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Shelli Bakken

Shelli Bakken

Director of Housing Policy and Expert Support

William Levine

William Levine

Data and Membership Coordinator

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I support the membership team through ensuring the integrity of our member database.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: It’s exciting to see how the team’s diversity in expertise comes together to have a tangible, felt impact on enhancing the experience of the senior population and senior living community.

More about me: Making music and creative writing are the two hobbies of mine which take up most of my free time. I also love reading, movies, visiting museums, biking and being outdoors, and cooking with my friends and family.

Kirstan Ketter

Kirstan Ketter

Foundation Project Manager

Ben Hansen

Ben Hansen

Director of Communications

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I'm privileged to lead our communications strategy, helping execute all internal and external communications efforts, ensuring our members have what they need to deliver the exceptional care they're known for. 

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: Ever since seeing my grandparents receive care in a senior living facility, I have been inspired by the selfless work our members do every day. It's truly a privilege to work alongside talented colleagues to help our members as they work to ensure older adults across Minnesota can thrive as they age. 

More about me: I’m a husband and father - blessed with a wonderful wife and three (+ a fourth on the way!) children. In my free time, I love to ride my bike, be outdoors, and watch the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Gina DiMaggio

Gina DiMaggio

Foundation Director

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I support our members by raising money and investing in innovative work to improve our workforce and the delivery of care.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: I’m passionate about serving vulnerable people and have a deep admiration and respect for all the caregivers out there – both paid and unpaid.

More about me: Our two young children have made my husband and I experts in the art of always carrying snacks. They seem to appear every time I open a backpack, purse, or pocket. We enjoy being outdoors as a family, traveling and visiting my brother on his herbal tea farm in Wisconsin.

Chet Chandler

Chet Chandler

Value First Vice President of Strategic Accounts

Stacy Rogers

Stacy Rogers

Vice President of LeadingAge Minnesota Solutions

Jessica Lacher

Jessica Lacher

Director of Membership and Strategic Partnerships

  • How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: As Director of Membership, I help people and organizations become members and stay members! Through this work, I promote the amazing value of membership and highlight our skilled team.
  • What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: One of my favorite things is to connect people with the resources they need. I get to do that everyday in this job!  Plus, I get to learn about our members and the incredible things they do every day in communities across Minnesota to offer care, support, and connection for our elders.
  • More about me: I grew up in South Dakota but moved to Minnesota for college and liked it so much here, I stayed. The home calendar stays busy with sporting events as my daughter is on the basketball, soccer, and golf teams for her school. In my free time, I love exploring new places and cultures through travel, finding inspiration in art museums, and enjoying live concerts with my husband (and sometimes the teenager graces us with her presence, too).
Jim Benedict

Jim Benedict

Senior Systems Administrator

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members:  I ensure the Association’s technology is working effectively so that it can be an aid to our staff in delivering quality services for our members.

More about me: I enjoy staying up to date on technology trends, video games, hobby electronics, woodworking, and camping.

Annie Xiong

Annie Xiong

Accounting and Human Resources Manager

Nathalie Squire

Nathalie Squire

Executive Assistant

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I support members both directly and indirectly through my executive support to Kari Thurlow, members of the senior team, and other staff by ensuring good communication and executive office workflow.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: I appreciate being part of an association that strives to have a positive impact on our community’s elders, working side-by-side daily with a great group of humans, and utilizing my professional skills for good.

More about me: I enjoy spending time with family and friends, meditating, listening in to podcasts, getting lost in a good book, drawing (check out my website), exercising, walks, making crepes, and going on road trips. My three sons are grown but still at home, so life is never dull.

Kayla Khang

Kayla Khang

Grassroots and Political Action Manager

Mark Schulz

Mark Schulz

Vice President of Policy and Regulatory Affairs

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I have specialized knowledge about state and federal regulatory issues and concepts for assisted living licensure, background studies, home and community based services, and care centers. I can also research and respond to member questions on almost any topic.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota:  I really enjoy the ability to make complex information less so for those that need to understand and apply it.

More about me: I am married to a wonderful woman (and nurse!), have two middle school aged daughters, and one fat cat.  I enjoy hobby woodworking, cooking delicious foods from simple ingredients, and watching competitive cooking shows.

Olivia Scott

Olivia Scott

Events and Education Coordinator

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I provide member support for event registration, webinars, and education programs.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: Meeting members and learning new things daily are key to my role on our education team.

More about me: Painting and going on walks with my dog are favorite activities, in addition to spending time with my family.

Sharon Hollister

Sharon Hollister

Director of Education

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I can answer questions about our current education offerings. Members can also contact me about topics and presenters they would like to see offered in the future.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota:  I am committed to supporting life-long learning.  Our team is dedicated to providing professional development and training opportunities to help you continue delivering high-quality care.

More about me:  I love all of Minnesota's seasons and try to get out and enjoy them. Spring through fall, you can often find me at the soccer pitch cheering on one of my three children!

Anna Mowry

Anna Mowry

Director of Workforce Solutions

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I can connect you with resources and opportunities to strengthen your recruitment and retention efforts. I also manage programs that can help grow your workforce, including our OnTrack nursing assistant training program and our jobs board, AgingServicesJobs.org. 

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota:  I am passionate about supporting the caregivers who dedicate their lives to caring for others. My background in aging services and human resources helps me understand our workforce at a detailed level. I enjoy developing partnerships to overcome challenges and find new solutions.

More about me: I’m not sure what I like more—planning my next travel destination, the traveling itself, or returning home to cook my food favorites found around the world.

Erin Huppert

Erin Huppert

Vice President of Advocacy

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I lead our advocacy efforts, working to ensure that seniors and our caregivers are a top priority for state and federal lawmakers.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota:  The strong culture of advocacy in our LeadingAge Minnesota membership makes me proud. I have seen the power of grassroots advocacy on policymakers through my previous roles as legislative staff and government relations.

More about me:  An avid runner, I serve on the board of Twin Cities in Motion nonprofit. I live with my husband and many fur kids.

Cari Kronschnable

Cari Kronschnable

Administrative Coordinator

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I can help you update your membership data and get log-in credentials for our website.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota:  I enjoy supporting member committees and internal staff, as well as assisting at education events.

More about me: Florida - or anywhere with a beach - is my favorite vacation spot. When not traveling, I enjoy attending sports events, walking, and playing softball.

Kari Everson

Kari Everson

Vice President of Clinical Services and Nurse Consultant

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I provide clinical and operational support to members by answering questions and providing information and education. I'm committed to bringing best practices to long-term care settings.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: With my background as a nurse and long-term care administrator, I appreciate a challenge. I hold credentials in nursing (DNP, MSN, RN, and PHN) and in senior care operations (MHA, LNHA, and LALD).

More about me: Reading books is one of my favorite activities. I also enjoy spending time with my husband, two sons, three cats, two dogs, and a turtle.

Julie Apold

Julie Apold

Vice President of Quality and Performance Excellence

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: My focus is helping members with quality and safety improvement. I can help your team take a deep dive into an issue to improve the quality of care or to develop strong solutions that improve safety.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota:  I get to use my experience in acute care quality and adverse events and apply my expertise in systems design and human factors research.

More about me: I'm a fan of lefse and exploring unique restaurants. I also enjoy quirky road trips, especially those that lead to my cabin.

Laura Nordaune

Laura Nordaune

Purchasing Advisor

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I can help members sign up for group purchasing through our association. My goal is to maximize savings for each member.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: Using a cost analysis study, my focus is to help members save money on purchasing without sacrificing quality. 

More about me: Laughter is a constant soundtrack in my life. I keep busy with three kids and their sporting events.

Andy Poulos

Andy Poulos

Value First Director of Marketing & Communications

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I support our group purchasing organization, Value First, in helping members with cost savings.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: My work involves keeping up on the latest marketing and digital trends including augmented and virtual reality. I am experienced in video creation, digital media, and print production.

More about me: Grandparenting is one of my favorite activities. My cat, Bella, enjoys being my only pet.

Trish Korsgren

Trish Korsgren

Value First Director of Business Development

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I work with our national group purchasing organization to get great prices for members on good and services.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: Every day, I work with our sales team to help members save money on food, medical supplies, office supplies, and senior-care specific environmental products.

More about me: My two sons are currently in active military service, so my travels now often involve family visits to their bases. My husband and I also enjoy international destinations. When my family was younger, we lived in Berlin, Germany. 

Kari Thurlow

Kari Thurlow

President and CEO

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: As President and CEO of LeadingAge Minnesota, I have the opportunity to hear from our members about the issues that are most important to them. I am eager to help find solutions to the challenges we face today so we can continue to enhance the experience of aging for Minnesota's older adults. 

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: My first 15 years at the Association were spent leading our advocacy efforts. Connecting with members and understanding your missions of service to older adults helped me prepare for service to the Association as the CEO. 

More about me: I have a J.D. from Mitchell Hamline School of Law and am a proud alum of Concordia College in Moorhead. Go Cobbers! 

Alecia Crumpler

Alecia Crumpler

Marketing Manager

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I can help you order products from our LeadingAge Minnesota virtual store. I also provide graphic design and website support as part of our communications team.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: For more than 18 years, I've had the opportunity to connect with members at our education events and our annual Insitute & Expo. I love connecting a name I've spoken to for years with a face. That truly makes my day!

More about me: I love spending time with family and friends at our cabin. Games, singing, cooking, puzzles and crosswords keep me entertained when I'm not working.

Jared Schei

Jared Schei

Value First President and CEO

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I lead our group purchasing and insurance solutions teams. Much of my time is spent negotiating vendor agreements for member savings.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: My work at the Association is informed by my previous experience as a licensed nursing home administrator and as a licensed insurance broker.

More about me: I enjoy watching basketball and sneaking in an occasional round of golf when I'm not doing house projects for our family.

Barbara Landeen

Barbara Landeen

Senior Director of Leadership and Member Experience

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I help develop leaders through our Leadership Academy and Executive Leadership Masterclass programs and provide resources to our member organizations’ governing boards of directors.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: I enjoy spending time with our members in their communities. For over 20 years, I have led our annual Stars Among Us program, which recognizes extraordinary people who live and work in our member communities.

More about me: I’m a Vikings fan and a proud graduate of the University of Illinois – Go Illini! My most proud roles include wife, mom, grandma, and dog parent.

Lori Meyer

Lori Meyer

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: As COO, I help connect members to the staff, resources, or solutions they need and utilize member feedback to develop new services to enhance the member experience.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: For more than 20 years, I have been inspired by our members and motivated to make a meaningful contribution to addressing the challenges in our field.

More about me: I'm a huge sports fan and hope that Minnesota brings home a national championship soon. I love live music, winning at Backgammon, and unwinding in my garden.

Kellie Thoen

Kellie Thoen

Value First Director of Analytics and Implementation

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I work with our group purchasing teams and salespeople to respond to member requests including cost analysis studies.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: I enjoy interacting with LeadingAge members and the 24 Value First ownership states to help them learn about our purchasing programs.

More about me: Our two little girls keep my husband and me quite busy outside of work.

Bobbie Guidry

Bobbie Guidry

Vice President of Assisted Living and Adult Day Services

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I assist our home and community-based service provider members including assisted living, independent living, adult day, HUD housing, and other emerging community-based models of care.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: With my many years of operational experience in the field, I can provide members with a deep understanding of policies, payment systems, and regulations. I'm a Licensed Social Worker, an LNHA, and an LALD.

More about me: Being a grandmother of three brings me great joy. I'm also a dog lover and have a green thumb. My favorite places are my garden and my cabin.

Jenny Prosser

Jenny Prosser

Vice President of Events, Education, and Experiences

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I lead the team that creates education programs and webinars for members. I'm also the main contact for business partners, vendors, exhibits, and sponsorships.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: Through my work at the Association, I have the flexibility and opportunity to create memorable event experiences and help our member communities reach their continuing education goals.

More about me: Staying active is a priority for me. I'm an avid golfer and boxer. Watching my son play baseball and playing with my dog keeps me busy away from work.

Jeff Bostic

Jeff Bostic

Director of Data and Financial Policy

How I help LeadingAge Minnesota members: I answer member questions about payment in care centers and waiver programs. I also run our data collection efforts, including information about the current environment in aging services.

What I enjoy about LeadingAge Minnesota: During the legislative session, I'm involved in policy development and provide data to our advocacy team to help legislators better understand their responsibility to support aging services.

More about me: As an enduring Bears and Cubs fan, I patiently wait for them to be great again. I am known for collecting baseball hats, old furniture, and an assortment of miniature statues such as Paul Bunyan's shoes.