at University of Minnesota, anticipating his Bachelors in Sociology and African & African American Studies. Brandon plans to attend graduate school with hopes of becoming a Sociology professor. When he's not studying, you can find him cooking, playing video games, watching documentaries, or napping.

AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
sburnett@mnyouth.net

Samie served as a Promise Fellow for two years, working as Check and Connect at Jefferson Community School and Patrick Henry High School. She is a graduate from Hamline University majoring in Social Justice and Minoring in Sociology. Some fun facts about Samie: she has never broken a bone, and is the oldest and first born child in her family. She likes to read and write in her downtime. She looks forward to having a year of growth and positive change!

Office Coordinator
mfleck@mnyouth.net
651.528.8589

Maria is the Office Coordinator for the Alliance, and is responsible for managing the front desk and supporting the office team and Board of Directors. She received her B.A.s in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of Minnesota - Morris (or as she likes to call it, the little “school” on the prairie). Maria has been in the administrative field for eight years, and has worked for Global Minnesota, Seward Community Co-op and the University of Minnesota-Morris. Maria enjoys long walks through the public library stacks, trying to find pasta that is as good as her mom’s (she’s Italian, so the standards are high), and walking outside as much as possible in hope that there are dogs to pet.

Director of Strategy & Engagement
agoffe@mnyouth.net

Born in Jamaica, Alexis grew up in a family of educators and lawyers who shaped his passion for human rights. He has spent his entire professional career working with youth and families in various educational settings, most recently serving as Dean of Students at Paladin Career and Technical High School. Both in Minnesota and Jamaica, Alexis has been an advocate at the grassroots and policy levels. In Jamaica, he established an interdisciplinary task force focused on child rights and presented in front of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Alexis is a graduate of Macalester College and the University of St. Thomas. Alexis is a son, husband, djembe drummer and circle keeper.

Training Manager
rgreenwalt@mnyouth.net

Rachel grew up in Brainerd, MN and moved down to Minneapolis in 2010 to start her first year of service as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow. She served two years as a Promise Fellow and then was hired on at her host site, the Minneapolis American Indian Center (MAIC), where she subsequently became a Promise Fellow Supervisor. She worked at MAIC up through 2018 as a Youth Activity Coordinator and Tobacco Prevention Coordinator. She joined the Alliance team in February 2018 and brings with her a deep love for youth work and a passion for seeing youth succeed. Rachel is an iced coffee enthusiast, proud (perhaps obsessive) dog owner, and a lover of all things musical. She loves that Minnesota is home but she is always dreaming of her next big travel adventure.

GradMinnesota AmeriCorps VISTA
alupton@mnyouth.net

Andrew is excited to be an AmeriCorps VISTA with GradMinnesota. He is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. Andrew attended St. Olaf College, where he received a B.A. in Philosophy last Spring. He served on the student government financial council for four years. He also worked as an assistant editor to the Chair of the St. Olaf Philosophy Department his senior year of college. Andrew loves learning about public policy, ethics, and other cultures. In the future, he hopes to go to graduate school for public policy or urban planning. Andrew would love to manage a non-profit based on improving food systems. In his free time, Andrew loves to cook, play tennis, explore the Twin Cities, and play with his German Shepherd.

Chief Advancement Officer
ksuchomel@mnyouth.net
651.587.1085

Kate spearheads the development and communications activities at the Alliance, securing funding from a wide base of donors and aligning communications, media and advocacy to actively engage supporters. Before joining the Alliance team, Kate managed the development and community outreach programs at Women’s Advocates, Inc., the first domestic violence shelter in the nation. Kate serves as president of the board of Kulture Klub Collaborative and enjoys gardening, playing soccer and exploring her Northeast Minneapolis neighborhood with her husband and two sons.

National Service Director
sullmer@mnyouth.net
612.554.6019

Sarah is a 2000 graduate of Macalester College, and has worked for the past decade in youth and community development at local, statewide, and national levels. Having begun her career at YouthCARE/Camp Sunrise, her paths have since included working with youth and adults to organize community gardens with GardenWorks, teaching environmental education at Wolf Ridge Environmental Center, and facilitating trainings on service-learning and youth engagement from Minnesota to Qatar. She also has studied and practiced massage therapy and is currently pursuing certification as a life coach. She believes deeply in the power of people to create change for good in the world, and looks forward to fresh tomatoes and basil in the summer and sliding on frozen lake ice in the winter. She is proud to call Minnesota home, but sometimes — as a Colorado native — gets lost looking for the mountains.

AmeriCorps Promise Fellow- Minnesota Youth Council
kvance@mnyouth.net

Kullyn is a recent graduate from St. Olaf College having earned a B.A. in Political Science and Religion. She now serves as the AmeriCorps Promise Fellow for the Minnesota Youth Council. In her free time, Kullyn likes to hike, bake, and spend time with her dog Jubee.

AmeriCorps Promise Fellow Leader
jvitt@mnyouth.net

Joe is the Promise Fellow Leader at Minnesota Alliance With Youth. He was born and raised in Minneapolis. Joe attended the University of Notre Dame where he earned a BA in political science. He spent a semester studying abroad in Greece and loves to travel. Joe served for a year as a Promise Fellow at Loring Nicollet Alternative School. During his free time he can be found playing soccer, reading, hiking, or playing Settlers of Catan.

Director of Training & Evaluation
nwiggs@mnyouth.net
612.599.6021

Noam joins the Alliance team after spending the last five years supporting youth in the Twin Cities. After graduating the University of Minnesota, he taught math for Minneapolis Public Schools. That path brought him to Breakthough, an educational nonprofit that provides academic enrichment programming to under resourced students. After serving as the Curriculum and Instruction Director for two Breakthrough nonprofits, Noam completed his Masters in Math Education. In his spare time, he is an avid cyclist and enjoys the year-round outdoor adventures that Minnesota has to offer. He also enjoys spending time exploring the Twin Cities with his wife and pug.

Chief Practice Officer
kyang@mnyouth.net
651.529.2013

Kita oversees the HR functions at the Alliance. She manages staff hiring, benefits, and work that supports the organizational culture. She supports the Board Governance committee and provides oversight in tracking Alliance-wide goals and outcomes. Kita is an Americorps VISTA alum and has over 15 years of experience working in HR. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family. Their favorite things to do include watching movies, playing board games, and scouring the Twin Cities food scene for delicious French fries.

Director of Operations & Finance Manager
hzelmer@mnyouth.net
651.528.8584

Hannah, a graduate of St. Olaf College, earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a concentration in Dance, and participated in the Great Conversation program, studying the evolution of literacy and artistic expression, philosophic thought, religious belief, and the sciences of human behavior from the ancient into the modern world. At the Alliance she manages grant compliance, assists the finance department, and supports the Promise Fellow initiative. When not organizing or cataloging, she is often romping through nature, exploring the cities for new treasures, or spending time reading favorite books.