Rachel Boeke (she/her)
Executive Director

Rachel’s background is in direct-action organizing with a passion for driving social change through program advocacy, volunteer engagement, event planning and public policy development. She joined the LeadMN team from the Longfellow Community Council. As their Executive Director, she focused on equitable engagement to establish intentional and meaningful community building efforts that ensured elected officials and decision makers were putting the priorities of their citizens first.

Prior to that, Rachel served as the Executive Director for the Stevens Square Community Organization where she focused on diversification of the Board of Directors, expanding programming to support low-income residents, and reimagining Red Hot Art programming. Her first Executive Director position was for the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group – a statewide student directed organization providing advocacy training and managing social and environmental justice campaigns.

Rachel graduated from the University of MN – Twin Cities with a degree in Management, Communications and Public Relations. She is the mother of three beautiful and amazing children. She grew up in Mankato, where her parents still live and she visits all the time!

With over two decades of nonprofit leadership, Carin brings a wealth of experience to her role as Development Director at LeadMN. In her role as Artistic Director of Theatre Pro Rata, Carin was known for her relational leadership style, and excelled in building strong donor relationships and fostering inclusive communities. Particularly skilled in strategic planning and event production, Carin thrives in dynamic environments and is always ready to tackle new challenges with optimism and a solutions-oriented mindset.

Carin Bratlie Wethern (she/her)
Development Director

Jasmine Epps-Flowers (she/her)
Manager of Events & Strategic Partnerships

Jasmine Epps-Flowers comes to LeadMN with a strong background in community organizing, project management, state advocacy, and event planning. Her ability to navigate complex issues, build relationships, and manage strategic initiatives makes her a valuable asset in her role as Manager of Events and Strategic Planning.

Before joining LeadMN, Jasmine worked as a lobbyist, advocating for healthcare organizations and nonprofit clients, while also managing client event planning. She also brings experience in community organizing through her work with Seward Neighborhood Group, where she managed large-scale events and advocated for unhoused and BIPOC residents in South Minneapolis.

Her background also includes work with the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, Augsburg University, and the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools. Across these roles, Jasmine has demonstrated strong leadership, a commitment to equity, and a passion for creating positive change through community engagement and the legislative process.

Jasmine graduated summa cum laude from Augsburg University with a B.A. in Political Science and minors in Sociology and Religion.

Teresa’s background in management started in the office of a church in Minneapolis where she was organizing education programs, coordinating volunteers, event planning, and above all, serving a community. Before that she was a literacy tutor for children with learning disabilities and a proofreader for the marketing department of University of St. Thomas, where she graduated with a degree in Philosophy. She grew up in small-town Iowa and loves to return to visit her family and enjoy the world’s best sweet corn.

Teresa Gomes (she/her)
Office Manager

Ben Howery (he/him)
Programs & Advocacy Director

Ben joined LeadMN’s team as a Campus Organizing Director in January 2025, before transitioning to the Programs & Advocacy Director later that year. Ben comes to LeadMN with a background in community organizing, relationship building, and event & program management. In his previous role at the Longfellow Community Council, Ben prioritized making meaningful, personal connections with residents, stakeholders, and local government to ensure that the community members he represented were heard and connected to appropriate resources.

Ben completed his undergraduate work in Urban Studies with a concentration in community engagement and placemaking. He has a developed passion for understanding the complexities of lived-in space and the individual histories that make up the communities that surround him. He believes that the collaboration between students, their campuses and their communities is imperative in creating a long-lasting and successful impact. 

Molly comes from a communications background, wearing various hats at an arts non-profit, small public relations firms and through years of freelance work. She then focused on grassroots volunteer organizing, voter engagement, and policy advocacy while volunteering for nearly 4 years as the statewide lead for Minnesota Moms Demand Action, a gun violence prevention organization.

Following an undergraduate degree from Gustavus Adolphus College, Molly pursued her master’s degree in mass communication and public relations at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. After a 10-year stint traveling around the country with her family, she settled back in her beloved hometown of Minneapolis, where she lives with her husband, two cool kids and some pugs.

Molly Leutz (she/her)
Policy Director

Andrea Tritschler (she/her)
Communications Director

Andrea Tritschler is a passionate creative and storyteller with a background as a reporter, editor, events planner, magazine creator, and designer whose work has focused on empowerment and equity through communication and engagement. She joins LeadMN from Longfellow Community Council (LCC) where she focused on strategic communications, equitable and accessible engagement, and creating lasting relationships within the community.

Prior to her work with LCC, Andrea was an award-winning reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and a group of community newspapers in the plains of Colorado where she covered city government, agricultural and rural development, K-12 education, and breaking news. She brings a strong background in narrative, policy, media relations, and multimedia storytelling to LeadMN. 

Andrea graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Journalism and minors in Spanish and Information Technology. In 2017, she completed a graduate-level program in Publishing at the University of Denver.