Staff and Board

Angela was drawn to OSCS because it combines two branches of service that are personally meaningful to her. Growing up in SE Asia among refugees and immigrants cemented her commitment to advocating on behalf of these populations. Angela has also worked with people experiencing homelessness and is convinced that homelessness can be solved through evidence-based, compassionate, and person-centered programs like Our Saviour’s. She appreciates that OSCS is truly of the community, responding to the direct needs of our neighbors in South Minneapolis, while also advocating for equity, sustainable solutions, and lasting change.

Angela is Interprofessional Continuing Education Director at the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education at the University of Minnesota, providing resources and support to health care teams. Her background is in nonprofit administration, workforce development, and homeless and veteran’s services. Angela holds a Master’s of Public Health Administration and Policy from the University of Minnesota and has served on the OSCS board since February, 2015.

Craig has a nerdy passion for efficient, well-run organizations that serve the common good—which makes OSCS a perfect fit! He joined the board to support the people delivering and receiving transformative services. For years, Craig and a group of friends have also provided meals at the shelter, and this remains a rewarding, bonding experience. He would like to tell others to not be fooled by the churchy name. All are welcome. All can serve. All can receive. No exceptions.

In his professional life, Craig is a freelance theater artist working as an actor, director, writer, and teacher at many area theaters. He has served as Congregational President of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church and Vice President and Chair of the Minneapolis Area Synod Council (ELCA). He is the former director of the James J. Hill House in St. Paul. Craig has served on the OSCS board since April 2018.

Nick was introduced to OSCS through a former board member. He quickly learned that the organization is full of passionate and humble people who truly believe in the mission, and he’s honored to offer his own insights and expertise. Nick appreciates that OSCS is a diverse organization providing tools and opportunities to people in many situations. He’s most passionate about combatting homelessness and seeking to give individuals a safe and stable environment, especially as the problem continues to grow across Minnesota.

Nick holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School and has three years of experience in business and regulatory law, as well as in tax and finance. Prior to moving to Minnesota in 2015, Nick participated in various non-profit organizations, including faith-based ministries. Nick has served on the OSCS board since March 2019.

Martha joined the OSCS board in 2021. She first got involved with OSCS 10 years ago when she offered a weekly spirituality circle for OSH shelter residents, which she was inspired to offer after working with adults experiencing homelessness in Tacoma, WA. She is honored to serve on the board and is eager to discern how the Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church congregation can keep supporting all the good work that OSCS does in the community. She is most passionate about how OSCS walks alongside community members in its programs in dignity-affirming ways, equipping folks with the skills they need for resilience and agency in their lives. She is inspired by the ways OSCS has worked hard to adapt and reimagine its programs to serve the expressed needs of its students and residents during the pandemic.

Martha has served as a pastor at Our Saviour’s since 2017. She brings a discerning spirit, a passion for antiracism and justice work, and congregational and community connections to the board. She lives in North Minneapolis with her husband Sam and 2 children.

Katie has spent 20+ years and counting working in affordable housing development, specifically working with nonprofit organizations on the development of new housing and preservation of existing housing. She is particularly drawn to the work, projects and organizations that can most effectively support and serve individuals with the lowest incomes and highest potential housing barriers. She looks forward to the opportunity to contributing her technical affordable housing knowledge to OSCS’s growth, evolution, and success. At the same time, Katie humbly aims to broaden her perspective and knowledge on the hard work that community-based organizations such as OSCS do to positively impact its community and individual lives.

Katie has always integrated volunteering into her life in various ways. In addition, to her OSCS Board service, she is currently a volunteer English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom instructor with Lyndale Neighborhood Association (LNA) in Minneapolis and hopes that work can also be an asset to OSCS.

Katie is a native of the Twin Cities area but spent multiple years in both Washington DC and Chicago and returned to the area in 2017. She has a graduate degree in Urban Planning from the University of Minnesota.

​

Jenny’s personal and professional interests align well with the mission and vision of OSCS, including a dedication to justice through compassionate support rooted in mutual respect. Jenny has worked at local nonprofits in multiple roles, including at a homeless shelter for women and children, as a home visitor working with formerly unhoused families, and as a program manager for a community organization responding to the needs of people experiencing crisis. Because of her experience, Jenny believes that dignified housing is a fundamental need and that our local systems and policies will best serve our community if they are also based in this view.

Jenny holds graduate degrees in Social Work and Public Policy from the University of Minnesota. In addition to what she’s learned through her work, her perspective is influenced by the importance of using both existing research as well as the authentic input of program participants when making decisions about programs and policies.

Tezra originally became involved with OSCS in 2014 as a volunteer teacher at the English Learning Center. After a few years of volunteering, she realized that she loved teaching English to immigrants and refugees so much that she decided to change careers and go to school to become a licensed English Language teacher. Now, she serves on the board because she believes the work OSCS does is important and makes a difference during vulnerable times in people’s lives. She likes feeling inspired and being part of a force for good in the world. She also believes that those who serve at OSCS are changed just as much as those who are served.

Tezra has a Master’s in Social Work and a Master’s in Education. She has worked in nonprofits directly with clients, as well as in fundraising. She currently works full time as an English Language teacher. Tezra has served on the OSCS board since April 2019.

Tom, new with OSCS as of July 2022, is ready to serve and expects to learn a great deal along the way. He has been attending Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities with his wife for roughly three decades, where they have sung in the choir for much of that time.

He’s traveled from a rural background in Montana to an urban experience at Macalester College in St. Paul, followed by a career in Engineering, working primarily with fluids and automation here in the Twin Cities.

As an Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Carrie partners with local non-profits and employers in the Phillips neighborhood to advance the work of social justice, human dignity, inclusion and workforce development. Her most recent work has focused on initiatives and education around the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Epidemic in Minnesota. She is eager to continue to deepen her commitment to the work of human dignity by supporting the populations that OSCS serves.

Carrie has worked in higher education for twenty years. She has taught composition, communications, literature, and digital literacy at Boston University, Harvard Extension School and Saint Mary’s University. Her student-centered approach to instruction and course design emphasizes inclusive practices that empower faculty and students to embrace the opportunities for creativity, innovation and collaboration that diversity fosters. Her research interests include knowledge acquisition and inclusivity in the digital age, psychometric assessment practices, and the role metacognition plays in inclusive teaching and learning. She received her MA in English and her Ed.D. in Postsecondary Teaching and Learning.