Who We Are

Staff

  • Amanda Luke is a creative and strategic nonprofit professional with more than a decade of experience leading projects, programs, and communications initiatives that advance mission-driven organizations. Amanda’s expertise spans strategic planning, marketing, events, grant writing, and creative program development, with a particular passion for nonprofit leadership and community engagement. Amanda currently serves as the Communications Specialist for The Grove Initiative and Macalester Plymouth United Church, and is also the Community Engagement Manager at Lakewood Cemetery. She has served in marketing-based board and volunteer roles for a number of local organizations and businesses. Amanda is passionate about bringing people together to build community and grow connections. 

  • Michelle brings more than fifteen years of experience building and leading volunteer programs. She helped launch the first volunteer center at the University of Montana, led community relations and engagement at the Volunteer Resource Center (now HandsOn Twin Cities), served as Volunteer Services Manager at the Minnesota Children’s Museum, and supported numerous organizations through volunteer and events management contract roles.


    Michelle is skilled in volunteer engagement, relationship-building, and strategic program development. She’s passionate about creating systems and experiences that help volunteers feel connected, valued, and motivated, and believes community engagement is more important than ever.

Leadership Committee

  • Tam is a fairly recent Minnesota transplant in his second year of teaching middle school band in St. Paul. He previously worked up north at a YMCA family camp and helped support equity and inclusion programming there, and served for three years as a member of the Luther College Music Department’s Racial Justice Committee. He developed a strong commitment to community service helping out at his childhood church’s free community meals and participating in youth service trips. He is most excited about helping people find ways to engage in service outside of a religious context and to build more connections with his community. He spends his free time playing traditional Irish music and hanging out with his two cats.

  • Margo’s  professional background includes 30 years as a nonprofit business consultant, account manager, and project manager, focused on creative problem solving, solution design, implementation, and quality improvement. Later she served eleven years as an academic office manager, and nine years as an art teacher. I have a BA from Macalester College, majoring in art, minoring in biology. Margo is married with three grown children and a four- year old grandchild. She has been at MPUC for over 50 years where has enjoyed a variety of voluntary leadership roles. Margo is most inspired by addressing justice issues in our community and engaging people in community service, which is why she is so excited to be involved in the Grove Initiative.

  • Janeen has been retired since 2018 after working at the Minnesota State Planning Agency for 6 years, Northwest/Delta Airlines for 20 years, Center for Global Education for 6 years, and Ecolab for 5 years. All of her positions, with the exception of the Center for Global Education, were in information technology focused on strategic planning and project management. At the Center for Global Education she was program director for International Travel Seminars, planning and executing social justice travel seminars for adults in Mexico, Central America, Southern Africa, Cuba and Vietnam.

  • Gail spent more than 30 years working within the nonprofit and government sectors specializing in K-12, higher education, and workforce issues. As the retired Executive Director of Advancement for Inver Hills Community College, she created individual, local and statewide partnerships to build and nurture support for the college and its students.  Gail is excited about The Grove Initiative because it is an important path to volunteerism and community building.  It provides folks who would like to be more involved with their community a structured way to partner with non-profit organizations and be of service to and learn more about our community and our residents. Gail is especially interested in addressing the needs of elementary and middle school students and their families.