Board of DirectorsBeechwood, Inc. was incorporated in Minnesota in 1999. As a nonprofit organization, we are registered with the state and federal government and governed by an independent board of directors. The Board of Directors are committed to carrying forth BeechWood’s mission of helping all people live independently by providing supportive services, training, advocacy, and supervision.
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Mark Simpson
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Mark attended the U of MN for his MSW and is licensed as an LICSW. He worked 31 years at Hennepin County as a Social Worker. Jobs included working in an in-home parent education (the Parent Support Project); Adult Protection Services; Mental Health Case Management; and the mobile mental health crisis team (COPE). Since retirement he's obtained employment monitoring the Ramsey County yard waste sites to make sure folks don't drop off leaves in the brush pile. “Whew, the pace never quits.”
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Kathleen Beecher
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After 10 years as Executive Director at Restart, Inc. a group home for individuals with brain injuries, Kathy started BeechWood, Inc. in 1999 with Linda Woodford. BeechWood, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals live independently by providing supportive services, training, advocacy and supervision.
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Jim Shetler
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Jim is a University of Minnesota graduate and worked the past 35 years in IT, specializing in software development and testing. His work background includes transportation, financial, health services and medical device firms and organizations. He also started and operates a 501(c)3 that helps provide services to orphans and other at risk children in Zaporozhye, Ukraine.
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Joanne Hart
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Joanne worked for 25 years as a Process Control Engineer at the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant in St. Paul. She also worked at the MN Pollution Control Agency as a Process Control Trainer, as well as taught Math for two years. She has a masters degree from Indiana University in mathematics. Now she volunteers for several different organizations.
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Linda Brathen
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Linda Brathen joined the Advisory Board in February 2016. Her life work has been coordinating caregiver support groups and volunteer visitation. She is a wonderful grandmother and has lived in Norway for several years.
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Kathleen Walker
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Kathleen is a graduate of Hartnell Community College in Salinas, CA. She retired from Capital One in 2015 where she worked in project management for Voice related technologies. Kathleen is a MN native, however, in the past 40 years she has lived in OH, CA, AZ and OR- then back to MN in 2013. Her sister (a client of BeechWood) had a long string of unrelated health issues. Kathleen says, “Linda and Kathy were always very supportive of my sister and so I appreciated the care and concern they showed her. What I have found during my time on the board is that all the staff show the same care and concern for every phase of BeechWood.”
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Dianne Shulze
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Dianne is a graduate from St Catherine’s University and has an RN license and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Dianne is a retired Public Health Nurse and worked at Hennepin County for 27 years. Her clients were young disabled adults and she specialized in clients who had brain injuries. Dianne’s main focus was keeping her clients safe in the community and as independent as possible. Dianne says, “This was accomplished by finding the right housing for them and providing the services they needed. Beechwood was an agency that could provide these services successfully. I enjoy being on the Board at Beechwood because agencies like this are keeping young adults out of nursing homes.”
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