CLARE HOUSING - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Supportive Housing Case Manager
Job Titles:
- Coordinator
- Intake Coordinator
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- Vice President of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Human Resources Specialist
Job Titles:
- Community Care Homes Compliance Specialist
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- Professor of Political Science Currently at Carleton College
Brian Harrison (he/him), is a professor of political science currently at Carleton College, previously with the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, with a research focus that includes political communication, LGBTQ politics, and public opinion.
Job Titles:
- Supportive Services Manager
Job Titles:
- Data and Volunteer Resources Specialist
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- Organizational Learning and Development Consultant. a Fellow
Dr. Louellen Essex is an organizational learning and development consultant. A Fellow of the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management's Executive Education Center, she specializes in leadership, communication, team building, and conflict resolution.
Her interest in Clare Housing stems from two factors: the desire to make an impact on the issues of homelessness and housing, and her confidence in the fitness of Clare Housing's operations. Essex looks forward to using her skills in leadership and organizational development to ensure the Clare Housing continues to be effectively managed and positioned to serve the community in the future.
Previously, Essex has volunteered to do development work with the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic. She has written and published several books on leadership and strategic management and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota where she studied educational administration, psychology, and communication.
Job Titles:
- Supportive Housing Case Manager
Job Titles:
- Scattered Site Housing Case Manager
Job Titles:
- Supportive Services Manager
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Supportive Housing Case Manager
Job Titles:
- Director of Supportive Services
Job Titles:
- President of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Senior Supportive Services Manager
Clare Housing welcomes Brian Harrison as one of three new Board Members in 2022!
Brian, can you tell us what interested you in serving on the Board of Directors (BOD) for Clare Housing?
Public policy can be really complicated and sometimes that complexity means things don't get done. If a plan isn't 100% perfect or doesn't address absolutely everything that needs addressing, some folks throw up their hands and choose inaction. I am thoroughly impressed with Clare Housing doing just the opposite: tackling multi-pronged issues head-on, not being intimidated by the need to walk a complicated path to better health and life outcomes for people living with HIV/AIDS. From my interactions with the staff and a few board members, it's a well-run, thoughtful organization that I'm very proud to be a small part of.
Although John's work often takes him out of town and out of the country, the Twin Cities is where John feels most at home. He grew up in Richfield, MN in a tight knit family of eight. John became involved in non-profits while in college. He worked at the Children's Theatre Company where he later served on the board of directors for over a decade. His commitment to helping non-profits expanded from there. When asked to explain how he has managed such time-consuming and numerous volunteer commitments on top of a busy career John explains, "Once I got started, I was getting so much out of what I was doing that I kept doing it."
He became involved in the work of Clare Housing by volunteering to make dinner once a month at Grace House I. His family attends St. Joan of Arc and was aware of the parish's work to open Grace House in the old rectory. Church leaders called on the congregants to help out. He loves to bake and figured he could cook well enough, so he signed up. He later joined the board of directors and served as the chair of the board for many years.
When asked what moments in Grace House history were special to him he said, "I have had really incredible nights there." One was during a period when John was working in Chippewa Falls, WI for Cray Research. A family member of one of the residents came through the kitchen one evening and both men were surprised to realize they knew each other from Cray. The father, Ray Thul, was deeply touched to know that someone from his work-world, far from the cities, was here cooking dinner for his son. He described how touching it was to serve the entire family at dinner one night. "I made two big casseroles and passed on the recipe to Ray's wife MaryAnne. It was incredible to pull this recipe card out of my pocket, in my mother's hand-writing, and pass it on to a mother whose son was so ill" said John. John's relationship with the Thul family grew from there as Ray and MaryAnne continued to stay involved in Grace House's work long after their son passed away.
Today the residents know him as the guy who always has the cookies baking while they are eating dinner. "I think it's nice for everyone to be able to smell them and know there will be warm cookies for dessert."
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Iron Moon Media & Consulting
Rachel Robinson has made a career out of her personal mission to help everyone have access to affordable housing. Currently, she is the founding manager of the NOAH Impact Fund of the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund. There she helps secure resources to preserve existing unsubsidized affordable housing.
After serving for two years on the Asset Management Committee, Rachel now is looking forward to her tenure on the board. She will apply her skills and knowledge in housing development, finance, and nonprofit management to make board decisions both effective and sustainable. In addition to her passion for housing, Rachel also has a long commitment to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which first began in 2000 with an internship in Melbourne, Australia. Since then, she has worked in and contributed to efforts to end homelessness in Minnesota
Rachel has a master's degree from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and an undergraduate degree from Macalester College.
Job Titles:
- Supportive Services Manager
Job Titles:
- Community Care Homes Manager
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- Member of the Board
- Retired
Soon Mark was coming early or staying late to tackle weeds in the yard, and was often joined by resident Vicki who loves the garden, being outside and sharing her stories! Fall came and Mark enlisted a group of friends to join him for Saturday leaf raking; he became the grounds keeper. "I would love it if I lived down the street and could just stop in whenever to do a bit. It grounds me as well." On one occasion, Mark brought a new set of dishes with him. "The dishes and cutlery get a lot of hard use with the multiple volunteers and staff. I just helped spruce up the kitchen a bit!"
Job Titles:
- Supportive Housing Case Manager
Job Titles:
- Supportive Housing Case Manager