Liz Sjaastad
President

Liz Fiedorow Sjaastad is a longtime advocate for mental health awareness who served seven years on the board of Touchstone Mental Health and is currently President of NAMI MN, Ramsey County. She has lived experience growing up with a mother with anosognosia and schizoaffective disorder. Her memoir, You’re Too Young to Understand, was published in 2025. She continues to speak out against the stigma surrounding schizophrenia through her writing and advocacy. Follow her journey at LizSjaastad.com and on Instagram @lizsjaastad

Jennifer Laforgia
Co-Secretary

Jennifer worked at the Mayo Clinic as a health information writer/editor for 15 years and has facilitated a NAMI Family Support Group for 7 years. She has several family members with mental illness. 

Andy Dawkins
Board Director

Growing up, Andy was the Director of the Summer Rec Program. After college, he was a “streetworker” dealing with “throwaway” youth. As a lawyer (1980-2014) and state legislator (1987-2002), Andy focused on family well-being and later the same as a Hennepin County Family Court Magistrate. He was married for 23 years and helped raise two boys to manhood. One of his sons is currently diagnosed with major depression, anxiety and schizoaffective disorder. Andy states, “Helping him is now my major #1 effort in life; thus my interest in serving on the NAMI Ramsey Board.”

Emily Deusing
Board Director

Emily is a NAMI volunteer who contributes to our mission through professional and advocacy efforts. As a case manager for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, Emily works directly with clients navigating complex mental health challenges. Her background in psychology, social services and housing has given her firsthand insight into the barriers individuals face when seeking care. Emily states, “I am eager to contribute my experience to NAMI Ramsey County, particularly in community outreach, advocacy, and improving access to mental health services. I look forward to  contributing to NAMI Ramsey County’s vital work.”

Andrew Gaspard
Board Director

Andrew’s professional background is in finance, business management, and urban planning, and he is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, the University of Michigan, and the University of Chicago. He serves on the North Oaks City Council and is on the boards of the Ramsey County League of Local Governments and the North Suburban Communications Commission. He also serves on the board of the Walk-In Counseling Center in Minneapolis and is the chair of the strategic planning committee.

He developed an interest in mental health due to a family history of mental illness, which helped him understand firsthand the challenges in understanding, diagnosing, and obtaining treatment and other services.

Michele Gran

Board Director

Michele is co-founder of Global Volunteers, an international development NGO, where she developed and launched a mental wellness initiative in the Ukwega Ward of Tanzania in 2021. Her experience caring for an adult family member living with psychosis, and advocating for NAMI prepared her to volunteer as an online NAMI-MN family support group co-facilitator; a panelist at two NAMI state conferences; coordinate a monthly social-education support group for parents of daughters and sons living with psychosis; and serve on the Ramsey County Adult Mental Health Community Advisory Council. She earned a Master’s Degree in International Communications from Hamline University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She’s grateful to serve on the NAMI Ramsey Board and help develop and carry out educational and advocacy projects for children and adults living with mental distress of all definitions.  

Eric Lowe

Board Director

Eric works as the RamCo Clubhouse Manager.

He holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. While completing his education, he worked in group homes for what is now Radius Health.

After graduating from high school, Eric worked as a firefighter and EMT and later served four years in the United States Marine Corps. Following his military service, he spent several years in the restaurant industry as both a cook and a restaurant manager before pursuing higher education and a career in social work.

After completing graduate school, Eric saw a position posting with Vail Communities through the Minnesota Nonprofits job board. The organization was looking for someone with both Kitchen Management experience and Social Work skills. As Eric describes it, “the right job found me.” He has now been with Vail Communities for nine years and often says that the organization “feels like home.”

Larry Nelsen
Board Director

Larry is a retired pathologist with much experience as an inspector for programs that validate the quality of services offered by hospital laboratories and pathology practices. Larry states, “A member of my family has a serious mental illness that prevents him from working in a profession for which he is otherwise well qualified. His experiences with mental health caregivers have convinced me of the vital importance of open and frequent communication and coordination among psychiatrists, patients, hospitals, social workers, and family members to achieve accurate diagnoses and best treatments for all mental illnesses.”

Lauren O’Brien
Board Director

Lauren has worked for Wells Fargo for over twenty-eight years. She is still going strong in her career, but looking to cultivate other, more meaningful ways to leverage her strengths and contribute to her community.

Like most people, Lauren has personal connections to family and friends with mental illness – mainly depression and anxiety. She’s found that some organizations and individuals provide significant support to those in need. Oftentimes, however, the outcomes weren’t as successful.

She joined the NAMI Ramsey County board to learn about supporting mental health awareness and initiatives in her community. She’s excited to participate in a local organization that can be impactful – and where she can put her energy and passion toward helping those who need compassionate support.

Colleen Oftedahl
Board Director

Colleen worked for MnDOT for 32 years and served on the NAMI Ramsey County board for 6 years. She is on the board for the Ramsey County Adult Mental Health Advisory Committee. She has family members who live with mental health issues.

Michelle Sherman
Board Director

Michelle is a board-certified clinical psychologist living and working in Roseville who has dedicated her career to supporting families of adults living with a mental illness or trauma history. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association’s Society for Couple and Family Psychology, and was named their Family Psychologist of the Year in 2022. She is the Editor in Chief of the journal, Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice. She worked for 17 years in the VA system and as a Professor at the University of Minnesota and Oklahoma medical schools. In her personal life, she writes books (with her co-author mother) for family members who love someone living with a mental illness/PTSD (www.SeedsofHopeBooks.com). Michelle provides individual and couples therapy virtually to adults in over 40 states, and can be reached here

Maria Steffel
Board Director

My life has been shaped by significant caregiving and personal challenges, including supporting a family member with bipolar disorder, raising a child with ADHD and autism, and navigating profound grief after the loss of my grandparents and mother-in-law. These experiences have strengthened my resilience, empathy, and commitment to community-centered work. As Executive Director of NeDA, I bring more than 25 years of cross-sector leadership in finance, business administration, and nonprofit management. I hope to contribute this lived experience, systems-level perspective, and equity-driven approach to advance opportunities and economic stability for the communities we collectively serve.

Christine Tharseo

Board Director – ExOfficio

Christine works as a sexual violence crisis counselor. She has a BA in Psychology and a MA in Human Service with an emphasis on Forensic Behavioral Health. She has family members, friends, and clients with mental health concerns. She is committed to improving education and awareness, ending stigma, and helping families understand ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and their long-term impacts.

Rochelle Underwood
Board Director

Rochelle is a public health nurse with Ramsey County who works with women who have substance use issues, as well as mental health concerns. Rochelle has experience with mental illness in her own family and is hoping to help end the stigma for those seeking care.

Katie Worple

Board Director

Hi, my name is Katie Worple. I’m a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend who loves baking and home improvement projects. I grew up in Iowa and moved to Saint Paul after college to work as a Child Life Specialist at Children’s Hospital.

Mental health was openly discussed in my family, shaped by the loss of my uncle Gary to suicide when my mom was 18. Depression has affected many in my family, including me and our son, a suicide survivor. I’ve come to see my depression as a strength that fosters compassion and empathy.

Having seen gaps and stigma in the system, I’d be honored to champion change. NAMI feels like the perfect place to begin.

Mindy Greiling
Advisor

Mindy was a state representative for 20 years, served on state and national NAMI boards, and is the author of Fix What You Can, a book about her legislative work and her family’s story of her son’s schizoaffective disorder. Mindy is the co-host of the podcast Schizophrenia: Three Moms in the Trenches.

Debbi Gunsell

Advisor

Debbi Gunsell served as Secretary of the Board for NAMI Ramsey County for several years, before taking a break. She also co-facilitated a NAMI Connections group. She lives with mental illness and hopes to go back to school to become a librarian.

Kathy Jackson
Advisor

Kathy recently retired after a 32-year career as an English teacher and administrator in the St Paul Public Schools. She and her husband raised their family in the Como Park neighborhood of St Paul. Faced with the onset of serious mental illness in a loved one, Kathy received invaluable support, information and advice from NAMI. She is committed to serving and advocating for others with mental illnesses and their families.

Ana Kaveh
Advisor

Ana is currently the Coordinator for the Parents as Teachers program at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. In her current position and her past work with the Mind Matters exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota, as well as personal relationships with people living with anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder, Ana has seen the importance of educating the public on mental illnesses.

David Nathan
Advisor

David Nathan is a Licensed Psychologist in St. Paul, MN, where he works as a psychologist for Allina Health and has his own private mental health assessment practice, David Nathan PsyD, PLLC. He specializes in working with clients and families on mental health assessment and dealing with anger management, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Adoption, Screen Addiction, oppositional behaviors, parenting, anxiety and depression. David is the father of two teenage children and enjoys reading, travel, and spending time with family and friends.

Jeff Ronning
Board Director

Jeff grew up in Fergus Falls, attended the University of North Dakota and completed his divinity degree at Luther Seminary.  He has served ELCA congregations in both Greater Minnesota and in St Paul. Peer support is a priority for Jeff.  He wants to help people living with mental illnesses and get connected to the services they need for recovery.  Jeff volunteered to start a new Peer Connections group that now meets weekly in downtown St Paul and has served as its first facilitator. He is also committed to policy work and is familiar with children’s mental health.  Jeff and his wife live in Maplewood and have two adult children.