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, Interim Board Chair
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-Chair
Nadine Gregerson brings over ten years of communications experience to Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota. Ms. Gregerson works for Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI), an outpatient medical imaging provider with a network of 53 centers that offer diagnostic imaging, pain management and interventional radiology services. Prior to that 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 a Client Direct Analyst 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.
Kathryn J. Lindenfelser, Board Member
Kathryn Lindenfelser serves as volunteer Executive Director and Founder of 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
Jack Roberts, J.D., Board Member
Jack Roberts is the proud father of eight-year old Jessica, a bright and happy little girl who also happens to have a number of life-limiting conditions. Mr. Roberts understands from firsthand experience the value that the Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota home will provide children and their families. He also brings legal and consulting experience to Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota. Mr. Roberts is the founder of Roberts Law, PLLC, where he practices corporate and commercial real estate law. Mr. Roberts also worked for several years as a business and software consultant in the automotive industry and as a Russian linguist and Noncommissioned Officer in the United States Army. He graduated from Hamline University School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree and from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government.
Kevin M. Van Loon, Board Member
Kevin Van Loon is a Managing Consultant 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.
Dawn Grant, CCIM, CPM, RPA, Board Member
Dawn Grant brings extensive experiences in commercial and residential real estate and development to CLM. She is Senior Vice President at Cassidy Turley, a commercial real estate and property management company. In her current capacity there she oversees the entire operations of the property management division. She also serves as 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. In 2004, she was the recipient of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Top 25 Twin Cities Woman Changemakers award. She is a recent former Board member with Crossroads Residential Aftercare, she chaired Cassidy Turley’s Hearts and Hammers project and volunteered at Ronald McDonald House.
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 board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, and board-eligible with the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
Kojo Duncan, Board Member
Kojo Duncan brings advanced information technology skills and experience to Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota (CLM) where he manages the organization's web development, while partnering with the communications team to build awareness of CLM through integrated social media campaigns. Mr. Duncan is Director of Online Services at The Lukens Company. He specializes in the field of online grassroots mobilization and online fundraising by equiping organizations with tools which allow them to mobilize supporters and raise money online. Mr. Duncan has worked with organizations like The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation, The Children’s Miracle Network, National Education Association, Appalachian Trail Conservancy and New York chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Mr. Duncan graduated from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in Economics.
Project Support
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 compiance, 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
William Frommelt, MHA, PT, LAT, River Falls Area Hospital
Chuck Knight, AIA LEED AP, Cannon Design
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
Janelle Peterson, RD, LD, CNSC, Abbott Nutrition
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
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
Fundraising Advisory Council - In Development
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.
Marketing Subcommittee
Kate Huebsch, High Point Creative
Shannon Riley, Public Relations Consultant
Lee Herum, Retail Owner
Anne Schilling, Medtronic
Melissa Johnston, Highland Banks
Nadine Gregerson, CDI
Fundraising Subcommittee
Nancy Wilson, Gillette Children's Foundation
Ann Benrud, Fundraising Consultant
Barb Linquist, Office Depot
Patty Ewings, Ewings & Associates
Teri Davids, Grant writer
*Additional councils to be created in 2012 (families, therapies, inter faith community)