Our Team
Leadership
Leah Hébert Welles
Leah has been leading Open Arms since 2013, after more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership positions. A nonprofit Executive Director since 1999, Leah has worked in the arts, community education, and reproductive and community health care. She began her career out of college as a victim advocate at a battered women’s shelter – an experience that ignited a deep commitment to justice and access to resources for underserved and vulnerable populations. A mother herself at age 17, who had to ask for help, Leah is committed to ensuring that everyone who asks for help is treated with dignity and respect.
Since joining Open Arms, Leah has overseen significant organizational expansion, including the opening of a second Open Arms facility in St. Paul to increase production capacity and broaden its reach in the East metro. She has served on a variety of boards of directors and community coalitions and currently serves on the Advisory Board for the National Food is Medicine Coalition, the Second Harvest Heartland Make Hunger History Advisory Council, and a handful of coalitions focused on the needs of aging adults, nutrition and/or hunger.
Cristina Marie Cintron Rolon, JD
Cristina joined Open Arms in 2017 as the first dedicated HR professional in a department of one. In her current role as Chief People Officer, she works closely with the Executive Team to ensure that we are leveraging our most important resources to best fulfill our mission and serve our clients: our people’s talents. Cristina brings a strategic and practical approach when dealing with workplace challenges, while ensuring that Open Arms’ mission and values are exemplified in everything we do. Since joining the organization, Cristina has worked in collaboration with the CEO to support Open Arms’ growth, by bringing amazing talent to support the organization’s operations, and by strengthening policies and processes.
Cristina has a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Puerto Rico Law School. She started her career in Human Resources in the corporate sector but soon realized that she wanted to contribute her talents to an organization that provides such a needed service to the community. Cristina is originally from Puerto Rico and relocated to Minnesota almost a decade ago. Although she sometimes misses the all-year-round sunshine and tropical temperatures of her Island home, she enjoys Minnesota’s fall and its beautiful colors.
Heather Guerin
Heather Guerin joined Open Arms of Minnesota as Chief Relationship Officer in February, 2026. In this role, she is responsible for leading fundraising, donor engagement, marketing, community partnerships, and volunteer engagement to strengthen relationships that advance the organization’s impact. Heather oversees strategies that deepen donor connection, expand community presence, and ensure sustainable resources to support individuals and families facing critical health challenges.
Before joining Open Arms, Heather served in executive leadership roles across a wide range of social service and nonprofit organizations. She brings more than 20 years of experience in fundraising, strategic advancement, board partnership, and community engagement to her work, which she uses to help advance Open Arm’s mission of nourishing people and nurturing community in times of illness and need.
Heather is particularly passionate about serving underserved and marginalized populations, believing deeply that everyone deserves access to care rooted in dignity, compassion, and respect. Her work is grounded in equity, relationship-centered leadership, and a deep commitment to creating meaningful pathways of care and connection. Heather holds a Master of Arts in Theological Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work. Outside of work, she stays busy volunteering at church, writing and gardening. Heather’s greatest joy is spending time with her twin daughters, her husband of 26 years and her two fur babies: a Shih-Poo and a Maltipoo.
Jill Hogan
Jill first joined Open Arms in 2013 as Senior Director of Finance and Administration, and has held various contract and staff roles in the 13 years since. As a Chief Financial Officer, Jill is responsible for the overall financial management, planning, systems and controls. She brings deep expertise in budgeting, grant accounting, compliance, and strategic financial planning—along with a reputation for building transparent systems that strengthen donor trust and empower teams across all levels. She is a seasoned nonprofit financial leader with more than 30 years of experience guiding mission‑driven organizations toward long‑term stability and impactful growth.
Open Arms holds a special place in Jill’s heart. She is deeply committed to its mission, particularly its focus on increasing food access and supporting people through nourishment. Jill believes that food is not just a basic need but a foundation for dignity, stability, and hope, and she is driven by the conviction that strong financial stewardship can help expand access to these critical supports.
Andrew Mendez
Andrew joined Open Arms in 2020, and in his current role he oversees the programs and operations that deliver medically tailored meals to individuals suffering from critical illness. Before joining Open Arms, Andrew held various management positions in Behavioral Healthcare. Since joining the organization, Andrew has overseen the launch of the Culturally Familiar Meals Program and the creation of the Hmong and East African Menus to ensure our communities could have access to familiar, culturally appropriate, and medically tailored meals throughout their illness.
Andrew himself is also a survivor of Soft Tissue Cell Sarcoma and is deeply patient about helping improve the lives of those who suffer with any illness. Andrew relocated from Florida to Minnesota in October of 2020 of hopes of beginning work within the nonprofit sector to help those most in need. He also serves on the steering committee of the Minnesota Cancer Alliance.
Dayna Adams
Dayna Adams joined Open Arms of Minnesota as Contract Manager in 2020. In her role as Director of Compliance and Reporting, they provide strategic leadership and oversight for OAM’s contracts, compliance, and program reporting, including government, insurance, and other funding sources. Before joining Open Arms of Minnesota, Dayna worked in the nonprofit field managing donor cultivation, grant writing and reporting, and event management. She brings 17 years of experience with contracts and grants administration, and management of donor and client focused databases to their work, helping advance the organization’s mission of nourishing our neighbors.
Dayna is particularly passionate about nutrition as it transformed her own health and wellness physically and mentally, and aligns with her values that food is medicine. Dayna holds a BA in Sociology from St. Cloud State University and a BA in Kinesiology from Concordia University, St. Paul. Currently, she is completing a Professional Certificate in Contract Management from San Diego State University. Outside of work, Dayna enjoys getting outdoors to fish, kayak, and is also an avid archer.
Ethan Armstrong
Ethan Armstrong joined Open Arms in March of 2022. In his role as Director of Communications and External Relations, Ethan ensures that the sights and sounds of Open Arms are aligned with our values and brand guidelines. Before joining Open Arms, Ethan began his career in athletics communications at Gustavus Adolphus College. In 2015, he relocated his life to Chicago where he pivoted to nonprofit work, serving in multiple development, project management, marketing, operations, and event management capacities at places such as the Pat Tillman Foundation, Strides for Peace, and America SCORES Chicago.
Ethan brings a generalist’s breadth of experience to the role of Director of Communications. A Minnesota native, Ethan has a passion for service, relationship building, and storytelling, and is drawn to organizations that impact communities at the grassroots level. He earned a BA in communication studies from Gustavus and an MA in sport management from Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Emily Essert
Emily Essert joined Open Arms in 2024 as director of corporate partnerships. In her current role, she oversees all foundation and corporate fundraising, including community hosted fundraisers and partnerships with civic and religious groups. Before joining Open Arms, Emily had the privilege of working in institutional fundraising at The Arc Minnesota during its merger into a statewide organization, and at The Guthrie Theater during its pandemic closures and rebuilding. She is thrilled to bring her relationship-focused approach to institutional fundraising to help advance Open Arms’ work of nourishing our critically ill neighbors.
Emily is a recovering academic (PhD in English Literature) who escaped the ivory tower 12 years ago to help foster inclusive communities in the Twin Cities through mission advancement. She is particularly passionate about food access and food as medicine because she is a cancer survivor whose treatment included temporarily modifying her diet, and she comes from a family where food is love. When not working, she enjoys running, yoga, reading, cooking with her husband, and spending time at the playground with her twin girls.
Anna Irmiter
Anna began her career in education, teaching various grades in multiple countries. She joined Open Arms in 2020 in an outreach role and has always enjoyed connecting with clients, referral partners, volunteers, and other community members. In her current role as Director of Programs, Anna oversees the client services and nutrition teams and supports all aspects of new program development. Born and raised in Minnesota, Anna is delighted to be back in her home state and working for such an impactful organization!
Mary Beth Iverson
Mary Beth Iverson joined Open Arms as its Director of Individual and Major Gifts in 2022. In her role, Mary Beth partners with volunteers and donors to raise the financial resources needed to provide services to Open Arms clients. She brings an approach that emphasizes data driven decision making and creative appeal writing and story-telling, while also cultivating authentic relationships with Open Arms’ donors. Before joining Open Arms, Mary Beth served as the Director of Annual Giving at her alma mater, St. Catherine University, and has spent most of career doing fundraising and development related work.
A lifelong resident of the Twin Cities, Mary Beth was drawn to the mission as it aligns closely with her personal values “when those in our community are struggling, bringing them nutritious food that nourishes them can make them feel better.”
Ken Koegler
Ken Koegler joined Open Arms of Minnesota as its Director of Operations in 2024. In his role at Open Arms, Ken develops, implements, and oversees quality assurance and food safety efforts across the organization’s food and kitchen operations. Prior to joining Open Arms, Ken served as the Director of Nutrition Services for the North Branch School District K-12.
A seasoned nutrition services leader with extensive experience in both healthcare and educational settings, Ken brings a clear communication style, conflict resolution skills, and the ability to improve operational efficiency to his work. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota – Duluth and possesses certifications from the Minnesota Department of Health (Certified Minnesota Food Manager), National Restaurant Association (ServSafe Certified), Lean Six Sigma, and OSHA 10.
Shawanda Steffen
Shawanda Steffen joined Open Arms as Director of Human Resources in 2023. In this role, she spearheads and oversees the day-to-day functions of the HR department at Open Arms. Before joining Open Arms, Shawanda gained valuable experience at notable organizations such as Hy-Vee, Prudential, Global Solutions, the Arizona Cardinals, and Universal Technical Institute before dedicating her expertise to the nonprofit sector.
Shawanda brings more than 14 years of experience in Human Resources, with a background that encompasses HR management, policy development and documentation, benefits administration, life-cycle recruitment, HRIS, disability management, worker’s compensation, training and development, and payroll processing, She danced in the NFL for three seasons for the Arizona Cardinals, and in 2021, she was Miss Minneapolis America. Her love for dance helped her create an anti-bullying dance and cheer program for the John R. Grubb YMCA in Des Moines, IA.
Tisha Van Haaften
Tisha joined Open Arms in 2026 as the Director of Volunteer Programs & Engagement. In this role, she leads the day-to-day operations and strategic development of our exceptional Volunteer Program, serving as a highly visible and engaged presence across our two campuses. Before joining Open Arms, Tisha led high‑impact volunteer programs across sectors, including food security, senior services, disability advocacy, and higher education.
Tisha is a seasoned community engagement and volunteer leadership professional who brings over a decade of experience strengthening nonprofit capacity, mobilizing large-scale volunteer networks, and cultivating mission-driven partnerships. She is known for building strong relationships, designing data‑informed engagement strategies, and creating meaningful, purpose-driven experiences that connect people, organizations, and communities. With a passion for social impact and equity-centered service, Tisha is dedicated to advancing Open Arms’ mission by leading volunteer programs that fuel compassion, connection, and care across Minnesota.
