Board Chair

Matt Dreier

Matt Dreier is the Director of Operations for Project SUCCESS, a youth development nonprofit that serves over 12,000 middle and high school students in the Minneapolis public schools each year. Matt is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a M.B.A. in Arts Administration and a Certificate in Entrepreneurship. Prior to returning to Wisconsin, he spent three years in Chicago, where he worked in the Risk Management Department at Groupon and as the Company Manager for UrbanTheater Company. Matt has worked throughout the Midwest as an actor, director, and producer for theater and film. He has also co-founded four arts organizations, including a Wisconsin-based film production company. He has worked as a non-profit consultant and has most recently served on the board of Forward Theater Company in Madison. In his spare time, you can find him traveling, cheering on Wisconsin sports teams, and training in Krav Maga. 

Vice Chair

Sarah Crumrine

Sarah Crumrine is the Communications Coordinator at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.  Previously, she was the Special Events Associate at Bridging. She got her B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in Social Justice from the University of Minnesota in 2012 and studied global social policy for a semester at the University of Edinburgh. Sarah also volunteers with Make-A-Wish Minnesota and Gilda's Club Twin Cities. Outside of work, you can find Sarah watching old SNL sketches, attempting to rock at trivia nights, and tearing up at videos of soldiers surprising their kids and/or dogs.  She's also a huge Harry Potter geek (and proud Hufflepuff), so pretend to be impressed if she ever tells you about her replica Neville Longbottom wand, time turner necklace, or Triwizard Cup lamp.

Secretary

Sandra Boone

Sandra Boone is a Communications Specialist for the Global Programs and Strategy Alliance and International Student and Scholar Services at the University of Minnesota. She has previously worked in communications and research roles at the BlueGreen Alliance, the Minnesota Senate, and political campaigns. Prior to joining the Board, Sandra was YNPN-TC's Managing Blog Editor for two years, and she coordinated the migration of 350+ blogs when the website was redesigned in 2015. Sandra is a passionate advocate for the slaying of wonk-speak, acronyms, and all other non-user-friendy jargon in nonprofit communications.

Treasurer

Lindsay Bacher

Lindsay Bacher is a Program Developer at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, raising funds and building programs that address economic stability and food access. Lindsay likes thinking strategically, working efficiently, and singing loudly (alone). She has degrees from Hamline University and Yale Divinity School and previously contributed her talents to NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota and the Science Museum of Minnesota. Lindsay will try any new recipe or book once, and enjoys running around lakes with Sam, her black Lab.  

National Liaison

Tom Zimmerman

Tom Zimmerman is the Director of Marketing and Communications at GiveMN, a nonprofit with the mission of igniting generosity and growing giving in Minnesota by linking donors and organizations through GiveMN.org, and by providing Minnesota’s nonprofits and schools with tools to expand their digital fundraising. Born and raised in Virginia, Tom studied broadcast journalism at Lynchburg College and received a master’s degree in public relations from the University of Georgia, where he served as a graduate assistant for the George Foster Peabody Awards, considered to be among the most prestigious awards for excellence in radio, television and the web. Prior to moving to Minnesota, Tom worked in marketing for the Georgia Center for Nonprofits and managed nonprofit and donor communications for the first three Georgia Gives Day campaigns. Since packing his bags and making the long drive north with his tuxedo cat Sid, he’s thrived on a steady diet of conversations about cold weather and is totally on board with the concept of a hot dish. Tom is always down for team trivia and will bring specialized knowledge of Olympic cities, TV station call signs and the Interstate highway system. 

Governance Chair

Danielle Gangelhoff

Danielle Gangelhoff is the Finance and Project Specialist at MAP for Nonprofits.  Prior to finance, Danielle has worked in fundraising, event planning, and operations.  She holds a B.A. in International Relations from St. Cloud State University.  Danielle loves travel, hiking, trying new foods, and basically doing anything outdoors (except when it is cold out).  She can say the alphabet backwards on demand and has been to more countries than US states.

Programming Chair 

Cole St. Arnold

Cole St. Arnold is the Operations and Projects Manager for the Native American Community Development Institute. He is an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation and is also a relation of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community of Lake Superior Chippewa. A native to the Southwest, Cole is doing his best in acclimating to the ways of L’etoile du Nord(no, this is not his first winter).  Cole has previously worked for the American Indian College Fund, Make-A-Wish America, Community Services for the Town of Gilbert, Arizona, and Maricopa County, Arizona. He holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit Administration from the Arizona State University School of Public Affairs. Cole enjoys the outdoors, regularly hiking with his wife, Cate, and their corgi, Dr. Finndiana Bones.

Membership and Communications Chair

Kristin Skaar

Kristin Skaar is the Development and Communications Director at Habitat for Humanity of Minnesota, an organization whose mission is to build capacity at the 30 Habitat for Humanity affiliates across Minnesota. Kristin moved to the Twin Cities in 2009 to serve for two years with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, and has been active in the Twin Cities nonprofit community since that time. Kristin holds a B.A. in business management and Spanish from Luther College, where her passion for affordable housing was initially ignited. In both her personal and professional lives, Kristin enjoys finding ways to forge connections between people and loves any excuse to host gatherings, from fundraising events to dinner parties.

Volunteer Manager

Amanda Bingham

Amanda Bingham received her first taste of nonprofit work during college at KMSU, a public radio station, where she wore many hats randing from public relations and event planning to being the student news director and a radio show host.  Today, Amanda is the Marketing Manager at thedatabank, a local Minneapolis-based company that makes database management software for nonprofits that has tools for fundraising, advocacy, communications and more. Amanda has been working at thedatabank since she graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a B.A. in Mass Communications.

At Large

LaCora Bradford Kesti

Representing the South Side of Minneapolis, LaCora has over 18 years of experience living and working in the Twin Cities metro area. She is a Food Justice Leader and Community member in the Philips and Elliot Park neighborhoods. LaCora graduated from the College of St. Scholastica and completed two years of AmeriCorps. Completing over 3400 service hours for her community.  Currently she works for Public Allies, a program affiliated with Pillsbury United Communities. As the Senior Programs Manager she designs, facilitate and evaluate a leadership based curriculum for young adults. She personally mentors the participants in the program, research and collaborates with community experts on culturally specific and relevant topics.

Beyond her education and personal experience; LaCora has a passion for serving all people and helping them discover their endless possibilities, as well as a belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to succeed and share their talents. This passion has been the driving factor behind her education and community organizing. LaCora intends for her life’s work to focus on community empowerment, community change and finding and promoting holistic social justice solutions to the inequities that exist today. 

Kevin Bruins

Kevin Bruins is a College Partnerships Manager at College Possible, a college access and success program for low-income students. Kevin graduated from the Hamline University in 2009 with a B.A. in Sociology and is working on completing a Masters of Science in Sociology: Human Services Planning and Administration from Minnesota State University-Mankato. In his free time Kevin enjoys biking around the Twin Cities, painting and playing miniature war games, gardening, and being a general nerd.

Ruth Hamberg

Ruth is a research associate and curriculum designer with the Community Indicators Consortium. Before joining CIC, Ruth spent five years with Minnesota Compass, an indicators project based in Saint Paul at Wilder Research. Ruth also worked in media and community relations for Greater Twin Cities United Way. After work, she contributes to Minnesota Rising and a local faith community, uniting people in conversation, service and shared vision. She received her bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Minnesota, Morris, where she studied Spanish, Biology and Management, including research through the Minnesota Studies in International Development program and a tour with Students Today Leaders Forever. Her top travel memories are crossing India on a train, Ecuador in a bus, and the trails of central Minnesota on horseback. Find her salsa dancing, taking photos or exploring the joy of hygge.

Cara Luebke

Cara Luebke is the Employer Engagement Associate at AchieveMpls. Previously, she was the Development Assistant at Ronald McDonald House Charities - Upper Midwest, the State Chair for Students United, the student association advocating for 70,000 State University students, as well as Depart Smart, the only non profit dedicated to safe study abroad advocacy. Her degree is from Winona State University in Psychology and Child Advocacy. Cara is immensely interested in child welfare and advocacy, transforming systems that disenfranchise communities and children, board governance and structure, politics, and Punch Pizza. She enjoys cultivating elaborate surprises, the Mississippi River, constantly rearranging and redesigning rooms, and finding the best meal in the State.

Sara Parcero-Leites

Sara Parcero-Leites is a Research Associate at HACER (Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research). Sara primarily works with the Latino population in Minnesota through different research and evaluation projects. She loves fitness and is currently working towards becoming a fitness coach! Sara spends most of her time outside the office trying new recipes and writing on her fitness blog. 

Sara has been working for different non-profit organizations since she graduated and worked at the Minnesota Senate as a Legislative Assistant, where she fell in love with public policy. Sara is originally from Spain and holds a degree on Political Science and International Studies from Macalester College. 

Kathleen Smith

Kathleen Smith is the Marketing Communications Strategist for Minnesota Philanthropy Partners. She has a background in communications, event planning, and performing last minute miracles. Her previous work places include YouthLink, the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Ordway Center for Performing Arts. Her passion for thinking strategically and connecting others to their perfect do-gooder opportunities brought her to YNPN. Kathleen is an avid fan of making and eating food, anything made by Pixar, and YouTube videos of hilarious dance moves.