Staff and Board

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.

As Director of New Business Development and Continuing Education at St. Catherine University, 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.

Born in a Christian household in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jireh has always been passionate about serving others in any way possible. He is new to OSCS as an organization, but he is not new to the fantastic work OSCS has been doing for the community. Jireh is a member of the Rotary Club of Minneapolis, a non-profit organization that partners with organizations like OSCS locally and worldwide to serve the community. Jireh is excited and eager to learn more about the OSCS and the impact it has been making in changing the lives of ordinary people locally and those who come from abroad and make our city their home. Jireh comes with an extensive amount of experience in fundraising and relationship building. Jireh is inspired daily by his wife and their two children. In his free time, Jireh enjoys playing basketball and practicing his Minnesota slang words such as Uff-da, Dontcha, and You-Betcha.

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.

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Dereck is a strategic HR leader and internal consultant with experience in education, retail operations, health care, and manufacturing. Dereck has a track record as an HR business partner collaborating with hiring managers across multiple locations and business units. As a thought leader, Dereck leads strategy design in talent acquisition, training, and talent development. Dereck is skilled in research and policy analysis, developing positive work teams, Implementing technology-driven change management initiatives, and improving employee engagement. Dereck is a results-oriented individual committed to effectively deploying the strengths and talents of the diverse teams Dereck leads. Dereck is an effective strategic leader and an exceptional communicator of change management processes who leverages technology to smoothen business operations to achieve business goals.

Travis wanted to join this board due to the fact that his experience with helping individuals that experienced hardships in their life were assisted by OSCS, by being housed and helped to stabilize their lives. His professional life has been to serve those that needed hope and guidance to services that would assist them in their life changes, one of those services Travis utilized was OSCS and they showed care and compassion throughout.

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.

Reika (Lay-kah) became involved with OSCS in 2010 volunteering as an English Teacher for beginning English learners, which also became the catalyst for furthering her vocation in the nonprofit sector. She brings over 7 years of experience in fundraising, event planning and database management, as well as in direct service. She previously worked for the International Institute of Minnesota, Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and Headwaters Foundation for Justice. She currently works for Gender Justice, a legal and public advocacy nonprofit dedicated to advancing gender equity through the law. As a first-generation immigrant, Reika calls both Minnesota and Saitama, Japan her home, and is deeply inspired by the experiences of immigrants and refugees in the Twin Cities. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, gardening, and taking photos of her cat, Odie, and sharing them with everyone.

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.

James feels drawn to organizations that provide human services out of the simple Gospel call to care for the needs of the neighbor, the stranger, the person in need. As a member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, he frequently describes how the congregation served as a birthing center for OSCS. He’s most passionate about the way the English Learning Center assists those who come to the U.S. with no English language knowledge and opens up a “new world” for them.

James has spent his career in Lutheran higher education at two colleges and as a member of the churchwide staff, in roles as varied as a college professor of chemistry, a college’s chief academic officer, a churchwide staff member who advocated on behalf of church-related higher education, and as a college’s chief development officer. He joined the OSCS board in April 2019.