Meet the three latest additions to our staff
New Executive Administrator and Program Officers
It has been a busy few months at the Northland Foundation including hiring and on-boarding several employees. Get to know the three newest members of our staff team.
Nichele Canavan has been working as the Executive Administrator since November. She provides key administrative support to the President/CEO and to the Board of Trustees. Nichele comes to the Foundation following nearly nine years as an Executive Assistant with the Duluth Public Schools – ISD 709. There, she supported the work of the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning & Equity and the Duluth School Board. Additional prior professional experience includes a decade in Arizona where Nichele worked as a licensed Realtor, as well as served as the Marketing Director for a title company.
Taylor Holm joined the Foundation as a Program Officer in early January. She works with the Northland’s program and development team, including regional early childhood, intergenerational, and aging initiatives, grant writing and development support, and program evaluation. For the past six years, she was the Executive Director at Community Partners, an aging services nonprofit organization located in Two Harbors, MN. Past professional experience includes work in mental health services and training support for people with disabilities. She has a master’s degree in social work. Taylor is a North Shore Rotary Club member and past Blandin Community Leadership Program participant.
Program Officer
Cayla Bellanger DeGroat is brand-new to the Foundation as of mid-February. As a Program Officer, she will devote much of her time to Northland’s Indigenous-led program, Maada’ookiing. Cayla is an enrolled member of Gaa-waabaabiganikaag, the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. She holds a bachelor’s degree in American Indian Studies and master’s degree in Tribal Administration and Governance. She has worked in White Earth as a Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Homeless Housing Resource Specialist, and most recently as Community Outreach Coordinator with the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Department of American Indian Studies.
“The good work of the Northland Foundation in our region is a direct reflection of a staff that is talented, dedicated, and grounded in the mission,” stated Tony Sertich, President. “Cayla, Taylor, and Nichele bring all of those qualities to their respective roles. We are thrilled to have them here.”
