The following individuals serve CLM's mission through the Board of Directors and various Advisory Councils. If you have entrepreneurial experience or proven skills in palliative care, organizational development, marketing, law, accounting or financial management, please don't hesitate to contact us to learn how to get involved in the cause. Cultivating diverse professionals into CLM's professional teams is very important to adapting to the tasks imperative to our mission and strategic plan.

Board of Directors 

James A. Rice, Ph.D., FACHE, Board Chairperson

Dr. Rice brings extensive experience in healthcare policy, governance and strategy development to Children's Lighthouse of Minnesota. He is Executive Vice President at Integrated Healthcare Strategies, where his consulting work is focused on strategic governance, visioning for health care non-profit organizations, leadership development and strategic capital planning. Dr. Rice also serves as vice chairman of The Governance Institute, an organization dedicated to knowledge generation and dissemination via research and education for health system boards and leadership teams.

Nadine M. Gregerson, Board Vice-Chairperson

Nadine Gregerson brings over ten years of communications experience to Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota. Ms. Gregerson is Manager of Digital Marketing with Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI)/Insight Imaging, an outpatient medical imaging provider with a network of centers that offer diagnostic imaging, pain management and interventional radiology services. Mrs. Gregerson served as the Marketing Communications & Design Specialist with Integrated Healthcare Strategies (formerly Clark Consulting), a healthcare consulting and executive benefits design firm dedicated to attracting and retaining the most talented executives. She graduated from St. Cloud State University with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing.

Matthew A. Christensen, Treasurer & Secretary of the Board

Matt Christensen brings insurance and finance experience to Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota. His role as treasurer and secretary of the board includes accounting, financial planning and budgeting activities for the organization. Mr. Christensen currently works as Casualty Marketing-Technical for Hays Companies, an insurance broker in Minneapolis, MN. For the past seven years he has worked for their Commercial Property & Casualty department working on service and marketing activities for clients in various industries. Mr. Christensen graduated from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Finance.

Rick Frommeyer, Board Member

Rick Frommeyer brings over 25 years of business experience to Children's Lighthouse of Minnesota. Rick has spent the past seven years in the health insurance industry. He leads the multi-billion Group Medicare business for Aetna, a Fortune 50 diversified health solutions company. Prior to joining Aetna, Rick held senior leadership roles at UnitedHealth Group's Evercare and OptumHealth businesses. Before entering the healthcare industry, Rick held executive leadership roles at Carlson Marketing Group and Dun & Bradstreet. Rick's nonprofit experience includes serving on the Board of Directors, including the role of Board Chair, for a national organization whose mission is to assist runaway and homeless youth. Rick is a graduate of the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. He and his family reside in St. Paul.

Dawn Grant, CCIM, CPM, RPA, Board Member

Dawn Grant brings extensive experiences in commercial and residential real estate and development to CLM. She is currently Director of Commercial Asset Management of IRET Properties overseeing a portfolio of medical office buildings in the Twin Cities. Dawn is also Senior Vice President of Towle Properties, Inc, an acquisition real estate investment and syndication company having acquired, renovated, and developed $81 million of office, industrial, parking, and retail property. Previously she served as Senior Vice President at Cassidy Turley, a commercial real estate and property management company, where Dawn oversaw operations of the property management division.  In 2004, she was the recipient of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Top 25 Twin Cities Woman Changemakers award. She is on the financial team of Elk River Young Life. Formerly Dawn was a Board member with Crossroads Residential Aftercare, chair of Cassidy Turley’s Hearts and Hammers project and has volunteered at Ronald McDonald House.

Kathryn J. Lindenfelser, Board Member

Kathryn Lindenfelser serves as Executive Director and founded Children's Lighthouse of Minnesota. Through her various experiences as a music and massage therapist serving children and adults in communities around Minnesota and abroad, she believes strongly in bringing children's palliative care and supportive services to children with life-limiting illnesses and their families in our community. 
More information about Katie

Kevin M. Van Loon, Board Member

Kevin Van Loon is a Senior Director with OptumHealth, a leading information and technology-enabled health services business focused on making the health system work better for everyone - helping people live their lives to the fullest. With over 25 years of experience in the health care arena working with employers, health care organizations and insurers, Mr. Van Loon brings expertise to Children's Lighthouse of Minnesota specifically in the areas of data analysis, reimbursement strategies and health care research.

Scott Schwantes, M.D., FAAP, Board Member

Scott Schwantes, M.D., is a pediatrician specializing in pediatric palliative care. He leads Gillette’s pediatric palliative care consultative team. He received his medical degree at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Prior to joining Gillette, he completed a residency with the University of Minnesota’s Department of Pediatrics and a year of fellowship with the Department of Pediatric Critical Care. Dr. Schwantes is double board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

 

 

Project Support 

 

Linda Mahoney, Development Officer

Linda Mahoney serves as a part-time consultant for Children's Lighthouse of Minnesota. A seasoned director and fundraising strategist, she supports the organization's development strategies, focusing on the giving, grants and endowments from corporations, foundations, businesses and individuals. Linda received her education from Upper Iowa University, Fayette, Iowa and St. Thomas University, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Before becoming an independent consultant, she served as Vice President of Advancement for Scholarship of America. Linda has served as an executive director or development officer for other national nonprofits.

 

Thomas S. Schroeder, J.D., Attorney of Record

Tom Schroeder is a partner at Faegre & Benson, where he is responsible for the organization's healthcare and nonprofit group. His practice focuses on health care transactions, regulatory compliance, health information privacy, Medicare/Medicaid issues and tax exemption matters. Tom graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law, Phi Beta Kappa. 

 

Building Advisory Council - In Development

This council provides meaningful direction to CLM's board of directors through review of affairs, relationships, recommendation of strategic actions and provides guidance on the organization's development plans.

Dawn Grant, CCIM, CPM, RPA, Cassidy Turley

Tammera R. Diehm, J.D., Winthrop & Weinstine

James McCaffrey, SIOR, CCIM, Cassidy Turley

Dennis Vonasek, AIA, NCARB, ACHA, CID, HGA

Todd Schilling, JE Dunn

Edward Farr, AIA, Edward Farr Architects, Inc.

Philip Baum, Steiner Construction Services, Inc.

 
 

Clinical Advisory Council

This council is made up of a professional group of people knowledgeable in children's health and wellness needs, dedicated to supporting the mission through collaboration and the sharing of knowledge in an effort to maintain a collaborative relationship with local pediatric organizations and hospitals in our community.

Scott Schwantes, M.D., Medical Director of Palliative Care, Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare

Helen O'Brien, Chaplain, Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare

Emily Lipsitz, M.D., Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist, U of M Amplatz Children's Hospital

Jill Wall, RN, Pediatric Home Service

Tim Culbert, M.D., Ridgeview Medical Center

Jason Albrecht, Child Life Specialist, U of M, Amplatx Children's Hospital

Kirsten Thurmesn, PharmD, Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare

Katie Lindenfelser, MMus, MT-BC, Children's Lighthouse of Minnesota

Marty Sureth, RN, Bayada Pediatrics

Rochelle Nelson Wodarz, RN, MA, PHN, CCM, Bayada Pediatrics

Natalie Wilson, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
 

 

International Advisory Council

This council provides a venue for networking and knowledge sharing among internationally-active players in children's hospice development - with focus on global issues, trends and best practices. Activities of the council include support of CLM's overall mission, including program development, knowledge sharing and support.

Ted Bowman, Trainer/Educator/Grief Counselor

Teri Rose, Medical Outreach, George Mark Children's House

Holly Cotter, Community Liaison, Ryan House

Scott Millard, Connor's House

Jan Aldridge, Clinical Psychologist, Martin House

Ray Kipling, Executive Director, Naomi House

Christopher Reed, Head of Care, Acorns

Janet Will, Director, Dr. Bob's Place

Matt Christensen, Hays Companies, CLM Board Member

 
 

Fundraising Advisory Council

This council provides support to CLM's fundraising and communications strategy, including supporting the cultivation of major donors and organizations in the community through networking and building on personal connections.

Jenny Floria, Gillette Children's Foundation

Scott Mays, UnitedHealth Group

Jonna Hadaway, University of St. Thomas

Kjersti Francis

Ann Marie Woessner-Collins

Julie Soderlund

Sarah McFarland-Harry

Katie Lindenfelser, CLM Executive Director

 

Communications Advisory Council

This council provides support to CLM's fundraising and communications strategy, including supporting the cultivation of major donors and organizations in the community through networking and building on personal connections.

Nadine Gregerson, CDI, CLM Board Member

Shannon Riley, Public Relations Consultant

Kjersti Francis

Michele Benyo

Sarah McFarland-Harry

Melissa Johnston, Highland Banks

Julie Hamilton, Avallo

 

Harmon Killebrew Hospice Home for Kids Fund - Advisory Council

This council provides guidance in ways to grow the fund, to build the home and increase awareness about hospice and respite care overall.

Nita Killebrew

Tony & Gordette Oliva

Rod & Rhonda Carew

Carol LeDoux, Anoka County Board of Commissioners

Jack & Jennifer Morris

Paul & Destini Molitor

Jim Hays, Hays Companies 

Kevin Smith, Minnesota Twins

Bert and Gayle Blyleven

Clyde Doepner, MN Twins Curator

 

*Additional councils to be created (families, therapies, inter faith community)

 

Core Volunteers

Providing support to the organization as a whole in addition to various councils and committees as needed:

Julie Soderlund, Volunteer Outreach Director

Sarah McFarland Harry, Volunteer Project Manager

Shauna Mahle, Volunteer Director

 

Reimbursement Task Force

Kim Simensen, Simensen and Associates

Lois Stevens, Volunteer

Kevin Van Loon, Optum Health, CLM Board Member

Rick Frommeyer, Aetna, CLM Board Member

 

 

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