Leadership
A dedicated leadership team and committed Board of Directors help make it possible for YW to meet urgent community needs.
Ashley Booker
Chief Executive Officer
Neil Erickson
Director of Health & Fitness Center Operations
Stephanie Kilian
Chief Financial Officer
Beatrice Laizer
Director of Housing Programs
Michelle Heyn
Chief Advancement Officer
Martika Lowers
Director of Economic Advancement
Patricia Ogbeide-Ihama
Chief Human Resources & Corporate Relations Officer
To reach our staff by phone, call the front desk at 651-222-3741.
BOARD & COMMITTEE MEMBERS
BOARD OFFICERS
Angela Burns Finney – Board Chair
Industry Lead, US Microsoft Alliance Marketing
Liesl Kistow – Vice Chair
Head of Wealth Management Trust Administration Services & SVP, US Bank
Gretchen Rawdon – Treasurer
Principal Consultant and Executive Coach, Lucere Solutions
Kathleen Marron – Secretary
Chief Engagement Officer, The Marron Alliance
Ashley Booker – Chief Executive Officer, YWCA St. Paul
Members-At-Large
Alison Lehman – Member-At-Large
Senior Managing Counsel – Law & Corporate Compliance, Securian Financial Group
Anika Ward – Member-At-Large
Founder, Sankofa Leadership Network
Charles Bradley – Member-At-Large
Senior Content Specialist, Thomson Reuters
Faith Brandon – Member-At-Large
Global Director of Marketing Training & Talent Development, ECOLAB
Jocelyn Whitfield – Member-At-Large
Retired
Kristin Beckmann – Member-At-Large
Consultant, KLB Consulting
Maya Beecham – Member-At-Large
Program Director for the Economic Ecosystem, The Minneapolis Foundation
Magarita Jules – Member-At-Large
SBA Business Development + Loan Officer, First Bank & Trust
Mara Ascheman – Member-At-Large
RVP, Rates & Regulatory Affairs, Xcel Energy
Yohuru Williams – Member-At-Large
Distinguished University Chair, Professor of History and Founding Director of the Racial Justice Initiative, University of St. Thomas
PROGRAMS COMMITTEE
Charles Bradley – Chair – Senior Content Specialist, Thomson Reuters
Alison Lehman – Vice Chair – Senior Managing Counsel – Law & Corporate Compliance, Securian Financial Group
Robin Hickman – CEO and Executive Producer, SoulTouch Productions
Susan Bou-Rodrigues – Supervisor, Customer Benefit Payments, Securian Financial
Yohuru Williams – Distinguished University Chair, Professor of History and Founding Director of the Racial Justice Initiative, University of St. Thomas
FUNDRAISING & DONOR DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Maya Beecham – Chair – Program Director for the Economic Ecosystem, The Minneapolis Foundation
Liesl Kistow – Vice Chair – Head of Wealth Management Trust Administration Services & SVP, US Bank
Emily Bisek – Senior Crisis Communications Manager, Target
Laura Gerde – Program Project Management Consultant, Securian Financial
Deanna Adams-Strother – Member
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Kathleen Marron – Chair – Chief Engagement Officer, The Marron Alliance
Faith Brandon – Vice Chair – Global Director of Marketing Training & Talent Development, ECOLAB
Barb Tretheway – Retired SVP and General Counsel, HealthPartners
Julie Brunner – Board Chair, Wilder Foundation
Phyllis Goff – Retired Chief of Staff, Hamline University
FINANCE, AUDIT & COMPLIANCE COMMITTEE
Gretchen Rawdon – Chair – Principal Consultant and Executive Coach, Lucere Solutions
Magarita Jules – Vice Chair – SBA Business Development + Loan Officer, First Bank & Trust
Jason Brisson – Commercial Loan Officer, Choice Bank
Jocelyn Whitfield – Retired
Margaret Kelly – Deputy Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Health