Introducing a new board trustee and three new staff members
The Northland Foundation is thrilled to have welcomed a new board member and three new staff members in the past few months.
“It’s been several years since we’ve had a member from Koochiching County. Ashley’s experience in both nonprofit and small business leadership is a great match for our mission,” stated Northland Foundation’s President, Tony Sertich. “And, it’s been great to see small business activity steadily increasing across the region. Amanda, Christopher, and Katherine add much-needed financing and technical assistance capacity.”
Ashley Hall joined the Board of Trustees in September. She is the Executive Director of the Falls Hunger Coalition, a nonprofit food shelf addressing food insecurity in Koochiching County. She is also an entrepreneur and fitness instructor who has owned Evolve U Fitness and Wellness since 2013. In addition to the Northland Foundation, Hall sits on the board of Second Harvest North Central Food Bank and is a past president of the International Falls Rotary Club as well as served at the Rotary Club district level.
Ashley Hall, Board Trustee
Katherine Lahti began as a Business Consultant with the Northland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in July and primarily serves small business clients in northern St. Louis County within the Quad Cities and East Range area. Katherine graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a BA in History. She previously worked at Barr Engineering Co. providing support on regional-to-international engineering and design projects. She and her husband also operate his family’s fourth-generation farm.
Katherine Lahti, SBDC Business Consultant
Christopher Henagin came on board as a Business Consultant with the Northland SBDC in October. He will be serving the Northeast region of the state. Christopher graduated from the College of St. Scholastica with a BA in Marketing. He has previous experience as a financial advisor, digital marketing specialist, and is a small business owner.
Christopher Henagin, SBDC Business Consultant
Amanda Vuicich recently joined the Northland Foundation’s Business Services Program as an Economic Development Specialist/Small Business Lender. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the University of Minnesota Duluth. She spent the past four years managing internal operations for Northspan while also consulting with clients on a range of projects. A large concentration of her work has focused on supporting non-profit lending requests, administering grant programs, and assisting local lenders with packaging SBA 7a small business loans.
Amanda Vuicich, Economic Development Specialist & Small Business Lender
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.
Nichele Canavan, Executive Administrator
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.
Taylor Holm, 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.”
Cayla Bellanger DeGroat, Program Officer
Seeds of Growth: check out the 2020-2021 annual report
The pandemic has affected life as we knew it, and it’s important to acknowledge the struggles. Yet, there are many reasons to be grateful and hopeful.
People and organizations have shown great resilience. They acted boldly, adjusted course, shared resources and inspiration, and led incredible new efforts. It is an honor to call out some of their accomplishments in our 2020-2021 annual report published last month.
It’s all here: the record (by far) grantmaking and funding support received, the launch of an exciting Indigenous-led program, support for tour region’s Small Business Development Center, continued small business development lending and KIDS PLUS programming, and other special initiatives.
Please visit northlandfdn.org/annual-report for the full details of grants, loans, funding, and uplifting stories. Our region keeps going, and growing, through it all.
