Our Team

Meet the faces behind The Landing MN.

  • Alex has worked with people experiencing homelessness in the Rochester community for nearly 15 years. He has a Masters degree in social work, and a passion for advocacy. As the Executive Director of The Landing MN Alex feels privileged and motivated to support the organization's remarkable staff in achieving their individual departmental missions, ensuring people in homelessness receive the best level of care while they are with The Landing MN and beyond. In his free time Alex shuttles kids to and from youth sports, and finds time to walk his Labrador (Odin) with his wife.

  • Ashely has a B.S. in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota. She is dedicated to ensuring that any individual that walks through our doors feels seen, understood, and cared for. She loves having the opportunity to connect to so many people, and show them a bit of light each day.

  • Chad’s desire to be more involved with assisting those less fortunate in our community led him to first volunteer and then become a staff member with The Landing MN. He enjoys getting to know the clients and making sure they feel safe and welcome. In his spare time Chad enjoys spending time with his family and getting out into nature. 

  • Renae came to work at The Landing MN as a Client Advocate because her passion is to serve a community that is often overlooked. She wants to treat everyone with love, dignity, and respect, and wants to share hope and stand alongside people on their journey. 

  • You may see Chris working his full time job at Kwik Trip, but he chooses to spend a lot of his free time at The Landing MN. Chris has struggled most of his life with addiction and he says that has kept him in a fog. He wants to help clients remove the fog and find what he has found in sobriety. Fun fact: You will never see him wearing the same pair of shoes. He loves to shop!

  • Denise came to The Landing MN because she had a close relative that was a client of The Landing MN and she wanted to give back to someone what was shared with her family member. In her free time you will find her at the river camping with family and friends. 

  • Over a decade ago Tara turned her life around. She sought a life bigger than who she thought she had been. Tara enjoys creating unique relationships and building a safe and comforting space for each individual. Her passion lies in making all people feel loved and restoring a little happiness where there was no hope. Tara loves being a mother to 3 beautiful children. 

  • Taylor works full time at a dental office in addition to working part time at The Landing MN. She is currently in recovery from drugs and alcohol and was inspired to work at The Landing MN to help others struggling with life’s obstacles. Forming relationships with the clients has brought lots of joy and fun to her life. 

  • Jane is a 40-year retired nurse who enjoys caring for all people in all walks of life. Jane is married and is a mother of two adult men. When she is not working or volunteering in our medical clinic she enjoys sewing, baseball, and traveling. 

Join the Team!

Interested in being a part of The Landing MN team? Visit our Careers page to see openings.

  • As Tanner is in recovery, he hopes to live as an example to others that it is possible to make the necessary changes to live a better life. He is attending school to obtain his LADC and social work degree. Tanner enjoys relating to the people he works with and would consider it a success if he was able to help even one person change their way of living. 

  • Kari works full time as a housing advocate and has been with The Landing MN since the Fire Station days. She has a huge heart for helping people who are currently or have recently been homeless. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with friends and family, four-wheeling, and going to Christmas light festivals in the winter. 

  • Kajuan is a native of Chicago and has now lived in Rochester for 20 years. Being that some of his family had addiction problems, it gave him an empathetic heart to want to serve. He is proud to be a team member at The Landing MN and his favorite part is sharing stories, experiences, and resources with the clients. 

  • Jerry is originally from Winona, MN and drove truck for his family for 36 years. After losing his wife to cancer Jerry went through treatment and is now in recovery. He has always wanted to help others and is grateful that he now has the opportunity to do that through his work at The Landing MN. 

  • Erin has experience working with nonprofits and the homeless community before coming to The Landing MN. She is excited to capture the stories of the clients, through written word and photographs, and to share that with the community so that they can better understand homelessness. In her free time Erin enjoys spending time exercising, being musical, and being with her family. 

  • Tori started her work at The Landing MN as a Client Advocate. She graduated from WSU in 2024 with a degree in social work and is now one of our social workers at The Landing MN. Tori’s passion is having the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s day. 

  • Crystal started as a volunteer at The Landing MN which quickly turned into applying for employment. The Landing MN’s mission aligns perfectly with her commitment to helping those in need. For Crystal being able to connect individuals with essential healthcare and resources while making a meaningful impact is truly rewarding. 

  • After a month of volunteering, Jake decided to join the team because of the satisfaction they feel from playing a part in a client achieving a favorable outcome through the services at The Landing MN. Jake has a wide range of interests from gardening and listening to music to playing air-guitar and air-drums. 

  • Kristen is dedicated to empowering individuals facing housing instability to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope. She also works full time with 16-24 year olds who have a history of, or are currently, homeless. When not working Kristen enjoys spending time with her kids and family, traveling, and enjoys spending time with friends. 

  • Jamie is a dedicated fundraising professional who specializes in connecting compassionate donors with meaningful opportunities to make a difference. A Rochester native, she spent over a decade working with and advocating for individuals experiencing homelessness. She is passionate about storytelling and relationship-building and strives to inspire generosity that leads to lasting change.

  • Taylor is coming to the team with several years of experience working with the homeless population. Having shared experience through addiction and many other struggles that come along with it, she hopes to bring empathy and kindness to every person who passes through our door. 

  • Shawna spent 20 years in the dental field before becoming the Director of Operations at The Landing MN. She has always loved serving others and helping the underserved. Her desire is for each client to feel heard, supported, and valued. Her favorite part of her job is creating relationships with each client. In her free time she enjoys traveling, working out, and spending time with family and friends. 

  • Stephanie earned her BSW from Winona State University in Rochester. For over 4 years she has been working with people experiencing homelessness in the Rochester area.  She really enjoys listening to people’s stories and advocating for them based on their unique needs. 

  • Robbie wanted to work at The Landing MN because she knew what it was like to have zero hope. She wants to give people hope where there is little, and she wants her clients to know it is never too late to turn their life around. Creating good food is an act of love she shares with her clients.