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Breakout Speakers
Get to know the speakers that will be presenting this year's breakout sessions!
Alexandra Eberhart
Project Lead
Association for Nonsmokers - Minnesota
Alex Eberhart, Project Lead with Live Smoke Free works closely with property managers and owners ,residents, and community partners to assist multi-unit housing properties adopt, enforce, and evaluate smoke-free multi-unit housing policies. Her role also includes developing resources, offering guidance on policy compliance, and addressing secondhand smoke concerns. Alex has a BS in Public Health Administration from Winona State University and a MPH from Saint Ambrose University.
Gina Schoenfeld
Regional Prevention Coordinator
Project Turnabout
Gina Schoenfeld is the Southwest MN Regional Prevention Coordinator. She is a Certified Prevention Professional (CPP). Prior to becoming a Regional Prevention Coordinator, she worked at a school district as the Positive Community Norms Grant Coordinator. Gina enjoys spending time with her family, camping and being outdoors.
Jason McCoy
Tobacco Prevention Coordinator
Clay County Public Health
Jason McCoy is the Tobacco Prevention Coordinator for Clay County Public Health in Moorhead, Minnesota. He received his Master of Public Health from North Dakota State University. Jason has been working in substance prevention for ten years, building coalitions, raising awareness, and passing policies reducing tobacco’s & cannabis’ harm. He has led efforts to pass 34 tobacco & cannabis prevention policies. He is building Positive Community Norms – working upstream to address Hopes & Concerns in the DGF school system.
Kris Reed
Co-director
Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center
Kris Reed is the co-director of the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center. She has worked in the substance misuse prevention field for over 30 years. Kris co-authored the national Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training curriculum, and co-authored the textbook, Substance Abuse Prevention: The Intersection of Science and Practice. Kris has worked with states and communities across the nation to bridge the gap between research and practice, assisting prevention professionals in maximizing their effectiveness.
Marisa Katz
Senior Staff Attorney
Public Health Law Center
Marisa Katz is a senior staff attorney at the Public Health Law Center where she provides legal technical assistance on commercial tobacco control issues to public health organizations and advocates nationwide. Marisa was previously a litigator for eighteen years, where she specialized in consumer rights class action litigation. Earlier in her career, Marisa was a staff attorney at SE Louisiana Legal Services, where she provided civil legal services to low-income individuals in Louisiana.
Nicki Linsten-Lodge
Regional Prevention Coordinator
Pine River Backus Family Center
Nicki joined the Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug team as Regional Prevention Coordinator (RPC) for the West Central Region in June 2020. She graduated from Bemidji State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Applied Psychology. Partnering with families and communities in supporting strength-based change has been a passion throughout her career. Prior to becoming an RPC, Nicki was the Youth and Family Service Worker at the Pine River-Backus Elementary School.
Andrea Orest
Public Health Educator
Cook County Public Health and Human Services
Andrea Orest is a Public Health Educator with Cook County Public Health and Human Services, specializing in substance misuse prevention, suicide prevention, and mental health. She is also actively involved in emergency preparedness, healthy homes initiatives, and disease prevention efforts. As a Certified Prevention Professional Reciprocal and Harm Reduction Specialist, Andrea is committed to fostering safer, healthier communities. She lives in Grand Marais, MN with her family, where she continues her work in advocacy, education, and support for public health.
Heidi Glesmann
Substance Use Prevention, Education, and Recovery Unit Supervisor
Minnesota Department of Health
Heidi Glesmann is the supervisor for MDH's Substance Use Prevention, Education, and Recovery (SUPER) Unit. She previously served as Commercial Tobacco Prevention Manager at Washington State DOH, leading the state’s cannabis and commercial tobacco prevention program. Her experience also includes inpatient/clinical support, substance prevention, and mental health promotion at local and state health departments and healthcare systems in North Dakota, Washington, and Minnesota. She completed her MPH at the University of Minnesota, and a B.S. in Biology of Global Health at the University of St. Thomas.
Katie Engman
Program Director
Association for Nonsmokers
Katie Engman is a public health leader with 20 years’ experience building healthy, sustainable communities. She’s known for uniting diverse coalitions, driving strategy, and empowering others to share their stories and advocate for change. Katie specializes in community outreach, policy, project management, youth development, and public speaking.
Laura Bennett
Regional Prevention Coordinator
Carlton-Cook-Lake-St Louis Community Health Board
Laura Bennett is the Northeast MN Regional ATOD Prevention Coordinator. She has served as the RPC for NE MN since March 2007. Laura is a Certified Prevention Professional Reciprocal (CPPR) and has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Health Sciences from The College of St. Scholastica (CSS). She was involved in Students Against Destructive Decisions throughout high school and college. As a student at CSS, Laura was the Alcohol and Other Drug Education Coordinator for three years.
Melissa Perreault
Regional Prevention Coordinator
Polk County Public Health
Melissa Perreault is the Northwest MN Region 1 Prevention Center Coordinator. Melissa has served as the RPC for NW MN since Spring of 2007. Melissa graduated from the University of North Dakota with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. Melissa is a Certified Prevention Professional. Previous to becoming a RPC, Melissa worked with the Polk County Collaborative, the Northwest Minnesota Council of Collaboratives and Federal Safe Schools grantees.
Rachel Callanan
Lead Senior Staff Attorney
Public Health Law Center
Rachel Callanan, lead senior staff attorney with the Public Health Law Center, is the lead attorney for the Center’s Minnesota commercial tobacco program and provides legal technical assistance on commercial tobacco control issues to public health professionals and organizations, legal professionals, and advocates throughout Minnesota and the United States.
Angela Graham
Program Coordinator
Hubbard in Prevention (HIP) Coalition
Angela Graham has worked for CHI St. Joseph’s Health in Park Rapids, MN for 13 years as a Drug Free Communities Grant and Hubbard in Prevention (HIP) Coalition Coordinator. I am a trained Certified Prevention Specialist and an ACE’s Interface Trainer. In my spare time I am an avid cyclist and love spending time with my husband, children, family, friends and traveling.
Jaclyn Frank
Community Outreach Coordinator
Association for Nonsmokers - Minnesota
Jaclyn Frank is a Community Outreach Coordinator for the Live Smoke Free program at ANSR-MN. Jaclyn collaborates with property managers, residents, local public health, and state partners to promote, implement, and evaluate smoke-free multi-unit housing policies. She has a background in mixed-methods research, advocacy, and systems improvement in public health. Jaclyn has a BS in Public Health from Purdue University and an MPH from the Univ. of MN in Public Health Administration and Policy.
Ken Winters
Senior Scientist
Oregon Research Institute (MN location) & Research Advisor, MPAF
Ken C. Winters, Ph.D. is a Senior Scientist at the Oregon Research Institute (MN location). Previously he was a Professor, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota, where he founded and directed the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research for 25 years. He co-founded Smart Approaches to Marijuana Minnesota. He has been an active researcher in the area of adolescent behavioral health for over 40 years.
Laura Daak
Program Director and Program Coordinator
MPA Foundation & Minnesota Prevention Alliance (MPA)
Laura Daak is an experienced grant coordinator and a certified substance misuse prevention specialist who has over 23 yrs of experience. She has held a Certified Prevention Professional Advanced (CPPA) Certification since ‘08. She promotes and builds the capacity of coalitions, guides substance misuse prevention specialists and provides technical assistance to communities working in the field of primary prevention. She currently is the MPA Foundation Program Director and the Minnesota Prevention Alliance (MPA) Program Coordinator in the State of MN.
Merri Guggisberg
Parent Coach and Speaker
MKG Parent Coach
Merri Guggisberg is a certified parent coach and founder of MKG Parent Coach. She supports parents, caregivers, and professionals in building emotionally connected families through practical, strengths-based strategies. Merri brings over 20 years of experience in parenting education and community programming to her work with schools, organizations, and prevention professionals.
Willow Anderson
Senior Staff Attorney
Public Health Law Center
Willow Anderson is a Senior Staff Attorney with the Public Health Law Center, focusing on advancing public health through law and policy. She is a Minnesota Supreme Court Qualified Neutral and Mediator. Willow holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Minnesota and a J.D. from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Her work demonstrates a strong commitment to innovative legal strategies and interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance community health.
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