This group, composed of leaders of the largest community institutions, meets quarterly and provides key leadership to Northfield Promise. Champions are committed to using their “organizational muscle” to advocate for Northfield Promise and access resources to help achieve Action Team plans.

• John Benjamin, Northfield Lines, Inc./Benjamin Bus, Inc. Owner
• Jim Blaha, Community Action Center Executive Director
• Todd Bornhauser, Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism President
• Bonnie Jean Flom, WINGS Board
• Sandi Gerdes, Laura Baker Services Association Executive Director
• Joe Hargis, Carleton College Associate Vice President for External Relations
• Charles Hayes, Multek Director of Operations
• Penny Hillemann, Northfield Area United Way, Director
• Matt Hillmann, Northfield Public Schools Superintendent
• Ellen Iverson, Northfield Public Schools, School Board Vice Chair
• Virginia Kaczmarek, Northfield Area Family YMCA Executive Director
• Greg Kneser, St. Olaf College Vice President of Student Life
• Mike Krance, Northfield Shares Executive Director
• Ben Martig, City of Northfield City Administrator
• Monte Nelson, Northfield Police Chief
• Steven Poskanzer, Carleton College President
• Rhonda Pownell, City of Northfield Mayor
• Julie Pritchard, Northfield Public Schools, School Board Chair
• Deb Purfeerst, Rice County Public Health Director
• Mark Shaw, Rice County Social Services Director
• Rev. Todd Smith Lippert, Northfield Area Interfaith Association Co-Chair
• Simon Tyler, Prairie Creek Community School Director
• Steve Underdahl, Northfield Hospital & Clinics Chief Executive Officer

This group is composed of committed community partners, HCI board members and the chairs of the Action Teams. The committee oversees day-to-day efforts, assists with framework development, leads communications efforts and recruits members and stakeholders.

• Ashley Anderson, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative Coordinator
• Erin Bailey, Northfield Public Schools Community Services Director
• Mark Ensrud, Northfield High School Guidance Counselor
• Kris Estenson, St. Olaf College Piper Center for Vocation and Career Associate Director (Steering Committee Chair)
• Meleah Follen, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative Youth Engagement Coordinator
• Mary Grace Hanson, Northfield Public Schools Director of Teaching and Learning
• Hope Langston, Northfield Public Schools District Assessment Coordinator
• Janet Lewis Muth, Carleton College Director of Health Promotion
• Sandy Malecha, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, Assistant Director
• Rachel Matney, Accelerate Northfield Co-founder
• Connie Nelson, Retired Northfield Public Schools teacher
• Michael O’Keefe, Northfield Middle School Assistant Principal
• Zach Pruitt, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative Executive Director
• Kristin Stets, Northfield Promise Connectedness Action Team Co-Chair
• Marnie Thompson, Northfield High School Assistant Principal
• Laura Turek, Northfield Promise Evaluation and Community Engagement Coordinator

Each Action Team is composed of any individual or institution interested in the Action Team’s focus area. Each team is charged with developing a plan to help see community change in 1 or 2 of the Northfield Promise benchmarks. Northfield Promise is rolling out teams to cover all 10 benchmarks over the next two years.

Active Action Teams include:

• Ready for Kindergarten
• Reading
• School and Community Connectedness
• Career and College Readiness

Teams are open to anyone who is interested in being involved. Contact us to learn more and sign up!

Ready for Kindergarten Action Team

• Elizabeth Bade, Northfield Public Schools, Health & Wellness Coordinator
• Erin Bailey, Northfield Public Schools, Community Services Director (Chair) Email
• Brianna Barrett, Northfield Public Schools, Early Ventures Coordinator
• Theresa Bauman, Parent
• Kristen Cade, Bridgewater Elementary, Kindergarten Teacher
• Mitchell Davide, Laura Baker Services, Director of Oak Street
• Kim Decker, Parent
• Megan Durkin, Montessori Children’s House, Director
• Christine Fankhanel, Reading & Math, Inc
• Alison Flannery, Parent
• Luci Gonzalez Miron, Parent
• Mary Grace Hanson, Northfield Public Schools, Director of Teaching and Learning
• Gretchen Heil, Sibley Elementary, Teacher
• Jenny Kelly, Parent
• Heidi Kram, Allina Health, Pediatrician
• Kathy Lansing, Northfield Nursery School, Director
• Sara Line, Northfield Public Schools, Early Childhood Coordinator
• Anne Malcolm, St. Olaf College, Student
• Sara Mikkelson, Parent
• Marianne Moser, Prairie Creek Community School, Teaching Assistant
• Ashley Petterson, Longfellow School, Psychologist
• Susan Prieve, Rice County Public Health, Family and Child Health Supervisor
• Pat Rogne, Early Childhood Professional
• Dawn Tommerdahl, Three Rivers Community Action Center Head Start, Parent-Family-Community Engagement Coordinator
• Lucy Velazquez de Barojas, Parent
• Laurie Williams, Rotary Club of Northfield, Representative
• Leesa Wisdorf, Northfield Public Library, Reference & Youth Services Manager

Reading Action Team

• Neina Abdulai, Northfield High School,  Student Representative
• Fritz Bogott, Co-Chair, Reading Team, Accelerate Northfield Founder
• Pam Charlton, Bridgewater Elementary 1st Grade Teacher
• Jenna Dardis, Benjamin Bus, Safety Director Manager
• Marin Emery, Greenvale Elementary, Americorps Vista
• Christine Fankhanel, Minnesota Reading Corps
• Ben Flannery, Northfield Hospital and Clinics, Pediatrician
• Becky Gainey, Sibley Elementary, Instructional Coach, Literacy
• Carol Gengenbach – Community Action Center, Board Member
• Mary Grace Hanson, Northfield Public Schools, Director of Teaching and Learning
• Alison Haider, Northfield Area Family YMCA, Child Watch Coordinator
• Inger Hanson, Bridgewater Elementary, Instructional Coach, Literacy
• Penny Hilleman, Northfield Area United Way, Executive Director
• Emily Lloyd, Northfield Public Library, Children’s Librarian
• Andi Matre, St. Dominic School, Representative
• Laura Medwetz, University of St. Thomas, Teacher Performance Support Specialist
• Connie Nelson, Co-Chair, Reading Team, Retired Teacher, Literacy Coach
• Bridget Novak, Northfield Arts Guild, Resident Teaching Artist and Education Coordinator
• Karleen Sherman, Sibley Elementary, Special Education Teacher
• Savannah Stuckmayer, Greenvale Elementary, Coordinator
• Diane Torbenson, Greenvale Elementary, Instructional Coach, Literacy
• Ellen Trotman, Greenvale Elementary, EL Teacher
• Laura Turek, Northfield HCI, Reading Coordinator
• Pam Vig, Bethel Lutheran Church, Director of Childrens’ Ministries
• Laurie Williams, Rotary Club of Northfield, Representative
• Leesa Wisdorf, Northfield Public Library, Representative
• Emma Wortman, St. Olaf College, Education Minnesota Student Program

School and Community Connectedness Action Team

• Melissa Bernhard, Northfield Public Schools Community Services, Recreation Coordinator
• Sheryl Docken, Northfield High School, Activities Department
• Barb Farmer, Bethel Lutheran Church, Youth Ministry Director
• Meleah Follen, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, Youth Engagement Coordinator
• Kelly Foster, Northfield High School, Educational Assistant
• Rev. Abigail Henderson, First United Church of Christ, Associate Pastor
• Lisa Malecha, Arcadia Charter School, Social Worker
• Randy Olson, Community Resource Bank, Senior Vice President
• Linda Oto, Northfield Public Schools, Connected Kids Coordinator
• Kristin Stets, Community Member (Co-chair) Email
• Cheryl Strike, Northfield Youth Sports Collaborative, Coordinator
• Marnie Thompson, Northfield High School, Assistant Principal (Co-chair) Email
• Amanda Tracy, Northfield High School, Spanish Teacher
• Sarah Van Sickle, Project Friendship, Executive Director
• Scott Wopata, Northfield Union of Youth, Executive Director

Career and College Readiness Action Team

• Beth Berry, TORCH, Founder
• Todd Bornhauser, Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, President
• Kimberly Briske, Northfield Public Schools, Director of Technology
• Tawana Brown, Northfield Retirement Community, Human Resource Recruiter
• Mark Ensrud, Northfield High School, Counselor (Co-chair) Email
• Teddy Gelderman, TORCH, Co-Director
• Greg Gelineau, Northfield Middle School, Principal
• Sandi Gerdes, Laura Baker Services Association, Executive Director
• Mary Grace Hanson, Northfield Public Schools, Director of Teaching and Learning
• Charlie Hayes, Multek, Director of Operations
• Kelly Hebzynski, Northfield Middle School, Math Teacher
• Joe Jorgensen, Northfield High School, Work-based Learning Teacher/Coordinator
• Dan Kapaun, Syngenta, Research Assistant
• Shari Karlsrud, Northfield High School, FACS Teacher
• Daryl Kehler, Northfield ALC, Director
• Emily Kerling, Northfield Retirement Community, Director of Health Services
• Daria Kolb, Post Consumer Brands, Director of Supply Chain
• Hope Langston, Northfield Public Schools, District Assessment Coordinator
• Michelle Lasswell, Frago & Lasswell, PA Lawyers and Rotary
• Joel Leer, Northfield High School, Principal
• Sarah Lunemann-Schrader, Allina Health, Northfield Clinical Services Manager
• Michelle Mahowald, City of Northfield, Communications & Human Resources Manager
• Sandy Malecha, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, Assistant Director
• Lisa Malecha, Arcadia Charter School, Social Worker
• Suzie Nakasian, Northfield City Council Council, Member
• Michael O’Keefe, Northfield Middle School, Assistant Principal (Co-chair) Email
• Heather LaCroix, FORCE America, Executive Administrative Assistant
• Maren Peterson, POST Consumer Brands, HR Business Partner
• Julie Pritchard, Northfield Public Schools, School Board Member
• Zach Pruitt, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, Executive Director
• Leah Rich, Neuger Communications Group, Senior Communications Counselor
• Julie Sheridan, Post Consumer Brands, Human Resources
• John Stenz, FORCE America, President
• Vicki Stevens, Northfield Hospitals and Clinics, Human Resources Executive/Clinical Operations Administrator
• Brian Stevens, Northfield High School,  Social Studies (Econ) Teacher
• Jenny Streefland, Northfield Middle School, School Counselor
• Eric Van Brocklin, ISD 917 Rosemount, Principal
• Steve Taggart, Northfield Middle School, CTE Teacher
• Sarah VanSickle, Project Friendship
• TJ Wiebe, Northfield High School, Science Teacher (Academy)
• Andrew Wilt, Mechanical Systems Inc., Director of Apprenticeship & EHS Advisor
• Mike Witt, Witt Bros Car Repair
• Mark Woitalla, Northfield High School, CTE Teacher
• Julie Wolner, Northfield High School, CTE Teacher

This group is composed of individuals with expertise in evaluation and data analysis. They work with the Action Teams to review and analyze data to assist each team’s work. Data Team members also assist with the annual compilation of data into Northfield Promise’s Report to the Community.

• Debra Ehret Miller, Allina Health, Community Benefit and Evaluation Manager
• Ellen Iverson, Science Education Resource Center’s Director of Evaluation
• Hope Langston, Northfield Public Schools District Assessment Coordinator (Co-chair) Email
• Rachel Matney, Accelerate Northfield co-founder (Co-chair) Email
• Tom Richard, Northfield Hospital & Clinics
• Paul Roback, St. Olaf College Professor and Director of Statistics Center
• Katie St. Clair, Carleton College Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics
• Laura Turek, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative
• Tina Dokken, Northfield Middle School Math Teacher

As our backbone organization, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) assists with convening the Council of Champions, Steering Committee, Action Teams, Communications Team and Data Team. HCI also provides organizational support, helps with grants and securing resources to aid the implementation of action plans, coordinates communications and helps manage data tracking and reporting.

• Beth Ayotte Naumann, ServiceMaster by Ayotte President and Owner
• Erin Bailey, Northfield Public Schools Community Services Division
• Barry Carlson, St. Olaf College Senior Development Officer
• Willy Conde, Northfield High School Student
• Bridget Conway, Cannon Pointe Chiropractic Doctor
• Kris Estenson, St. Olaf College Associate Director Piper Center for Vocation and Career
• Elsa Hoff, Northfield High School Student
• Anna Kochevar, (Co-Vice Chair) Arcadia Charter School Student
• Lisa Malecha, Arcadia Charter School Social Worker
• Mark Mohlke, (Co-Vice Chair) Wells Fargo Senior Business Banker
• Anne Meyer-Ruppel, Allina Clinic Nurse Practitioner
• Connie Nelson, Minnesota Reading Corps Master Reading Coach
• Monte Nelson, Northfield Police Chief
• Randy Olson, Community Resource Bank Senior Vice President
• Olive Omoro, (Co-Chair) Northfield High School Student
• Athena Pitsavas, Northfield High School Student
• Claudia Román Jiménez, Northfield Public Library Assistant and Bilingual Reference Staffer
• Tanner Schieck (Treasurer), Schieck Orthodontics Co-owner
• Betsy Spethmann (Co-Chair), Northfield Hospital & Clinics Director of Community Relations
• Marnie Thompson, Northfield High School Assistant Principal
• Brisa Zubia (Co-chair), Carleton College Assistant Director, Office of Intercultural and International Life