EVOLVE Family Services Staff
EVOLVE Family Services employs a diverse staff, in identity, educational and professional experiences. EVOLVE has an extensive hiring process, with a focus on child-focused, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive practice and understanding. EVOLVE values transparency and understands the importance of hiring and creating a sustainable work environment for professionals of color. Overall, EVOLVE’s staff have a wealth of experiences and skillsets. EVOLVE’s staff will carry out the service areas with trauma-informed, child-focused, collaborative and anti-oppressive lens and practice.
Our Current Team
EVOLVE currently employs 19 staff in a variety of direct service, management, leadership, and administrative roles across the organization.
RACIAL IDENTITY + OUR WORKPLACE
For full transparency of racial identities within our workplace at EVOLVE, racial identities within our workplace are listed below.
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Leadership
Susannah has served as EVOLVE’s Executive Director since 2019. She obtained her BSW from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and is a licensed social worker in the States of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Susannah has extensive experience in the provision of child and family services.
Prior to her employment at EVOLVE, she gained experience in elementary school social work in St. Paul Public Schools and worked as a Juvenile Victim/Witness Specialist for the Anoka County Attorney’s Office. Since her employment at EVOLVE in 2006, Susannah has held many positions in the organization. From 2006 to 2013, she worked as adoption social worker and pregnancy counselor, developing direct practice skills and expertise in the adoption of children under state guardianship, domestic infant adoption, international adoption, pregnancy services, and foster care.
In 2013, she began taking on leadership roles in the agency, serving over time as the Adoption Programs Supervisor, Foster Care Programs Manager, Pregnancy Services Program Manager, Domestic Adoption Programs Manager, and Senior Programs Manager. In 2017, she joined the agency’s leadership team, serving as Programs Director, and then Senior Programs Director, overseeing all agency social services in adoption, kinship and traditional foster care, pregnancy services, education, and therapeutic mental health services, before rising to the executive leadership position in 2019.
Susannah has completed the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI) curriculum at the supervisory level and is certified to perform Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE) home studies as a practitioner and supervisor. Susannah additionally served on the Washington County Citizen Review Panel for Children’s Services from 2019 to 2021 and has been an active member of the Collaborative of Allied Directors for Race Equity (CADRE) since 2019.
Susannah is a dedicated leader who is passionate about addressing racial disparities, reducing childhood trauma, upholding, and leading antiracist, anti-oppressive, and ethical practices in child-welfare services, family reunification, kinship care, and permanency for children.
Holly joined EVOLVE in 2016 and obtained her bachelor’s degree at Iowa State University in Child, Adult, and Family Services. She obtained her master’s degree in Social Work in 2016 from the University of St Thomas and St. Catherine’s University. Holly started at EVOLVE working within our foster care and clinical departments.
During her initial work at EVOLVE, she licensed, and home study approved families for child foster care licensure. In addition, she provided post placement support, resource referral, and advocacy for children in out of home placement. Holly has specialized and provided oversight in working with and developing programming for relative/kin caregivers over the last 5.5 years and is passionate about supporting familial connections long term. Since 2017, Holly has been in a leadership role within EVOLVE’s foster care and kinship programs.
Holly completed her Permanency and Adoption Competency Certification through the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in 2018. Prior to Holly’s experience at EVOLVE, she has experience working with parents navigating the child welfare system. Holly is passionate about advancing change within the child welfare and adoption system to ensure that family and youth voice is at the center of our work.
Queen joined EVOLVE Family Services in 2022. Prior to that she has worked with children and families in the world of social services for 8 plus years. Queen’s passion for this work comes from her childhood experiences of being raised in foster care and experiencing other adversities as a youth. Queen loves working in spaces that provide her the opportunity to help youth, children, and other underserved populations be heard, especially in the black community.
Queen has flourished as an individual by learning and connecting with her culture on the deepest levels. Queen has extensive training in trauma informed care, risk behaviors, unconscious biases, and parenting education. Queen has a lot of passion behind the work she does at EVOLVE and is eager to continue to learn and grow within the company. Queen coordinates, facilitates, and plans programming for youth and families, involved in the child welfare system. Her work with UMOJA focuses on parenting, supporting, and advocating for Black youth, involved in the child welfare system.
Jordan learned the foundational skills of organization, forecasting, and stress management from playing Tetris. Through various experiences at nonprofit organizations in the US and abroad, Jordan gained an appreciation for the vital functions of serving communities and supporting youth.
At EVOLVE, Jordan is honored to support the amazing work of frontline service providers by providing back-end support of the organization’s finances, operations, and employee support systems.
Alaina joined EVOLVE in 2022. She graduated from Winona State University, with a BSW. She started her career in child welfare focusing on reunification and permanency. She transitioned to working at various adult residential treatment facilities, for individuals diagnosed with SPMI and SUD, across Minnesota. During this time, she developed direct practice skills and expertise in crisis management. In addition, she found fulfillment in collaboration, assessing policies and procedures, and learning how to evaluate programs.
She returned to school to complete her MSW, with an emphasis on community, organization, and business innovation, through the University of Southern California. She continued her work at residential treatment facilities homing in on leadership and program development. Through the height of the pandemic, she worked at a long-term care facility in the behavioral health unit as the Director of Social Services. During this time, she focused on changing the workplace landscape to promote culturally appropriate workplace values in relation to work/life balance, self-care, staff resilience, and support for grief and loss.
She was drawn to EVOLVE’s anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and child-centered approaches and values in child welfare. She continues to nurture her passion for promoting equitable programming, innovation, and championing change. Alaina has completed the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI) curriculum at the supervisory level and is certified to perform Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE) home studies as a practitioner and supervisor.
Administration
Kip joined EVOLVE in 2023 and received a BS in Integrated Advertising and PR from Minnesota State University-Moorhead. In addition, Kip received a MS in Strategic Communications from St. Cloud State University. He also completed a Korean Culture program from Inje University located in South Korea.
Kip has various marketing experiences, highlighting his work for an animal humane society nonprofit and for a housing development organization. He has worked in the nonprofit and for-profit sector. In addition, Kip has been and continues to be involved in the adoptee community in various ways, as a member, board member, and group leader.
At EVOLVE, Kip is the Marketing Specialist, where he creates designs for various programs, manages the website, creates and updates social media, and develops newsletters.
Kelly has over 15 years of experience in finance, administrative, and management. She grew up working in a family-owned business. She is from the land that belongs to the Dakota Oyate Nation of Upper Sioux Community, where you dig to find the Yellow Medicine. She has been an activist since she was a little girl, many tried to soften her voice and make her stop, however it only made her fight harder.
She attended Century College for Human Services, Psychology and Chemical Dependency. She is passionate about working alongside children and recognizes them as the future. She has volunteered at the Paul and Sheila Wellstone house on the West Side of Saint Paul for the after-school program and has taught The First Time Youth Offenders’ groups for North Star.
Kelly joined EVOLVE in 2023 as the Accounting and Administrative Specialist. Kelly is proud to work at EVOLVE because the organization is passionate about dismantling systemic racism in child welfare. Kelly utilizes a child-centered and holistic approach. Kelly also strives to ensure children are surrounded by their culture, are having fun, and receiving appropriate services.
Permanency, Pregnancy, and Youth Services
Alexandra joined EVOLVE in 2021 and obtained her BS in Family Science in 2021 from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. Before this role she had internships in education and immigration work but had interest in learning about how her skills and knowledge could be applied in adoption, foster care, and child welfare work, which brought her to EVOLVE. Alexandra joined EVOLVE as an Adoption and Pregnancy Services Process Coordinator, supporting families and EVOLVE as an agency by fulfilling administrative duties that range from office management to upkeeping documentation for clients in our Adoption and Pregnancy Services programs.
Although a large part of her role is to manage and maintain documentation alongside families and individuals she works with, she finds that an equally important aspect of her role is communicating with families in the adoption process in a way that emphasizes consideration of the rights and emotions of adoptees and birth parents. She works in tandem with Adoption Social Workers, management, and leadership to keep files up to date through inquiries, home study assessments, and in the waiting, matching, and post-adoption process for adoptive parents and adoptees. She also manages documentation for birth parents. She is proud to work for an organization that recognizes and aims to challenge the coercive and unethical practices of adoption against birth parents and adoptees that have ensued through our country’s history.
Alexandra believes it is essential to practice through a trauma-informed and anti-oppressive lens, in line with EVOLVE’s agency values, as she recognizes through her family systems education, trainings at EVOLVE, and through personal experience, the harm human services has committed against our most vulnerable populations that we are supposed to serve and advocate on behalf of. She has skills in data management, social perceptiveness, problem solving, systems analysis, and has a service orientation. Alexandra is passionate about creating more ethical and compassionate human services systems that support individual, familial, and communal wellness, education, and rehabilitation.
Mackenzie joined EVOLVE in 2023 and has worked with children and families in a professional setting since 2018. Mackenzie graduated from the University of Minnesota with her MSW focusing on working with families and children, and her MPH specializing in maternal and child health in 2023.
Prior to graduate school, Mackenzie has worked for county public health, was a Graduate Research Assistant at The University of Minnesota, Planned Parenthood, and the YMCA. She interned at Community-University Health Care Center (CUHCC) clinic, located in Minneapolis, where she connected patients to resources; provided care coordination services, made referrals to mental health programs, and connected patients with programs like SNAP, WIC, HeadStart, and other organizations to help meet their needs.
Mackenzie resonates with EVOLVE's values of being an anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and a child-centered organization. Mackenzie is passionate about reproductive rights, immigrant & refugee health, working with families and children, and hopes her work contributes to a world where every child feels loved, valued, safe, and supported.
April started her journey in human services as a Certified Nurses Aid, and when she enjoyed talking with people and learning their “why”, it brought her to Metropolitan University’s social work program. During her first internship, April worked with the American Indian Family Center. She worked in the emergency housing program at AIFC, created a food program, and helped organize the Indigenous people day parade. She took an active role in the Student Social Work Association at Metropolitan University, and obtained a lead role as student advocate.
April was awarded the Title IV-E grant to work with youth in foster care. She then interned at Red Lake Nation in the Family & Children working with families who are working towards reunification. After graduation, she transitioned to Augsburg University to complete a master's in social work. During her time at Augsburg, she interned at the Women's Center at the University of MN researching the impact of COVID-19 and the impact it has had on genders. In addition, she specialized in child welfare and policy. This work led April to run for City Counsel and was voted in.
April connected with EVOLVE’s values of permanency, upholding client-voice, anti-racist practices, and all-options counseling, as this aligns with her personal values. April joined EVOLVE in 2022 as the Permanency Specialist. April works alongside children and youth seeking permanency. She advocates for their needs, helps them identify what they envision for their future, and prepares them for permanency.
Jack joined EVOLVE in 2019. He obtained his BSW in 2015 from Viterbo University. Jack is SAFE certified. Jack joined EVOLVE as an Adoption Social Worker, counseling and certifying families for the purposes of adoption. During this time, Jack provided family assessment, counseling related to several issues including racial diversity and mental health awareness, ongoing assessment for family preparedness, and support following placement within the family unit.
In 2020, Jack’s role was extended to include working as a Foster Care Family Worker, licensing foster providers and providing support throughout the home study process to both providers and the children in care. During this time, Jack provided services, support, and outreach to providers and the children in out-of-home placement. In 2021, his role was further expanded to being a Pregnancy Social Worker with EVOLVE. In this position, he has worked with birth families to obtain supports for parenting purposes, as well as counseling on parenting options, and creating adoption plans. Jack remains in this role. Jack has experience and skills in family assessment, support gathering and outreach, critical assessment, and home study writing.
In addition to his work with EVOLVE, Jack has experience as a Child Protection Social Worker in the state of Wisconsin. In these capacities he has worked with children under guardianship of the state, as well as with families for the purposes of reunification or placement. Jack has unique experiences working with children of all backgrounds in a variety of setting including residential treatment and management of afterschool programing. Jack is passionate about his work with LGBTQIA+ youth and affecting the lives of those within the welfare system.
Grace joined EVOLVE in 2024 and graduated from Winona State University with a BSW.
She completed an internship at the International Institute of Minnesota working with immigration services assisting new Americans with citizenship and family reunification. Grace participated in a global social work conference in Linz, Austria where she was able to connect and gain international perspectives from social service students and professionals.
Grace was drawn to EVOLVE because of their values of inclusivity, commitment to trauma-informed work, and transparency. She is passionate about child development, reproductive health, and working with families.
UMOJA MN
Foster Care
Lisette joined EVOLVE Family Services in 2017 and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Social Work with a minor in Psychology from the University of St. Thomas in 2016. Initially, Lisette joined EVOLVE as a Foster Care Family Worker where she focused on licensing both relative/kin and traditional foster care providers. Lisette facilitated initial paperwork meetings, in-person trainings, and supported families through and after the home study process.
Lisette values collaboration and has enjoyed working with foster families and child welfare workers to ensure child’s needs are met. Lisette understands the importance of advocating for children in out-of-home-placement and recognizes the importance of having their needs met, including their physical, mental, educational, and emotional needs. Lisette grew up speaking Spanish, which is a skill she has utilized in her current role. Lisette has facilitated one-on-one paperwork and training sessions with Spanish-speaking families to ensure they understand the process of becoming licensed foster care providers. Lisette has witnessed the impact of language barriers when licensing families and hopes to continue advocating for more accessible resources in other languages to better serve foster care providers.
In 2019, Lisette was promoted to a lead position within the foster care program and in 2022, Lisette was promoted to Foster Care Program Manager at EVOLVE Family Services, which is the role she remains in today. Within Lisette’s various roles at EVOLVE, she has worked with children and youth under the guardianship of the commissioner and has collaborated with the child welfare team to ensure permanency is achieved. While Lisette continues to do some of the tasks listed above, she is now supervising Foster Care Family Workers and working on expanding the traditional foster care program at EVOLVE.
Lisette approaches her work with clients in an inclusive and considerate manner, acknowledging the differences that come with each family structure and culture. Lisette understands the importance of having an anti-oppressive and trauma-informed lens within this role due to the disparities within our child welfare system. Lisette understands the unique needs of children and youth in foster care and is skilled at having difficult conversations with families to best prepare them to foster/adopt children and to reduce the possibility of disruption. Lisette hopes to continue promoting equity within the child welfare system while supporting families, children, and youth.
Margot joined EVOLVE in 2022 and obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2023. She is currently pursuing a MSW at Augsburg University. In 2023, Margot completed an internship doing supervised parenting and engaged in developing healthy parenting strategies for families.
At EVOLVE, Margot’s responsibilities include facilitating informational meetings to prospective foster parents, conducting initial meetings with families to begin the licensing process, and ensuring families have completed the necessary requirements to be licensed for foster care in the state of Minnesota. In addition, Margot assists in writing social medical histories for foster and adopted youth and serves as administrative support to the foster care team.
As transracial and transnational adoptee, Margot understands the complexities and barriers that impact families and youth who have experienced separation and trauma. Margot is committed to healing and strengthening familial bonds, and advancing child welfare through an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, add trauma informed lens.
Stefanie first joined the EVOLVE team in 2019, after graduating from the University of St. Thomas with a BSW, she obtained her LSW shortly after graduation. Following two years as a Foster Care Family Worker with EVOLVE, Stefanie accepted a new position as a Communications and County Outreach Manager for a nonprofit focused on creating recruitment videos for children in the foster care system awaiting adoption.
Stefanie returned to the foster care team at EVOLVE in 2023 as the Foster Care Family Worker Lead. She greatly values EVOLVE’s commitment to anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices within the child welfare system, and she appreciates the opportunity to support families as they navigate the challenges of foster care.
Amanda joined EVOLVE as a Foster Care Family Worker in 2024.
