MEET THE TEAM

The Minnesota Rising 2013 Un/Conference: Cultivating Capacity for Collective Leadership is a volunteer-led effort run by an amazing cast of emerging leaders! They’ve long been in planning mode to craft content for an incredible day of innovative learning by and for emerging leader and reach out to old and new allies as part of our intentional network-building work across Minnesota. Cheers to these extraordinary leaders, who are generous with their time, talent, and spirits!

LOGISTICS

Jenny Johnson
Jenny Johnson is the Fund Development Manager of Aeon, an affordable housing developer in the Twin Cities, and is a self-proclaimed lover of Minnesota. Jenny manages Aeon Connect, hosts regular conversations about young professional group best practices for nonprofit organizations, and is leading up sponsorship and logistics for the Minnesota Rising 2013 Un/Conference! In her spare time, Jenny loves to eat, work out at her local fitness club, and spend time wandering around her local Target.

Heidi Smith
Heidi is an Operations and Engagement Specialist at Grassroots Solutions, where daily tasks vary, but usually involve other people’s technological and administrative nightmares. While, Heidi is uniquely fond of Moocs and emerging technologies, afterhours she can be found enjoying the vast Internetainment available on the World Wide Web. Heidi is originally from Florida and likes to say that she gave up humidity for snow, running for yoga and grouper for walleye.

Alana Stimes
Alana Stimes is the Program Manager for the Minnesota Opportunity Corps, an AmeriCorps program focused on assisting Minnesotans in their efforts to attain living wage jobs and access training opportunities.  When Alana isn’t up to her eyeballs in workforce development, she enjoys collaborating with her Un/Conference colleagues as well as with other young professionals in the community.  Alana also loves cooking, running, biking, and traveling with her husband, Conrad.  Their most recent adventure: a long weekend in Madison to celebrate their anniversary.  Hooray for the Badgers and beer cheese soup!

Diane Tran
Diane Tran is a Project Manager at Grassroots Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in grassroots strategy, evaluation, training, and organizing. She blogs regularly for Minnesota Rising and helps liaise between the various committees working to pull off the fourth annual Un/Conference! Diane recently published a children’s book entitled, “Linh and the Red Envelope,” through the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans and the Minnesota Humanities Center.

Tiffany Xiong
Tiffany was born in a small town called Willows, California. Her family moved to Minnesota in the summer of 2002. Tiffany is a student at St. Catherine University. She loves to fish, play sports, read, learn and volunteer. She is a board member of the Minnesota Women’s Political Caucus and does community organizing in the Hmong Community. When she has time, she likes to bake and cook for her family and friends.

CONTENT

Jillian Brown
Jillian Brown is a Strategy Consultant at Rêve Consulting and a volunteer with Rêve Academy. Prior to her work with Rêve, Jillian worked for two great organizations, Finnegans and Grassroots Solutions, while she completed her B.A. in international relations and business from the University of Minnesota. When not strategizing from 9-5, Jillian enjoys using her creativity (mostly to cook), take runs around Lake of the Isles, and go on adventures with her friends.

Patrick Mitchell
Patrick Mitchell is the VISTA Leader at the Phillips Family Foundation where he provides training and guidance to the Phillips Sectoral Employment Initiative VISTA cohort. In 2011 Patrick obtained his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Duluth. He currently enjoys the progressive culture of Minneapolis and dreams to one day see the Vikings win a Superbowl.

Julia Quanrud
Julia Quanrud is a Metro Team Manager with the Minnesota Reading and Math Corps at ServeMinnesota Action Network. Prior to joining the Network, Julia served for two years in AmeriCorps and on the InterCorps Council of Minnesota. In her spare time, Julia serves on the advisory board of Fourth Generation, enjoys exploring the streets of Minneapolis by bicycle, routinely escapes the city for her native rural Minnesota, and spends far too much time in her kitchen cooking and baking way too much food for one person.

OUTREACH

Chet Bodin
Chet Bodin is a 2013 graduate from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. While earning his Masters in Public Policy, Chet was a Graduate Teaching Assistant in Economics and Public Policy, completed an internship with the U.S. Department of State, and served as the Vice President of Public Affairs with the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly. In preparation for the 2013 MN Rising Un/Conference, he participated in outreach to local media outlets. Currently, he works part-time for Student & Community Relations at the University, and is a logistics sergeant in the MN Army National Guard. Connect with him on LinkedIn or by email at chetbodin[at]gmail.com.

Andrea Mac Arthur
Andrea Mac Arthur is the Senior Manager of Corporate Relations at Community Health Charities Minnesota, which unites caring donors in the workplace with our nation’s most trusted health charities. Andrea serves on the program committee of Jeremiah Program and recently completed a term as the Health & Wellness Chair for Torch Community. Andrea’s love of connecting people to one another and the issues they’re passionate about naturally led her to the outreach committee.

Hally Turner
Hally Turner works with Ramsey County Community Corrections. Aside from working on the Un/Conference Outreach Team, Hally serves as a board member for the League of Women Voters of St. Paul. She renovates homes and travels in her spare time.

Carrie Vandelac
Carrie Vandelac is a health coach and wellness blogger at www.CarrieVandelac.com. She’s on a mission to make whole foods simple and to help people find lasting healing through food. After suffering from ulcerative colitis for seven years, Carrie revamped her diet and is now symptom-free, medication-free, and oh-so-happy. Carrie believes in real food, a good night’s sleep, and laughing until you cry. You’ll find her reading, hiking, belting out a tune, or participating in Minnesota Rising events, of course.