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Equity. Quality. Collaboration.

About

Staff

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The work of Minnesota Alliance With Youth is driven by our three core values: Equity, Quality and Collaboration.  This is the team that makes it all happen!

Alliance Team

Jim Davnie

Executive Director

Ali

Ali Abel

Salesforce and Evaluation Manager

Ali has lived in Minneapolis for almost 10 years and has built a career working at various non profits in the area. She loves to collect and organize information, and then pave a path to make it useful and accessible to others. Nothing makes her happier than finding an answer to someone's question. In addition to creating spreadsheets, Ali's hobbies include browsing estate sales, planning vacations, sending snail mail, and consuming way too much pop culture.

Brandon Brooks

Director of Youth Partnerships

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.

Anthony Chmielarczyk

AmeriCorps Promise Fellow Leader

Anthony joined the Alliance as a PF Leader after serving his first term as a Fellow in 2022. He loves finding creative solutions to problems and ironing out the little details in his work in both art and education. When he's not supporting Promise Fellows you might find him biking around south Minneapolis, belting Fleetwood Mac at one of his favorite karaoke spots, or trying (and failing) to teach his cat Greta how to open doors.

Jordan

Jordan Greer

Youth Program Coordinator

Jordan received a Bachelor’s in Philosophy from Arizona State University as well as a minor in African/African American Studies. Jordan is passionate about equity work in schools and strives to create a more equitable system for students of color and from marginalized backgrounds. Jordan is a Colorado Native, and grew up in the Denver area before moving to Tempe, AZ and now resides in North Minneapolis. She enjoys hiking, spending time with family, and traveling.

Daniel Gumnit

Interim Lead Strategy Officer

Daniel is all about helping organizations make the biggest impact possible. He is passionate about collaboratively developing innovative strategies and relentless in creatively figuring out how to pay for them. At the Alliance he is developing new strategies to advance our highly successful AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program and other strategic initiatives. Daniel is dedicated to improving the systems that effect children, youth, and families. Over the past several years his work has focused on addressing the root causes of childhood, youth, and family homelessness, and disparities in access to early childhood development. If you can’t find Daniel, it is because he is out in the woods with his wife and their ginormous canine friend.

Devin Henderson

AmeriCorps Promise Fellow Leader

After a term serving with AmeriCorps in St. Paul, Devin joins the Alliance as a Promise Fellow Leader to offer support to his fellow members. Growing up, youth work and supporting young people has always been important to him. He values honesty and employs empathy in his support of others. After moving to Minnesota, he appreciates the chance to try new things and find new places to enjoy with his friends. Although an extrovert, he also enjoys spending time at home reading or binge watching new shows.

Philishia Jones

Minnesota Youth Council AmeriCorps VISTA member

Kyle Kline

Director of Recruitment and Compliance

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 others 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.

Elena

Elena Medeiros

Service Operations Coordinator

Elena loves making to-do lists, color coordinating her notes, and supporting programs that provide powerful resources for the young people, schools and organizations that strengthen our communities. Elena previously served as a Minnesota Youth Council Representative for the 4th Congressional District and is so excited to be able to return to the Alliance as the Service Operations Coordinator. In her free time you can often find her reading, making soup, and abandoning DIY projects halfway through.

Kaela Schweisthal

VISTA Program Manager

612.293.8438

AmeriCorps helped launch Kaela into the world of youth work and she’s thrilled to return to the Alliance as the VISTA Program Manger. Kaela is passionate about racial identity exploration through story-telling and story-listening. She’s always got a project going for personal and professional growth and you can often find her journaling or reading. She loves witnessing growth over time, which is what draws her to being both a mentor through BBBS, and a mentee through KOWIN (Korean Women's International Network). Harboring a creative soul, Kaela organizes her thoughts through diagrams and mind maps. Outside of work, she’s typically making handmade gifts out of origami, clay, and watercolor.

Pablo Siqueiros

Promise Fellow Member Experience Manager

Pablo is a grounding and calming force for everyone around him. The San Diego native brings a background in music, educational programs, and client services to his role with the Alliance. An idealist at heart, he always sees the possibilities of what could be in every project he takes on. Outside of work he enjoys gardening, rock climbing, singing opera, and spending time with his partner, Ashleyn, and his cat, Rio.

Elsa Skogen

AmeriCorps VISTA Leader

Elsa is our 22-23 VISTA Leader. With a background in the Arts, they bring creative problem solving, resourcefulness, and innovation to their service. When Elsa is not making mind-blowing data presentations on Canva, they are gardening, baking banana bread and practicing archery. Elsa additionally serves on the InterCorps Council of MN, as the Impact and Sustainability Facilitator, continuing to highlight and improve Americorps member experiences and opportunities

Alex Soth

Recruitment Specialist

Alex is an optimist who loves to spread positive sprinkles wherever she goes. She values building deep connections and helping people see the potential in themselves like she does in them. As a former Promise Fellow, she’s passionate about National Service and connecting people to service opportunities in their community. She is excited to return to the Alliance as the Recruitment Specialist to support the AmeriCorps VISTA and Promise Fellow program. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, reading, rewatching favorite shows and movies, and being a homebody.

Kate Suchomel

Lead Communications and Development Officer

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.

Lauren Van Schepen

National Service Director

Lauren is passionate about helping folks determine how they can best serve their communities. As National Service Director, she oversees the Alliance's AmeriCorps Promise Fellow and VISTA programs. Lauren holds degrees in American Studies, Education Policy, and Higher Education Administration, and is a VISTA alum. She enjoys gardening, reading fiction, and taking lots of long walks with her husband, son, and dogs.

Lillie Williamson

AmeriCorps Promise Fellow Leader

Lillie is motivated by people; by the idea that people exist and are on the receiving end of her actions. This past year Lillie served at Paladin Career and Technical High School as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow, and now serves as a Promise Fellow Leader at the Alliance. Close friends and family members have referred to Lillie as a “granny”. She asks that you please walk ahead of her on the stairs as it may be a bad knee day or lung day. Outside of service Lillie enjoys spending time with her siblings, reading, napping, pretending chores don’t exist, watching the auditions portion of competition shows (particularly singing shows), and writing on occasion. When it comes to walking dogs she much prefers to be the walker's company than the walker herself.

Kita Yang

Lead Practice Officer

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.

Lily Yu

Promise Fellow Program Director

If life were basketball, Lily would be the player with the most assists. She shines in the background knowing that she's doing all she can to help others perform and be their best. She is people-centered and values meaningful and authentic relationships above all else. When she's not at work, you'll find her lost in a book or somewhere out in nature.