Dear Face to Face Friend, This week, I had the honor of advocating for our children and families alongside National Women’s Shelter Network partners, Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum, and even Gloria Estefan!
Join us on June 14, 2025, from 12–8 p.m. at St. Paul Pride (725 Raymond Ave, St Paul, MN 55114) for Out & Proud at St. Paul Pride! Celebrate being out and proud with Face to Face at a day filled with joy, connection, and celebration for LGBTQ+ youth and their families.
Did you know a sense of belonging can transform both mental and physical health? Research shows it’s one of the most powerful factors in our wellbeing – and we see this truth every day at Face to Face.
I’m excited to personally invite you to a unique and meaningful event: Together at the Table: An Ethiopian Dining Experience with Friends of Face to Face, taking place on Thursday, September 19, 2024,…
As the Holiday season approaches, we’re excited to invite you to join us in bringing joy to the youth we support and their young children. Here are ways to get involved this holiday season: December Holiday Needs: – Donate Holiday Gift Bags Donate items for holiday gift bags (or complete gift bags): $25 Target or […]
We welcome you to the table.
Join the Friends of Face to Face for Together at the Table: One Table, Many Stories — a fundraising celebration of culture, resilience, and the power of youth shared through meals, stories, and hope in uncertain times.
I’m excited to personally invite you to a unique and meaningful event: Together at the Table: An Ethiopian Dining Experience with Friends of Face to Face, taking place on Thursday, September 19, 2024,…
At Face to Face, we’ve been dedicated to investing in youth for decades. It’s been an incredible journey, filled with countless stories of resilience, hope, and transformation…
At Face to Face, we’ve been dedicated to investing in youth for decades. It’s been an incredible journey, filled with countless stories of resilience, hope, and transformation…
Hello Face to Face Friend!
I’d be honored if you would join us for our Face to Face Day Celebration on Monday, April 28, 2025, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Deena M. Zubulake
Deena M. Zubulake is the Chief Impact Officer at Face to Face and a Community Faculty Instructor in the Youth Studies Program at the University of Minnesota. With more than 25 years of experience, she is a seasoned leader dedicated to advancing equity and improving outcomes for youth and families.
Throughout her career, Deena has championed innovative programs that support young people and families navigating crisis. She is known for building strategies that amplify youth voice, strengthen communities, and address systemic inequities. She brings deep expertise in strategic planning, program development, and community engagement, with a strong commitment to advancing social justice.
Prior to her current role, Deena served as a Senior Program Officer at the Pohlad Family Foundation and Director of Programs at YWCA St. Paul. She holds a master’s degree in Education with a focus on Youth Development Leadership from the University of Minnesota.
Alex Klein
Lauren Reynolds
Lauren is the Associate Director of External Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Partnerships at UnitedHealth Group (UHG). As a leader on the Global DEI team at UHG, Lauren leads the DEI partnership strategy for the company. This includes fostering strategic relationships, both internal and external, and leveraging these partnerships to convert diverse candidates to new UHG employees. Prior to joining UnitedHealth Group, Lauren was Director of Diversity Recruitment and Retention at the Minnesota Department of Human Services from 2015 – 2022. At DHS, Lauren led a comprehensive diversity recruitment and retention strategy that focused on embedding diversity, equity and inclusion.
An Indiana native, Lauren earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Indiana University-Bloomington and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University, specializing in Human Resources Management. Lauren is an active community leader, serving also as a member of the Ramsey County Workforce Innovation Board. Lauren was selected as a 2020 Honoree by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal for Women in Business.
Marcelus Ifonlaja
Marcelus Ifonlaja is a finance graduate of Metro State University with over a decade of experience in nonprofit programming and leadership. He has held roles with organizations including the Science Museum of Minnesota, LeadMN, Students United, and Foster Advocates. Currently at Neighborhood Development Center, Marcelus supports economic development initiatives for underrepresented communities.
His advocacy work includes championing mental health resources for students and testifying in support of the North Star Promise Act. Marcelus brings a unique perspective shaped by lived experience and a commitment to social justice, particularly for Black and Brown youth and those impacted by housing instability. He is a member of the MN Promise Act Team, helping direct $72 million in grant funding to local businesses.
Peter Peterson
Laura Straw (she/her) comes to Face to Face with a strong background in non-profit accounting, administration and IT. A Certified Non-Profit Accounting professional, Laura has worked in the capacity of Controller for several non-profit, government, and for-profit businesses. With a passion for housing, and racial and social justice, Laura spent twelve years as Executive Director of the Housing & Redevelopment Authority of Bemidji expanding the capacity to serve the low-income, very low income, and unhoused population to three counties in northern Minnesota.
Stephanie (she/her) has been with Face to Face in various roles since 2016. Her current role is to oversee Face to Face’s administrative functions so other staff can focus their energy on our clients. She manages IT, HR, data management, facilities, and public funding. Stephanie has 20 years of nonprofit experience in areas ranging from youth work to human trafficking.
Hanna Getachew-Kreusser has been with Face to Face since 2015 leading programs. She assumed her current position leading the organization in 2018 after a comprehensive national search.
With over 25 years of nonprofit administration experience, Hanna Getachew-Kreusser is a visionary leader whose career reflects a steadfast commitment to equity, innovation, and community transformation. With a distinguished record of service and recognition, she has consistently demonstrated the power of inclusive leadership to drive systemic change.
At Face to Face, Hanna has led with vision and strategy through unprecedented times. Under her direction, the organization has grown, expanding services to meet the needs of the community, including increasing youth housing from 16 to 80 units, and now serves over 5,100 youth annually. During the pandemic and the reckoning following George Floyd’s murder, Face to Face not only sustained but expanded essential services. Today, Hanna leads the development of a 24-unit deeply affordable housing project, with 22% of the $14 million goal already raised.
Hanna is known not only for vision but for execution—mobilizing partners, resources, and systems.
Hanna is an active community leader, engaged in working to change systems that negatively impact marginalized communities. She believes in developing meaningful partnerships to get to the root causes of the problems communities strive to resolve.
Beyond Face to Face, she co-founded REAL, Inc., a nonprofit strengthening African communities through healing, connection, and empowerment. She also serves as a Qualified Neutral Restorative Mediator for the State of Minnesota, is Mental Health Practitioner, and a soon-to-be Adverse Childhood Experience, ACE Interface Trainer—bridging systems change with personal healing.
Currently serving on the Workforce Innovation Board of Ramsey County, Hanna brings strategic insight to regional workforce development, ensuring that economic growth is both equitable and sustainable. Her long-standing roles on Boards and Commissions including St. Paul Ramsey County Community Health Advisory Committee underscores her dedication
to community well-being. As a member of the Ramsey County (Re)Imagining Justice for Youth leadership team, she works to reframe youth justice through a lens of compassion, opportunity, and empowerment.
Her leadership and impact have been recognized by Twin Cities Business Magazine “Notable BIPOC Executive”, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal “Black Leaders You Should Know”, and the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota “Rest Up Award”. She has also been featured in the Pioneer Press, Finance & Commerce, VoyageMinnesota, KARE 11, WCCO-TV, and The Imprint for insights on youth empowerment, housing, and community resilience.
Hanna’s leadership has earned widespread acclaim. She was named one of the Black Leaders You Should Know by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and recognized as a Notable BIPOC Executive by Twin Cities Business Magazine in 2023. Her commitment to mentorship and advocacy was honored with the Excellence in Multicultural Mentoring Award at the African Mental Health Summit, and she received the Rest Up Award from the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota for her work advancing gender and racial equity.
Hanna is a committed leader of social change globally. Her visionary leadership includes strategic direction setting, business acumen, creativity, innovation, and acute interest in learning and curiosity for transforming communities. Her voice and vision have been featured across
major media platforms, including KARE 11, WCCO-TV, Finance & Commerce, and the Pioneer Press, where she has spoken on critical issues such as deeply affordable housing, youth empowerment, and community resilience. She has also contributed to national conversations as a panelist for the National Women’s Shelter Network, sharing insights on engaging and empowering young adults in transitional housing programs.
Hanna’s leadership is not only recognized—it is deeply rooted in action. Her work continues to inspire and mobilize others toward a more just, inclusive, and hopeful future.
Laura Whipple
Alan Thometz is a corporate finance executive with extensive experience in commercial and investment banking, private equity, and mergers and acquisitions. He has advised clients in dozens of transactions totaling over $1.0 billion and specializes in valuations and cross-border transactions. In 2011, he lived in Beijing as a director of transaction advisory services for Grant Thornton. He recently retired from teaching at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. He has served on several for-profit and nonprofit Boards. Alan and his wife, Claire, served in the Peace Corps in Tunisia and have two daughters.
Dennis Cross
Laverne McCartney Knighton is Area Development Director for UNCF (United Negro College Fund Inc.), the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization offering scholarships and opportunities to over a half million Black students in our country. She oversees fundraising, scholarship program development, and external relations to benefit UNCF’s 37 member private, historically black colleges and universities and area students in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and North and South Dakota.
She is a native Texan, “a child of the 60s and a child of segregation”, raised in the small rural town of Doucette, Texas. 1n 1968 of her eighth-grade year, she was one of the first Black students bussed from an all-black school to an all-white school across town to test desegregation. After integration was mandated in 1969 by Texas law and the school was fully integrated, Laverne went on to become the first African American valedictorian to graduate in 1973.
Laverne was recruited to Minnesota in 1978 upon graduation from University of Houston where she earned her BS degree in Consumer Science & Merchandising to start her career in retail fashion merchandising with Dayton Hudson Corporation. She returned to Houston, Texas in 1980 where she adapted her career
goals to work in the oil and gas industry for seven years with Panhandle Eastern Pipeline. As destiny would have it, she was recruited back to Minnesota in 1987 to continue in the field of fashion where she was a buyer for ten years with Dayton’s/Marshall Fields.
In pursuit of her passion to serve community and to make a difference, Laverne spent seven years as Public Information and Education Manager for Tubman Family Alliance, a domestic violence organization where she built community partnerships and created public awareness about the issue.
Laverne is also an experienced corporate leader having spent 13 years at Target Corporation in Community Relations/Corporate Social Responsibility where she helped advance Target’s reputation as a leader in education, arts, and diversity. She early retired in 2013 but returned to the nonprofit sector in 2014 as Program Director for The BrandLab where she led and managed an initiative to provide diverse high school students exposure, access, and opportunity to careers in marketing and advertising.
Laverne believes that service equals an authentic and deep connection to community. Whether as a volunteer, mentor, or board member, she serves with diligence, commitment, and enthusiasm. She is an expert connector and collaborator, a passionate ally and advocate for community building and engagement.
Laverne made a bold move in June 2020 and stepped into the arena of politics. In answering the call for change in response to the murder of George Floyd, Laverne was one of forty African American women recruited by Black Women Rising who stepped up to say “no more!” Laverne ran for Minnesota State Senator District 65 against a 30-year incumbent. With just eight weeks leading up to an August 11th Primary, Laverne ran a fast and furious campaign in hopes of winning a majority to be a new voice and new choice on the November General Election ballot. Although she did not win the Primary, she garnered over 36% of the votes as a first-time candidate and put the powers that be on notice that the status quo was no longer acceptable. Her platform addressed the need for changes in systemic racism, public safety reform and bringing much needed and long overdue diversity to the State Senate. Laverne was featured on MSNBC Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, Elle Magazine, BBC News, Pioneer Press, MPR News with Angela Davis, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, Insight News.
Laverne serves as an External Advisor to Governor Tim Walz’s Community Resiliency and Recovery work group to address racial inequalities, and disparities due to COVID-19 and to look at policymaking and other opportunities to help communities of color. She was appointed in 2017 to Governor Mark Dayton’s Young Women’s Initiative Council working to improve equity for young women living with the greatest disparities in Minnesota.
In 2019 Laverne was recognized as a Woman of Excellence at the Celebrating The Sistas Award Ceremony in recognition of her outstanding leadership, contributions and commitment to the Twin Cities community. In 2021, she was honored as a Path Finder and featured in the Minnesota African American Heritage Calendar. She has been recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as one of 200 Black Leaders in the Twin Cities region and as a 2021 Notable BIPOC Executive.
Laverne is actively involved in local chapters of professional national service organizations: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, The Links, Incorporated and The Girl Friends, Incorporated. She currently serves on the boards of Face to Face and Black Women Rising.
She is an Alumni of Leadership Saint Paul and has served as Advisory Board Member for Cedar Riverside People’s Center, YWCA of St. Paul and Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center. She is a former Board Member of Summit University Planning Council, APEX Charter School and various arts organizations. She
has also served as an active member of Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy, Minnesota Blacks in Philanthropy and Donors Forum and is currently a member of Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. She has served as Graduation Coach for Achieve Minneapolis, Reading Tutor for Reading Corps and mentor for Girls Taking Action and Project Diva. An avid reader since childhood, she has been a member of Our Book Club for the past 35 years.
Laverne resides in St. Paul with her husband of 28 years, Russell Knighton. They have three children -Jason, Kymba, Jaraux and six grandchildren. Laverne and Russell are proud members of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Minneapolis.
Cathy Lambert has over 25+ years in the field of Human Resources and Talent Development. She has recently retired and her last role was as SVP, Human Resources of Global Talent for Ecolab. In this role, she had responsibility for Ecolab’s talent management practices, learning & development programs along with employee engagement and leading Ecolab’s global talent acquisition organization. She has held multiple different roles at Ecolab including leading the HR team for Global Supply Chain with over 12, 000 employees in countries across the world. She has supported multiple business units in Ecolab as well as had the role of director, Culture & Inclusion where she was responsible for driving employee engagement programs, work-life flexibility programs and employee resource groups. She received her undergraduate degree in Business Economics and French Literature from University of California Santa Barbara.
Jeremy joined the Face to Face Board of Directors in September 2021. He brings 25 years of service with the St. Paul Police Department and is currently the commander of the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Unit, where he oversees enforcement, outreach, and partnerships to improve pedestrian and traffic safety. He holds an M.A. in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of St. Thomas and is known for building strong community relationships and serving residents in need.
Sofia is a Family Physician with over 25 years of experience in community clinics and community medicine in the Twin Cities, including serving briefly as Medical Director at Face to Face in 1997. In addition to her clinical work, Sofia holds a Master of Public Health degree. She believes the understanding of public health is imperative and provides a different lens through which to view health care. Sofia is passionate about working with patients to promote health rather than just treating illness and disease. She currently works as a Family Physician at NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center. She has also worked as a consultant on several clinic systems change projects in clinics in and beyond Minnesota. Her public health experience has included serving as a consulting physician for the Asthma Program at the Minnesota Department of Health, Statewide Health Improvement Program, (Hennepin and Ramsey Counties) and the Controlling Asthma in American Cities Project of the American Lung Association. Sofia received her BS from the American University (Washington DC), MD from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and MPH from the University of Minnesota. She did her residency in Community Oriented Family Medicine at St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center.
Peter joined Face to Face’s Board of Directors in 2021, and has been serving on the 50th Anniversary committee previous to joining the board. He spent his career leading physician education and medical writing programs at medical device companies Medtronic and Guidant. Peter has served on Boards which provide medical care, counseling, affordable housing options, and supportive services to adults living with HIV/Aids. He is also a member of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra’s Board of Governors. Peter excels developing goals and objectives to drive the organization forward and then creating messaging and plans to reach those goals.
