Below are the names and responses of the applicants applying to join the Board of Directors. Responses to the questions are in bold.
Eric Hoffer
Why are you interested in WCNO? Because being on the board the last few years has been great!
Why are interested in serving on a board? Do you have any previous board, leadership, volunteer experience? Are you presently serving on any boards? I have loved my first term on the board, and still feel that I can tribute to WCNO’s mission and serving the neighborhood.
What kind of special skills or expertise can you offer: fundraising, HR, legal, finances, business, PR, technology, advocacy or other to contribute to WCNO’s mission? HR. Technology. Advocacy. Direct service. Documentation.
Do you have any special interests or insights that might benefit the board/organization? Food. Partnership building.
Paul Arllen
Why are you interested in WCNO? I am interested in maintaining a line of communication between WCNO and the Hamilton Manor community, now that Ms.Sheree Breedlove is vacating her seat on the board.
Why are interested in serving on a board? Do you have any previous board, leadership, volunteer experience? Are you presently serving on any boards? I have never served on a board before. I volunteered as a liaison between the Twin Cities Buddhist Association and the Minnesota Buddhist Vihara ( located here in the Camden community). This was for the purpose of inviting the monks at the Vihara to be guests at the Eastern Conference for the Buddhist Churches of America that our Association was holding a couple of years ago ( right before the rise of the covid pandemic ).
What kind of special skills or expertise can you offer: fundraising, HR, legal, finances, business, PR, technology, advocacy or other to contribute to WCNO’s mission? In 2000, I graduated from the College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine of North Western Health Sciences University, in Bloomington, MN, with a Master’s Degree In Acupuncture and, for the next 18 years, was a licensed acupuncturist working here in the Twin Cities. For 7 of those years, I and a partner opened a Community Acupuncture Clinic catering to low and middle income clients and those whose insurance did not cover acupuncture and related treatments.
Do you have any special interests or insights that might benefit the board/organization? Having never served on a board before, I don’t really know, but I probably have something to offer.
Jessica Aune
Why are you interested in WCNO? To help improve our community and represent members of our community not often heard
Why are interested in serving on a board? Do you have any previous board, leadership, volunteer experience? Are you presently serving on any boards? While I’m disabled, I have worked on many boards in my career.
What kind of special skills or expertise can you offer: fundraising, HR, legal, finances, business, PR, technology, advocacy or other to contribute to WCNO’s mission? Facilitation, Business Analyst, Community Engagement, contract management, Some financial, accounting, project management. Life long North Minneapolis resident
Do you have any special interests or insights that might benefit the board/organization? I am well known by many community members. I’ve lead community efforts mostly focused on children
Kip Vantrease
Why are you interested in WCNO? I don’t like some of the stuff I see in our community. I want to help people in need. I want our community to remain safe.
Why are interested in serving on a board? Do you have any previous board, leadership, volunteer experience? Are you presently serving on any boards? No I am not serving on any boards today. I am a father of ten children so I believe I have some leadership ability.
What kind of special skills or expertise can you offer: fundraising, HR, legal, finances, business, PR, technology, advocacy or other to contribute to WCNO’s mission? I am skilled at fundraising and advocacy
Do you have any special interests or insights that might benefit the board/organization? I would love to keep building Camden up. I think there’s a couple more things we can add to the community to help us.
Daniel La Croix
Why are you interested in WCNO? To have a positive impact on the community I have lived in my entire life. To help make good decisions regarding the community. To infuse Equity and Inclusion to the decisions being made in our community.
Why are interested in serving on a board? Do you have any previous board, leadership, volunteer experience? Are you presently serving on any boards? I am a Co-Chair of the Equity and Inclusion committee for the City of Minneapolis Regulatory Services Division as a Housing Inspector. I have Co-Authored an employee commitment letter to be anti-racist in professional and personal life and presented the letter and read it to City Council to be in permanent record. I lead and facilitate cultural agility discussions and train
What kind of special skills or expertise can you offer: fundraising, HR, legal, finances, business, PR, technology, advocacy or other to contribute to WCNO’s mission? I have a humanistic approach to communicating with people and meeting them where they’re at mentally and emotionally. I have an Equity and Inclusion lens that I operate with my every being. I have a tendency to lean into difficult engagements and conversations while being able to compose myself with dignity and respect. I am a lifetime Northsider with a passion for public service.
Do you have any special interests or insights that might benefit the board/organization? My interests are to engage historically disenfranchised community members to bring out activism and the importance of voting and public service.