Staff

CEO
kredepenning@mnyouth.net
651.724.7221

Kori has a great sense of humor and loves to find opportunities in her work. She is a bold leader and is proud to be part of the Alliance team. Kori’s personal connection to and passion for the work comes from her extensive background in youth-centered service. Kori is both an AmeriCorps VISTA and Promise Fellow alum and has a deep love for National Service. Kori loves hanging out with her 15 nieces and nephews, and spending time with her son and wife.

Compliance and Program Manager
bbenson@mnyouth.net
651.340.0758

Bette is an innovator with a great sense of humor. She is always looking for ways to better support AmeriCorps members, both personally and professionally. Bette brings a competitive nature to her work, but is always happy to lend a hand. A self-described feminist, Bette is also a proud AmeriCorps alum, having served with the Alliance as both a Promise Fellow and VISTA Leader. Bette likes to cuddle with her two cats, train for her next half marathon, listen to podcasts, and is always on the hunt for the best burger in the Twin Cities (hint: it's Blue Door Pub)

Youth Policy Manager
bboelter@mnyouth.net

Bailey works alongside young people to put them in places of power to help them make decisions for themselves, with real outcomes. Bailey is serious about bringing a compassionate work culture to the Alliance. She is an adept observer and gift-giver! 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 is the slowest coffee drinker you’ll ever meet.

Director of Youth Partnerships
bbrooks@mnyouth.net

Brandon is a big-picture thinker, ideator, and initiative-taker. Brandon is not afraid to question the status quo, and presses for accountability from all parties that he works with. He loves working with young people and facilitating dialogues. He is always looking to preserve the integrity of youth voice. Brandon is an AmeriCorps Public Allies alumni. In his free time, you can find him cooking, playing video games, watching documentaries, or napping.

AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
sburnett@mnyouth.net

Samie brings honesty, positive energy, and quick thinking to the office. She is a go-getter and is excellent at organizing. Samie is passionate about equity and infuses this love into her role as a VISTA Leader. She is driven to service by her affinity for social work. You’ll often find Samie laughing, or making her co-workers laugh. Some fun facts about Samie: she has never broken a bone and is the oldest child in her family. She likes to read and write in her downtime.

Office Coordinator
mfleck@mnyouth.net
651.528.8589

Maria is the “gatekeeper” of the ins and outs of the office. She is a stabilizer who soothes problems to keep the Alliance on-track. Maria’s flexibility allows her to easily roll with the punches. She has a plastic mind and loves to learn. 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 the hopes that there are dogs to pet.

Director of Strategy & Engagement
agoffe@mnyouth.net

Alexis focuses on organizational improvement through collaboration and solution implementation. He is passionate about children’s rights, grassroots and policy change, anti-racist organizing, and circle-keeping. Born in Jamaica, Alexis grew up in a family of educators and lawyers who shaped his passion for human rights. He tirelessly analyzes systems and works to make them more open and equitable to all. Alexis currently is coordinating projects to raise awareness about racial graduation rate and discipline rate disparities in Minnesota. Alexis is a son, husband, djembe drummer, and circle-keeper.

Training Manager
rgreenwalt@mnyouth.net

As a former AmeriCorps member and supervisor, Rachel can easily speak to the impact of AmeriCorps Promise Fellows. Growing up in the Brainerd Lakes Area, she is passionate about promoting educational excellence and equity in Greater Minnesota. Rachel is driven by relationships, and desires to collaborate with others and maximize people’s skills. She enjoys building trust amongst groups and allowing positive impacts to be passed through the community. 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 is always dreaming of her next big travel adventure.

Strategy and Operations Intern (Right Track St. Paul)
khang@mnyouth.net

Kristina is quiet but loves to listen to others. Kristina will be a senior at Harding Sr High-school in the fall and is working around to find interests for her future. When on the job, Kristina is a hard-working person. She will always welcome a challenging task and pushes herself until she's finished; diligently and efficiently to "perfection." Kristina's interests are food (especially Mexican Flan or Japanese pudding!), arts and crafts as well as math. When she's bored, you can find her doodling but she prefers to draw or paint.

Program Coordinator
rhaxton@mnyouth.net

Rosa finds the humor in every situation and brings this to her work. She served two terms as an AmeriCorps member here in St. Paul working with high school students across the country. Now she is excited to learn the behind-the-scenes work that goes into supporting members through a term of service. In her spare time, Rosa likes to listen to podcasts, sing in choir, and hang out with her cats Jack and Lemon, who are named after 30 Rock characters.

Minnesota Youth Council Intern (STEP-UP)
jjama@mnyouth.net

Juwaria is energetic and lighthearted. She is currently a rising sophomore in high school and has just completed her first year on the Minnesota Youth Council, representing congressional district five. As the co-lead for the MN Climate Strike, Juwaria loves to organize and plan events. Juwaria is also passionate about equity, social change, and equal opportunities for all. She is an avid soccer player, writer and organizer. Juwaria hopes to be a social worker and run for office in the near future.

Recruitment Manager
kkline@mnyouth.net
651.272.7959

Kyle is a match-maker. He connects the right AmeriCorps recruits to the right positions. Kyle works to keep AmeriCorps members happy while building structures and balancing compliance. Kyle is driven by his passion for National Service, and wants to other to have the opportunity to serve. Kyle is a two term AmeriCorps alum, serving with AmeriCorps NCCC out of the Vicksburg MS campus and as a Green Cities Sustainability Fellow in Pittsburgh PA. When he's not being a total "AmeriCorps nerd" he enjoys listening and producing podcasts, exploring the Cities on bike, and completing the NYT crossword puzzle daily.

Alliance Development & Communications AmeriCorps VISTA
alupton@mnyouth.net

Andrew is both easy-going and driven. He takes pride in his work and easily finds fulfillment through it. He is eager to help others. As an AmeriCorps VISTA, he builds capacity for the Alliance to expand in both breadth and depth. Andrew manages communications and development by creating programs, managing communications, and social media maintenance. Andrew is a genuinely nice person. He can get along with anyone and adapt to any situation with grace. Andrew is passionate about education for all. Andrew loves to talk about anything food-related and environmental sustainability.

Marketing & Communications Intern
rmeyer@mnyouth.net

Raina recently graduated from high school and finished her two-year term as a Minnesota Youth Council Representative. She currently interns for the U.S. House of Representatives and has always had a passion for politics. She likes to be organized and prides herself on her ability to juggle multiple responsibilities with good time-management and organizational skills. She loves catching up on current political events and watching political talk shows, taking pictures of nature (especially flowers in the spring), going to local coffee shops, and going to sporting events with family and friends.

Training Coordinator
nshuna@mnyouth.net
(651)587-0531

Nabil is passionate about creating and building meaningful relationships. As the Training Coordinator, he works directly with our Promise Fellows as they are in their year of service. Nabil is an AmeriCorps Public Allies Alum. He graduated from Augsburg College (Now Augsburg University) with a degree in Sociology. After his term in AmeriCorps, he worked in Residents Life at the University of Minnesota and Augsburg University. Nabil enjoys being in the outdoors (only when it’s nice out), listening to music/going to shows, and eating. If you have food suggestions, he would love to hear them.

Chief Advancement Officer
ksuchomel@mnyouth.net
651.587.1085

Kate is a communicator with a knack for coherent and succinct writing. She is creative by nature, and is energized by supporting others and making the Alliance successful through her behind-the-scenes work. Kate is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Honduras 2007-09), mama to two boys, gardener, soccer-player, and pie-lover. When not at the office, Kate is volunteering with MN350 and Moms Demand Action.

National Service Director
sullmer@mnyouth.net
612.554.6019

Sarah France Ullmer, “Sullmer” oversees the Alliance's AmeriCorps programs. Sarah does “the work of purpose,” and is mindful of creating space for reflection and healing. Sarah has worked with youth on local, state, and national levels and is a trained life coach. She believes deeply in the power of people to create change for good in the world. She is constantly trying to keep up with her kids as they try to understand the changing seasons, defined by the magic of icicles and blooming trees. She calls Minnesota home, but sometimes — as a Colorado native — gets lost looking for the mountains.

Youth Events Coordinator
kvance@mnyouth.net

Kully likes organization, and streamlines processes for the young people in the Minnesota Youth Council. She performs regular outreach to MYC members to keep people connected. She is good at identifying inefficient practices, then creating and implementing better ones. Kully served two years as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow at the Alliance before coming on staff. She thrives on collaborating with her teammates. Kully likes to hike, bake, and collect stationary.

AmeriCorps Promise Fellow Leader
jvitt@mnyouth.net

Joe is passionate about working with alternative schools and providing young people with a caring adult. Joe uses his sense of humor to increase the positive atmosphere of the workplace. Joe makes sure that Promise Fellows have a positive experience, helps with training, and troubleshoots when issues arise. He will attend the University Of Michigan Law School in Fall 2019 to hopefully practice immigration law. Joe loves to read and play Settlers of Catan. He also enjoys cheering on his beloved Fighting Irish.

Director of Training & Evaluation
nwiggs@mnyouth.net
612.599.6021

Noam is an interpreter of numbers, a problem-solver, and a seeker of continuous improvement. Noam partners with host sites and partners to work through the realities of AmeriCorps service. He is a pragmatic person who helps create effective systems around everyone’s needs. Noam 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 effectively supports others to feel comfortable while doing their work. She creates safe spaces for people and quells anxieties in the workplace. In her own words, “If you don’t notice me, I’m doing my job successfully.” Kita is open-minded and laid-back. Kita is an AmeriCorps VISTA alum who enjoys spending time with her family. Their favorite things to do includes 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 is the office organizer and information keeper, and approaches compliance with compassion. She strives to make policies and benefits equitable to both AmeriCorps members and staff, and seeks to create an engaging work environment. Hannah values gratitude and motivating others. She is great at big-picture thinking, enjoys strategic systems building, and remembers the small details too. When not reminding people to save to Dropbox, she is often exploring nature, riding her bike, spending time with her cat, or reading favorite books.