College Possible's National Team

Jim is responsible for all day-to-day management and operational issues, leading strategic organizational development, raising funds, coordinating communications and building relationships with partner organizations. In 1999, Jim received a Master’s of Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government where he studied nonprofit management, strategic organizational development and the relationship between race, poverty and gender. Prior to Harvard, he received a B.A. from Carleton College with honors in 1990, and an M.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995.

Jim’s motivation for founding College Possible stems from his own experience. His parents did not graduate from high school—though they ultimately earned G.E.D.s—and he experienced first hand the disadvantage of attempting to navigate the admissions and financial aid process as a low-income student. Through the help of his family, teachers, friends, and several scholarships, however, he was able to receive a first-class higher education and all the opportunities it affords. He now wants to help give that same opportunity to other disadvantaged students.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Jim is familiar with the Twin Cities’ nonprofit and philanthropic communities. He worked previously with City Year, a national nonprofit public service and youth development organization headquartered in Boston, where he managed the organization’s strategic development. Prior to City Year, he worked on U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone’s reelection campaign in 1995-96 as Deputy Finance Director and he managed former U.S. Attorney David Lillehaug’s statewide campaign for Minnesota Attorney General in 1998.

Jim was elected an Ashoka fellow in 2006. Ashoka recognizes and supports leading social entrepreneurs throughout the world. In 2005, Jim received the "Spirit of Carleton Award" from Carleton College for his efforts to help low-income students prepare for college. In May 2006, he was chosen as one of the top "40 under 40" young professionals by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. In 2007, Jim received the first ever Community Luminary Award from General Electric. In 2009, College Possible was recognized by President Obama in a speech highlighting innovative nonprofits and received two national awards from the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the National College Access Network (NCAN). In 2011, Jim received the In Harmony with Hope Award from the Elfenworks Foundation for a social innovation creating real change in the world and College Possible was honored with the Community Partnership Award from Mutual of America.

Jim has served on the board of directors for several nonprofits including the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, Growth & Justice and the Girl Scouts - St. Croix Valley. He currently serves on the board of directors for Youth Frontiers. Jim lives in St. Paul with his wife, Dr. Christine Greenhow, a co-founder and former Board Member and former College Possible director of teaching and learning, their son, Jack, and their dog, Molly. Top

Traci Kirtley, Director of Programming & Evaluation

Traci is responsible for guiding and overseeing all of College Possible's program and evaluation functions.

Traci has worked for more than 10 years in the field of education, and has been at College Possible since March 2004. A former high school Spanish teacher, she experienced the tremendous rewards and challenges of working with teenage students on a daily basis. She also learned about the demands on those who are working to serve students well within the constraints of the school system, and the barriers that school personnel face as they try to provide their students with the kind of education and support necessary for success. From this experience, she decided to pursue a degree in education policy at the Kennedy School of Government, where she received a Masters in Public Policy in June 2000. Before joining College Possible, Traci worked for Caliber Associates, a government contracting firm providing research and technical assistance services in the Washington, D.C. area. At Caliber, she focused her efforts on evaluating and providing training to schools and community organizations. She has also worked on political campaigns in both volunteer and official capacities. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska and was a policy fellow at the Humphrey Institute in 2006-2007.

When not at work, Traci can be found talking politics, running or biking around the lakes of Minneapolis, or traveling to Iowa to visit her family. Top

Natalie Rule Burns, Director of External Relations

Natalie is the Director of External Relations for College Possible. She is responsible for relationship building and communications with College Possible’s external partners and audiences, as well as raising funds!

Natalie joined College Possible in November 2007 from Teach For America where she coordinated a national individual giving campaign as Managing Director of Individual Giving for this national nonprofit organization. She spent the prior 10 years working in a variety of strategic communications and media relations roles on political campaigns as well as in the U.S. House of Representatives, The White House, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C., and at The Coca-Cola Company global headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Education has remained at the heart of Natalie’s work in public service, beginning as a legislative assistant to an Oklahoma Congressman, and later as Press Secretary to Mrs. Lynne Cheney in the Office of the Vice President. Natalie, an Oklahoma native, obtained a B.B.A. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and attended The Fund For American Studies Institute on Business and Government Affairs at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Top

Karla Wetherby, Director of Finance & Operations

As Director of Finance and Operations, Karla is responsible for overseeing the operations and financial health of the organization.

Karla is committed to mission-driven organizations and brings over 15 years of finance and operations experience in nonprofits. She comes to us from the Center for Victims of Torture where she served as Chief Financial Officer for over 13 years. In her role, she helped the organization grow its budget from $2 million to $10 million and expand its operations to multiple international sites. Before joining CVT, she worked at the Neighborhood Health Care Network, a consortium of community health clinics in the Twin Cities, and as an accountant at a hospital on the outskirts of Kansas City, Missouri.

Karla received her undergraduate degree in Health Care Administration from Wichita State University and her graduate degree from the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota.

Outside of work, Karla can be found cheering on her two sons, Ben and Daniel, at their hockey, football, and baseball games. She is an enthusiastic Packers fan. She also likes to garden, golf, cook, read, and travel to warm places. Top

Deanna Ekholm, Operations & Human Resources Manager

Deanna provides human resources and operations functions for the national office and support to the local sites. She has worked in both for-profit and non-profit sectors, delivering administration and HR management services in the areas of recruitment, training and development, compensation, disability management, employee benefits and legal compliance.

Deanna received her undergraduate in business administration. She holds a graduate degree in human development from St. Mary’s University. She is a member of the Twin Cities Human Resources Association (TCHRA) and is an active volunteer within her community, volunteering with The Family Place, St. Joseph’s Home for Children and Project Homeless Connect. Deanna is excited to be surrounded by a dedicated group of colleagues and AmeriCorps members devoting their time to improving the lives of others.

When not at work Deanna tries to perfect her other ‘careers’ of gardener, barista and parent! Top

Cresta Hubert, Operations Associate

As the Operations Associate, Cresta is responsible for assisting the Operations & HR Manager and the Director of Finance & Operations in many facets of the national organization, as well as supporting the administrative needs of the CEO. Since joining the College Possible team in January 2011, Cresta has quickly learned to navigate payroll processing, accounts payable/receivable, purchasing, travel arrangements and scheduling meetings.

Cresta was drawn to College Possible by its mission, reputation and desire to make a difference in the lives of others. Before joining the team, Cresta worked as the Office Services Clerk for the labor and employment law firm Littler Mendelson in Minneapolis, as well as having experience in the retail, hospitality and child care industries.

A trained opera singer, Cresta has earned degrees in music from Concordia College, Moorhead (Bachelor of Music) and the University of Northern Iowa (Master of Arts), and has been active as a member of The Minnesota Opera chorus in professional opera productions since 2008. Cresta currently lives in Brooklyn Center with her husband, dog and two cats. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, geo-caching, singing, reading, watching movies and spending time on the North Shore. Top

Emily Jacobs, Communications Manager

As communications manager, Emily helps spread the word about the good work that College Possible is doing. She is responsible for writing and designing communications materials, maintaining the website and building media relations.

Emily received her BA in English and political science from the College of St. Benedict. During spring break of her freshman year, she went on a service trip to New York City and met an AmeriCorps VISTA. Right then, Emily knew that’s what she wanted to do when she graduated.

Emily served two terms as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Massachusetts Campus Compact at Tufts University. She helped promote civic engagement on campus and build community partnerships in Boston’s Chinatown. The experience deepened her belief in the power education has to transform individuals and communities. After moving back to her home state of Minnesota, Emily worked with the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation to establish their communications program.

Emily is currently working toward her MBA at the U of M’s Carlson school, with a focus on nonprofit management. In her spare time, Emily likes to be outdoors running, playing soccer, biking, hiking and cross-country skiing. She also loves reading, cooking, traveling and exploring new places. Top

Chris Mitchell, Program Specialist

Chris joined College Possible as a program coordinator in January 2008. A native of Bloomington, Minn., he attended the University of Minnesota where he discovered his passion for education and expanding the opportunities available to students.

Inspired by his undergraduate experiences as a tutor, Chris joined Teach For America in 2004 and taught for two years in the English department at Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark, New Jersey. Following his Teach For America commitment, Chris worked as both a counselor and a mentor in New York City before returning to Minnesota. In his spare time, he enjoys playing music, biking around the Twin Cities and traveling whenever possible. Top

Katie Schroeder, Development Manager

As the Development Manager, Katie is responsible for strengthening institutional giving at the national level and supporting the development efforts of all College Possible sites.

Katie joined the College Possible team in October of 2011 after 8 years of development, operations, communications, and direct service work at Chicago nonprofits striving to improve education access and opportunities, including Free Spirit Media, an organization delivering digital media programs to high school students across Chicago Public Schools, and Umoja Student Development Corporation, a nonprofit working to develop positive school cultures in Chicago’s most challenged schools to increase attendance, reduce violence, support educators, and nurture academic success.

Katie completed a year of service with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps in Chicago where she learned to embrace the values of living simply, intentional community, and social justice. She received her master’s in public policy and administration from Northwestern University in 2010, and received her B.A. in communication studies from Gustavus Adolphus College.

A Twin Cities native, Katie enjoys cooking, biking, road trips, remodeling with her husband, and spending time with her nieces and nephews. Top

Geoff Wilson, AmeriCorps and VISTA Manager

Geoff joined College Possible as the AmeriCorps and VISTA Manager in January 2012. Geoff was born in Minneapolis, went to high school in Willmar, and came back to Minneapolis to attend the University of MN where he earned a BA in Psychology.

After college Geoff worked for Minneapolis Public Schools and Catholic Charities at St. Joseph’s Home for Children for 2 years as a Special Education Assistant and Youth Counselor. He then served as an Institutional Development Volunteer for the Peace Corps in Romania from 2007-09. In Romania Geoff worked with a new nonprofit doing a little bit of everything. When he came back to MN, Geoff worked with Employment Action Center in various roles including workshop facilitation, and volunteer recruitment, placement, and trainings. When Geoff is not working he enjoys camping, cross country skiing, biking, reading, and traveling. Top

Hannah Balder, Communications VISTA

Hannah Balder recently graduated from the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University with a degree in English and Communication, and a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies. She is from the quaint town of Stillwater, MN where she really fine-tuned her coffee-drinking and antiquing skills, and garnered an appreciation for leisurely riverside strolls. She spent the spring of 2010 in London, England and has made it a life goal to return one day. She enjoys hanging out with friends, reading, writing, thrifting, biking and doing Pilates. She is so excited to spend this next year at College Possible as a Communications VISTA – she is passionate about learning and can’t wait to do her part for such an amazing organization! Top

Leah Grengs, Program VISTA

Leah Grengs is extremely proud to be serving as this year’s Program VISTA. Leah recently graduated from the University of Minnesota, receiving degrees in Neuroscience and Anthropology. Service has always been the most important part of Leah’s life. She has volunteered at Children’s Hospitals in Minneapolis and St. Paul for over six years and at People Serving People in Minneapolis for over three years. Leah was the first person in her family to attend college and values the incredible experiences she had at the University of Minnesota, including opportunities to conduct research aimed at better understanding neural development and improving end of life care for individuals experiencing homelessness. When Leah is not volunteering or doing research, she enjoys walking around gorgeous parts of the city, trying new kinds of caffeinated drinks and having beyblade battles with her five-year-old brother. Top

Chris Larabee, Development VISTA

Chris Larabee recently graduated from Macalester College. He came to Minnesota from northwest Ohio, eager, believe it or not, to embrace the winters! As a fan of cold weather, they certainly don't disappoint, and Chris is looking forward to the end of this summer heat. Chris dabbled in grant writing and development during his senior year at the Minnesota Children's museum, and is looking forward to honing his skills and helping out at College Possible! Chris loves studying languages and reading, but also enjoys staying active through running, martial arts, and more! Top

Pa Lor, Consortium AmeriCorps member

Pa was born in Thailand but grew up in South Minneapolis and is the oldest child of seven. After graduating from Roosevelt High School, Pa attended Carleton College in Northfield, MN, and in 2011 became the first in her family to graduate from college. Pa holds a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science/International Relations with a concentration in Political Economy.

As a first-generation college student, Pa realizes the struggles disadvantaged and low-income students face and she wants to work towards eliminating those obstacles. Additionally, Pa wants to work with those in poverty to help them achieve and maintain a better lifestyle. Pa is considering attending graduate school in the near future, possibly for public policy or social services.

Growing up in a large family where she often had to babysit, Pa enjoys spending time with children and loves teaching others. In her free time, Pa enjoys nature walks, jogging, arts and crafts, and watching movies. Top

Meet College Possible's team in the Twin Cities, Milwaukee and Omaha.

Meet the College Possible team in the Twin Cities, Milwaukee and Omaha.

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