Our Board

Ivan Ludmer, President

Ivan Ludmer is an assistant city attorney for the City of Minneapolis. Ivan has been on the board since 2018 and is now Vice President. He serves meals at the shelter, volunteers with Art 4 Shelter, and looks forward to taking on more active roles with the tutoring and mentoring programs. Read more.

Lee Thoresen, Vice President

Serving as Senior Counsel, Head of Regulatory and Transactional at RBC Wealth Management, Lee Thoreson has been practicing corporate and securities law for more than 20 years.  She is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Berkeley School of Law.  Read more:

Malissa Adams, Secretary

Malissa Adams is a racial equity expert with a passion for coaching leaders. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY where she was inspired by her parents to pursue a career in the non-profit industry. Read more.

Victor Okoye, Treasurer

Bio and photo coming soon.

John Green, Former President

John Green works for Ameriprise Financial and has over 20 years of experience in Financial Services and Human Resources, with strong ties to the community and corporate sector.  He is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard, serving as a Presidential Honor Guard under President George H. W. Bush. He joined the board in 2015 and is currently President. Read more:

Dan Griep

Dan has been working in the financial services industry for over 25 years.  He delivers comprehensive wealth management by assisting clients with financial and income planning, estate planning, charitable giving, legacy planning, debt management, and insurance. Read more:

Patricia Harmon

Patricia Harmon worked for more than 30 years in nonprofit leadership as an executive director. Most recently, she was the executive director of CornerHouse, a child advocacy center in Minneapolis. She has her Master of Social Work with a specialization in leadership and program development. Read more:

Raegan Henderson

Raegan Henderson joined the board in 2021.  She is the Diversity & Inclusion Manager at Dorsey & Whitney LLP.  With over five years of experience in diversity, equity and inclusion, she is responsible the recruitment, retention and advancement of diverse attorneys and staff in her firm. Read More.

Jill LaViolette

Megan Mahony

Dominic McQuerry

Dominic McQuerry is a policy and systems change professional with a passion for supporting people’s lives and livelihoods, specifically around the issues of housing, healthcare, democracy, and more. Read more.

John Nolan

Steve Proeschel

Steve Proeschel recently retired after 30 years as an investment banker at Piper Sandler (formerly Piper Jaffray). There, he served as Managing Director for the Public Finance Healthcare Group and was a member of the Public Finance Operating Committee. Prior to his work at Piper Sandler, he served as an Assistant to the Mayor for Saint Paul Mayor George Latimer. Read more.

Jan Russell

Kim Senn

Kim Senn is a designer, illustrator, and entrepreneur with an extensive background in global branding and advertising. Her design studio Senn & Sons creates colorful artwork, stationery, gifts, and home goods for creative families everywhere, striving to bring a little bit of joy to everyday life through partnerships and products that are both beautiful and useful. Read more:  

Tony Szczepaniak

Tony assumed the role of global CEO at LEA Global/The Leading Edge Alliance (LEA) in May 2020. As CEO, Tony leads the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the international accounting association, focusing on membership best practices, cohesiveness, collaboration, and growth. Read more:  

Don Vermillion

Audra Williams

Audra Williams is a senior real estate attorney at Ryan Companies U.S. Inc. and has been practicing law for nearly 20 years.  An art lover who is passionate about ending homelessness, Audra has been involved with Simpson for 10 years, attending and participating in the planning of Art 4 shelter. Read more:    

Mirja Hanson

Mirja is Principal and CEO of M.P. Hanson Associates, Inc., affiliate of Millennia Consulting LLC in Chicago, IL and has served as a facilitator and management consultant for 40 years. Mirja is an author, adjunct professor at the University of Saint Thomas, and Founding Member/Past Chair of the International Association of Facilitators, Emeritus Honorary Consul General for Japan at Minneapolis. Read More

Gary and Karen Kirt

Gary Larson

Bishop Bruce R. Ough

Bishop Bruce Ough is the resident bishop of the Dakotas-Minnesota Area of The United Methodist Church where he has served since September 1, 2012, coming from the West Ohio Area where he was assigned as bishop for 12 years. Before his election and consecration as a bishop in July 2000, Bishop Ough was appointed in the Iowa Conference, the North Indiana Conference and in the Dakotas. Read More

Dan Poorman

Dan Poorman is owner and general manager of Dan's Nicollet Car Wash located in South Minneapolis. This followed a career in finance, marketing, and sales at General Mills, Inc. Dan also recently served as a founding member of Arise Project at Greater Twin Cities United Way. Read More

Patrick Arden Wood