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Team

The Highland Friendship Club Team
Ten volunteers serve on the Highland Friendship Club Board of Directors.  They are responsible for providing the long and short term vision for the organization, financial oversight and fundraising support for HFC.

Highland Friendship Club Board of Directors

Pat Leseman, Chair
Parent, Co-Founder. A co-founder of HFC, Pat is involved in creating opportunities for new partnerships with community organizations, as well as encouraging and supporting the Board of Directors.
Rosemary Fagrelius, Vice Chair
Parent, Co-Founder. Rose co-founded the HFC with Pat and brings extensive non-profit experience in program development, grant writing and event planning to the board.
Jim LeDuc, Secretary
Retired, Principal, Focus Beyond Programs, Saint Paul Public Schools. Prior to retiring in June 2006, Jim was instrumental in developing programs within the St. Paul Public Schools system to ensure that young adults with disabilities connected with the greater community. He brings invaluable insights to our activities.
Shelly Harris, Treasurer
Executive Director, Highland Business Association. Shelly's experience in operating a small community non-profit is invaluable as HFC continues to grow. She also provides financial expertise and connections to others in the community.
Alisha Johnson
Marketing and Communications Consultant. Alisha has extensive experience with marketing and communication as well as business, grant making and human resources experience.
Renee Pritzker
Attorney, Pritzker|Olsen P.A. Renee is a parent of a HFC member and has been involved with HFC as a parent, donor and program committee volunteer since HFC started in 2002. Her experience as an attorney and her interest in the arts have helped HFC in administrative tasks and program ideas.
Helen Barrett
Retired, Licensed Occupational Therapise, St. Paul Public Schools. Helen worked at Bridgeview School in St. Paul for over 20 years assisting students with developmental disabilities. She is also a community volunteer and has been involved with HFC as a volunteer and program committee member since 2005.
Michael Corrigan
The Advocate Group Michael is a Certified Financial Planner and the sibling of a HFC member. He is the co-chair of the Lanes for Friendship fundraiser and has extensive experience coordinating fundraising events and serves on another non-profit board of directors. He has been involved with HFC as a volunteer and event committee member since 2007.
Tom Colaizy
Litigation Manager, Hamlin & Burton Liability. Tom is a parent of a HFC member, an active community volunteer and a medical liability specialist. He joined HFC as a member of the finance committee and provides advice and support on insurance related issues as well as program ideas and fundraising ideas. Tom and his family also volunteer for the Lanes for Friendship event.
Fran Mountain
Speech and Language Clinician, I.S.D. #199. Fran works with special education students in the Inver Grove Heights school district and has been involved as a volunteer with HFC since its inception. She is a member of the Art of Friendship committee and has provided many hours of support to HFC as a volunteer for special events. Her expertise in the area of developmental disabilities is invaluable as HFC creates new programs and events for HFC members.

Highland Friendship Club Staff

The Highland Friendship Club staff all work part-time for HFC and most are employed in full-time jobs working with people with disabilities. The HFC staff are able to adapt activities so that all HFC members can participate regardless of their abilities. They work hard to create a fun, supportive environment for HFC members.

Lead Program Staff

Carole Bloom
Carole came from a 25 year career in retail designer clothing owning and operating stores along with managing a personal clientele base, Carole has returned to her roots of working with young adults with disabilities as she once did in the Minneapolis Public School System. Her background includes teaching, cooking, musical composition and dental hygiene. Carole supervises the Community Club program and coordinates the cooking class with her daughter Lindsey Jo.
Lindsey Jo Bloom
Lindsey Jo is a Literacy Teacher and a Special Education Resource Coordinator at Bridge View School with the St. Paul Public schools. She is trained in Applied Behavior Analysis and Non-violent Crisis Prevention Intervention. Lindsey Jo is also working on her Master’s in Educational Leadership at Concordia University in St. Paul. She helps coordinate Cooking, Girls’ Night Out, Yoga as well as helping out with other activities.
Jenifer Josephson
Jen was one of the first people hired by the Highland Friendship Club. She brings her passion for music to our activities by coordinating a music program that is a favorite of Highland Friendship Club members. Club members who participate in the music program share their favorite music and, together, the group learns about all types of music - from Jimi Hendrix to Elvis to old show tunes. Jen is a Board Certified Neurologic Music Therapist and she has a Master's degree in Special Education at the University of St. Thomas.
Dusty Thune
Dusty has been with the Highland Friendship Club since its founding in 2002. An adventurer at heart, Dusty has worked extensively with young adults, with and without disabilities. He has led outdoor adventure trips for young adults with and without disabilities through Wilderness Inquiry that challenge individuals to go beyond mental and physical boundaries. He is currently working on his Master’s degree in Special Education at the University of St. Thomas. Dusty is a special education teacher at Bridge View School with the St. Paul Public Schools and also works as a personal care attendant.
Katie Thune
Katie also has been with the Highland Friendship Club since its founding in 2002. Katie has a knack for remembering details about club members' preferences and goes out of her way to make sure that everyone is comfortable and having fun. Katie is currently a special education teacher at Monroe School with the St. Paul Public Schools, has her Master’s degree in Special Education from the University of St. Thomas and also has experience as a personal care attendant. Katie and Dusty have been married for over 4 years and they have a daughter, Ingrid (1), who especially enjoys attending Friendship Club events.

Program Staff

Stacy Danov
Stacy joined Friendship Club staff in February 2007. She works Wednesday night activities at the JCC and girls night out. She enjoys sharing the friendship experience with the members and encouraging the members to share the daily stories with each other. Currently, Stacy is completing her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota in Educational Psychology. She specializes in behavioral psychology. She is a mental health practitioner and will soon be a board certified behavior analyst.
Peter Cozine
Peter is a senior at the University of MN and has worked for HFC for three+ years. His sister is a HFC member. Peter also works at a group home in St. Paul. Peter enjoys camping, skiing and music. He and Dusty love to DJ the annual winter dance. Peter has worked with almost all of the HFC activities but currently staffs Wed. bowling, Wednesday nights at the J and Friday Fun Nights.
Beth Engelking
Beth joined the HFC staff in 2006. She works mostly with the Musical Mayhem group, but has also helped with theatre outings, adventure days, movie nights, and bingo. Beth is a board certified music therapist. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in music therapy and is currently pursuing a masters degree from Saint Mary of the Woods College. In her spare time, Beth enjoys Irish dancing, traveling, reading, biking, yoga, and cheering on the Gopher football and hockey teams.
Ashley Lundberg
Ashley joined the HFC staff in 2009. She plans to graduate from the U of M in May '10 with a degree in Music Therapy. Ashley has also worked for ACR Homes for 4 years, serving people with disabilities in a group home. In her free time, Ashley is an avid singer, and loves to work out and spend time with her fiancé. She works with the music program as well as helping out with other activities.
Andrew Nelson
Andrew is a stay-at-home father of four with a degree in Theatre and Education, has been working with individuals with special needs for almost 15 years. Andrew enjoys cooking,trying new restaurants, and traveling. Andrew has sewn Renaissance Festival costumes for all of his kids, and feels that stepping away from the norm and wearing costumes in a social setting is an incredibly fun way to spend your day. Andrew works with HFC Art Classes.
Carly O’Neill
Carly joined the HFC staff in January 2010 and supervises the swimming program. She is a certified lifeguard and a coach for a Special Olympics swim team. Carly is a graduate of St. Olaf College and loves working with young people.
Leah Paquin
Leah joined HFC as a volunteer and became a staff member in 2008. She also works as a Personal Care Attendant and is a basketball coach at Cretin-Derham Hall. Leah loves sports of all kinds and played for the Varsity Women’s basketball team while she was a student at Hamline University. She graduated from Hamline in 2008. Leah has also worked with almost all of the HFC activities, she currently staffs Friday Fun Nights, Wednesday Nights at the J and Sunday Adventure Days.

Summer Program Staff

Annemarie Barrett
Annemarie attends Loyola University in Chicago; a Communication Studies major with a concentration in Communication in Social Justice. She volunteered with the Highland Friendship Club all throughout high school at Cretin-Derham Hall. She has worked with HFC the past three summers and has helped with Adventure Days, Yoga, Bingo and Birthday Bash.

Dan Anderson
Dan joined the HFC staff in June 2010 and works with the music program. He is pursuing a degree in Music Therapy from the University of Minnesota

Administrative Staff

Mary McKeown - Executive Director
Mary is HFC’s part-time Executive Director and has worked for HFC since November 2005. She is responsible for the overall management of HFC including HFC communication and financial management. She coordinates all HFC fundraising efforts including events, grant proposals and individual donations. Mary also provides support for the HFC Board of Directors and board committees. Mary has 25 years of experience working with community-based nonprofits primarily in St. Paul. She has a Master's degree in Human Services Administration from St. Mary's University and a Bachelor Degree in Social Work.
Amy Stedman - Program Coordinator
Amy is HFC’s part-time Program Coordinator and has worked for HFC since March 2009. She is responsible for planning and coordinating all operational facets of programs. Responsibilities include hiring, training, coordination, and supervision of staff and volunteers, and communications with members and member outreach. Amy was a teacher at a St. Paul Charter School and has her Masters in Teaching from the University of St. Thomas. She also has a background in communications and Human Resources.
Gretchen Robertson - Bookkeeper
Gretchen is HFC’s part-time bookkeeper. She also works for the Minnesota Jewish Theatre located in St. Paul and is the bookkeeper for several sports teams in the community.