Staff

YouthCARE Year-Round Staff

Craig Luedemann
Executive Director
Craig was a co-founder of the organization in 1974 and has been the Executive Director since 1975. He also served as the Camp Sunrise Director from 1976-1995. Craig has longtime interests in the nonprofit sector, racial justice, inter-cultural relations, youth development, youth employment and serving the needs and aspirations of urban youth. Craig has served on a wide variety of nonprofit boards including 12 years with the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (Board Chair from 2008-10), Community Shares Minnesota (current), Second Harvest Food Bank (former Board Chair) and the American Camping Association.
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Shaina Abraham
Associate Director
Shaina began working at YouthCARE in the fall of 2006. Previous to working with YouthCARE, she spent most of the last ten years working with youth in urban and camp settings. Shaina has a Master''s degree from the University of Minnesota in Youth Development Leadership. Shaina recently participated in the Minnesota Walkabout Youth Worker Fellowship, during which she explored the impact a defined system of professional training and regulation might have on Youth Work in Minnesota.
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Isiah Jones
Camp Sunrise Director
Isiah grew up in north Minneapolis and attended high school in Hopkins, MN. Before being promoted to the Camp Director position, Isiah worked at Camp Sunrise as the Assistant Director, Program Coordinator and Head Counselor. Isiah also coached middle school football for The Lake Harriet Dragons. He is currently pursuing a degree in Sociology at the University of Minnesota.
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Nardos Tesfalidet
YouthLEAD Program Director
Nardos has been involved with YouthCARE since 2010 when she was hired as a Camp Recruiter. Since then, she has been a Community Service Stars Crew Leader and an active volunteer with YouthCARE. After graduating from St. Olaf College, she worked with College Possible as a Junior Coach at Humboldt High School and a Special Education Paraprofessional at Community of Peace Academy. Nardos also has a Master's degree in Social Work with a focus in Program Development, Policy and Administration from Augsburg College.
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sarah Gerdes
Young Women's Mentoring Program Director
Sarah began her involvement with YouthCARE as a Camp Counselor in 2007. In Fall of 2012, she returned as YouthLEAD Program Director and now, she is the Young Women's Mentoring Program Director. Sarah holds a B.A. from St. Catherine University with a double major in Critical Studies of Race and Ethnicity and Oral Communications. Prior to working at YouthCARE, she was a member of Ragamala Dance Company, worked for the Council on International Educational Exchange, a study abroad program in Thailand, and spent two years as an AmeriCorps Volunteer for the Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment (WISE) Inc. Sarah is currently a participant of the Neighborhood Leadership Program (NLP) through Wilder Foundation.
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Michelle Henkelman
Office & Human Resources Manager
Michelle first became involved with YouthCARE as an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) with the City of St. Paul VISTA program. Michelle graduated from North Central University where she studied Youth Development and Intercultural Studies. She has worked with youth for the past eight years with a primary focus on youth education and mentoring. She is passionate about creating opportunities for people.
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Allison Kappeyne
AmeriCorps VISTA
Allison is an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) with the City of Saint Paul VISTA program. She is serving a year at YouthCARE until August 2013. She first became involved with YouthCARE through YouthLEAD’s Camp CAMERA in the spring of 2012 in partnership with Macalester College’s Photography Club. Now, as an AmeriCorps VISTA, her primary duties are fundraising, special event planning, and volunteer coordination. She is a recent graduate of Macalester College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies-Sustainable Design and a Studio Art minor. She is passionate about local initiatives, the environment, and youth development, and has many years of experience as a youth soccer coach and camp counselor.
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Choua Vue
Young Women's Mentoring Program Coordinator - McDonough
Choua is the Program Coordinator for the Young Women’s Mentoring Program in the McDonough Townhomes Community in St. Paul. Some of her previous youth work includes one year of service as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow with the YMCA located on the Eastside of St. Paul, working with Upward Bound, and volunteering the YWCA of Mankato. Choua graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a Bachelor’s in Ethnic Studies. She is passionate about working with and around culturally and ethnically diverse populations, especially when it comes to youth development. She hopes to further her education and continue being a good support for youth. email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Iris Andrews
Little Earth Teen Specialist

Iris was born and raised in Saint Paul. She was involved in many activities throughout high school such as: cheerleading, acting, the debate team, softball, Mock Trial, and YouthCARE. Iris feels that all of these experiences contributed to the young woman she is today. In June of 2008 at the age of 15, Iris was hired as a Youth Mentor for the Young Women's Mentoring Program in the McDonough Community. She graduated from the program in May of 2009 and has returned every year since then. Iris is an example of what we call "Climbing the Leadership Ladder". She went from being a Youth Mentor, to a Program Assistant, then a Camp Recruiter, and now the Teen Specialist. In the future, Iris plans to return to Columbia College Chicago to pursue music and art. Her life goal is to have her own youth group that has an arts theme at its core.
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Francisco Guzman
YouthLEAD Program Specialist
Francisco Guzman is a YouthLEAD Progam Specialist who began working at YouthCARE in the fall of 2012. Prior to working at YouthCARE, Francisco spent time at other non-profits working with youth and as an AmeriCorps VISTA working with volunteers. Francisco has a degree in Psychology from Macalester College but hopes to pursue further education in Youth Development.
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cindy Vue
YouthLEAD Program Specialist

Cindy Vue has been involved with YouthCARE for 5 years. In 2008-2009, she worked as a Counselor at Camp Sunrise. Then she worked in the office in 2010 as a Program Assistant before she went to teach English in Japan for 3 months. She graduated from the U of M Twin-Cities with a BA in Anthropology. She is excited to be a part of the YouthCARE family again which involves working for what she is truly passionate about--creating safe, diverse, and wonderful programs for youth. She loves different ways of expressing oneself through different forms of art and being one with nature.
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Alexandra Mastny
Assistant Director, Camp Sunrise
Allie joined YouthCARE as the Camp Sunrise Program Coordinator in the fall of 2012. As a St. Olaf College graduate, Allie studied Environmental Social Sciences, Sociology/Anthropology and the Cello. Prior to YouthCARE, Allie worked in the nonprofit sector, most recently at the Mississippi River Fund, and volunteered for programs like GEAR UP and TRIO, the Youth Farm and Market Project, and Commonbond Communities. Allie is excited to unite her passions for multicultural urban youth with outdoor experiential learning and environmental education. She loves quirky sitcoms, bass ukuleles, and alpine skiing. email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

craig_staff