Our Team

Meet Our Team

Leadership

Leah Hébert Welles

Chief Executive Officer

Favorite food: Pizza, chips & salsa

Leah has been leading Open Arms since 2013, after more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership positions. An Executive Director since 1999, Leah has worked in the arts, community education, and reproductive and community health care. She began her career out of college as a victim advocate at a battered women’s shelter – an experience that ignited a deep commitment to justice and access to resources for underserved and vulnerable populations. A mother herself at age 17, who had to ask for help, Leah is committed to ensuring that everyone who asks for help is treated with dignity and respect. She has served on a variety of boards of directors, steering committees, and community coalitions, and currently serves on the Advisory Board for the national Food is Medicine Coalition.

April K Bogard, MPH, RS/REHS

Chief Operating Officer

Favorite food: Bread and dumplings

Danielle Brady

Senior Director of Volunteer Engagement & Hospitality

Favorite food: Sushi

Danielle brings over 20 years of experience working alongside and leading volunteers. In her experience, she says she has never experienced volunteers like at Open Arms! It inspires her every day. As a certified trainer for the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement, she leads trainings throughout the metro area and state on volunteer engagement best practices, poverty, privilege and bridging gaps of understanding between differences. She is passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion and loves that there is always room for one more at the Open Arms table!

Lisa Lane

Chief External Affairs Officer

Favorite food: Cake donuts

Lisa Lane has worked in the nonprofit sector since 1997, primarily in social and human services. She has held a variety of roles including development, community relations, communications and program development. Lisa served as the Development Director & VP of Resource Development for the Jewish Community Relations Council, Neighborhood House and Hennepin Theatre Trust; as the Foundation Director for The Phillips Eye Institute; and as Director of Advancement for United Family Medicine. She received her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Iowa.

Ethan Armstrong

Director of Communications

Favorite food: Red Pepper Grinder

Ethan joined Open Arms in March of 2022 and brings him with a generalist’s breadth of experience to the role of Communications Director. A Minnesota native, Ethan began his career in athletics communications at Gustavus Adolphus College. In 2015, he relocated his life to Chicago where he pivoted to nonprofit work, serving in multiple development, project management, marketing, operations, and event management capacities at places such as the Pat Tillman Foundation, Strides for Peace, and America SCORES Chicago. Ethan has a passion for service, relationship building, and storytelling, and is drawn to organizations that impact communities at the grassroots level. He earned a BA in communication studies from Gustavus and an MA in sport management from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Stanley Hadiwibowo

Director of Food Services

Favorite food: Kimchi bokkeum bap with mayak eggs

Andrew Mendez

Chief Program Officer

Favorite food: Steak

Across the last 10 years, Andrew has held various management positions in Behavioral Healthcare. Most recently, he was the Chief Operating Officer of a 3-state, 150-bed outpatient addiction treatment center for 3 years. Andrew has also served as a consultant for a number of behavioral healthcare facilities, with a focus on client programming and advocacy. Andrew himself is also a survivor of Soft Tissue Cell Sarcoma and is deeply patient about helping improve the lives of those who suffer with any illness. Andrew relocated from Florida to Minnesota in October of 2020 of hopes of beginning work within the nonprofit sector to help those most in need.

Charles J Abrahamson, MBA

Director of Strategic Partnerships

Favorite food: Roasted rosemary with lemon chicken

Charles joined Open Arms in 2021. He has a BA from St. Olaf College and a MBA from the University of St. Thomas. He brings over 30 years of health care leadership experience to his role at Open Arms, specifically focusing on enhancing existing partnerships and developing new collaborative partnerships. Charles' broad and creative background and his experience in developing value based partnership agreements which support clients and the people served by these agreements reflect his commitment to supporting the health of individuals and the community.

Megan White

Director of Development

Favorite food: Ratatouille with fresh-baked bread and salted butter

Megan has cultivated institutional partnerships as a member of the Development Team since 2020 and transitioned into a departmental leadership role as Director of Development in 2022. Before joining Open Arms, Megan gained over a decade of experience in grants management, partnership development, event planning, and donor stewardship working within and consulting for various community-based organizations in Boston, MA, and Chicago, IL. In every stage of her life, service has continued to be a foundational pillar for Megan. She is perpetually inspired by the whole-hearted dedication and collective energy of the Open Arms community. Megan earned her BA at the University of Michigan and Master of Nonprofit Management at DePaul University.

Mary Beth Iverson

Director of Individual and Major Gifts

Favorite food: Pad Thai

Mary Beth Iverson joins Open Arms as its Director of Individual and Major Gifts. In her role, Mary Beth will partner with volunteers and donors to result in the financial resources needed to provide services to Open Arms clients. A lifelong resident of the Twin Cities, Mary Beth previously served as the Director of Annual Giving at her alma mater, St. Catherine University, and has spent most of career doing fundraising and development related work. She was drawn to the mission as it aligns closely with her personal values “when those in our community are struggling, bringing them nutritious food that nourishes them can make them feel better.”

Shirl Chouinard

Director of Facilities

Favorite food: Cake or pie

Shirl is a true Minnesota native and lives in Cambridge, MN, with her husband David Lilley and dog Gus. She has dedicated herself to nonprofit facilities management for many years. Shirl is pleased to join Open Arms by supporting the organization to provide food as medicine to nourish clients and build community. Currently, she is working towards her Ph.D. from Northcentral University for Organizational Leadership. Her research focuses on encouraging more women into facilities leadership roles.

Staff

Client Services

Anna Irmiter, Community Outreach & Projects Manager
Channing Bendtsen, Client Services Associate
Dayna Adams, Contract Manager & Reporting Specialist
Emily Szeliga, Client Advocate
Isabella Hembre Conditt, Lead Client Services Associate
LaKandis Neal, Client Services Database Coordinator
Miranda Yang, Client Services Associate
Nicola Lowry, Client Services Associate
Sam Ruiz-Zavala, Lead Onboarding Specialist
Sarah Cohen, Nutrition & Compliance Associate

Communications

Delivery & Logistics

Abbey Dibble, Logistics Manager
Esther Young, Delivery Driver & Logistics Associate
Griffen Tull, Delivery Driver & Logistics Associate
KC Finkenbine, Delivery Driver & Logistics Associate
Tony Lusian, Shipping & Logistics Coordinator
Travis Arhart, Delivery Driver & Logistics Associate

Development

HR & Administration

St. Paul Kitchen

Ann Ibarra, Food Services Manager
Eric Wenneson, Packaging Associate
John Murphy, Chef & Volunteer Ambassador
Katie Ralph, Inventory Associate
Maria Carli Johnson, Chef & Volunteer Ambassador
Matthew Fodge, Chef & Volunteer Ambassador
Pierre Tay, Packaging Associate
Ryan Gracie, Chef & Volunteer Ambassador
Shakera Blackwell, Packaging Associate
Tee McKenzie, Dishwasher
Tyree A. Walker, Chef & Volunteer Ambassador
Walter Watkins, Packaging Associate

Minneapolis Kitchen

Andrea Weber, Production Manager
Andy Ramcharan, Dishwasher
Ani Loizzo, Chef & Volunteer Ambassador
Antoine Simon, Chef & Volunteer Ambassador
Desiree Johnson, Lead Kitchen Assistant
Jian Smith, Baker & Volunteer Ambassador
Kenneth Thornton, Kitchen Assistant
Kari Goodwin, Bakery Manager
Kevin Saliger, Packaging Assistant
Lucia Campoverde, Chef & Volunteer Ambassador
Marc Flowers, Dishwasher
Michael Baillie, Logistics & Delivery Associate
Natan Rayman, Food Services Manager
Tony DeMarco, Chef & Volunteer Ambassador
Tracie Dahl, Dishwasher
Zaria Hill, Packaging Associate

Nutrition & Farm

Ashley Kidd, MS, RD, LD, Registered Dietitian
Kalley Meyer, RD, LD, Lead Registered Dietitian
Kelly Wilson, Open Farms Manager
Maddie Holm, MPH, RD, LD, Menu Specialist
Yia Yang, Culturally Specific Meal Project Manager

Volunteer Engagement

Antony Gortarez, Volunteer Engagement Intern/Service-Learning
Jimmy Geary, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator
Julie Huffcutt, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator
Kateri Thooft, Volunteer Engagement & Groups Coordinator
Michael McKay, Manager of Volunteer Engagement
Nate Wingo, Volunteer Engagement & Delivery/Satellite Coordinator
Sarah Vivian, Volunteer Engagement & Administrator Coordinator