Volunteers support the work of Valley Outreach in many different capacities. Being on our Board of Directors is a great way to advance the mission. We are excited to announce our new board chair, Claudia Swendseid (pictured above), three new board officers, and welcome a new board member!

Meet Claudia, Board Chair

Claudia Swendseid has been elected as the new Board Chair. She has vast knowledge of the non-profit sector and brings with her a passion for making a difference.

Claudia has been involved with organizations seeking to mitigate the effects of poverty since she can remember. Growing up, her family volunteered at organizations serving families experiencing homelessness, helping resettle refugees, addressing literacy, and more.  Once she started her professional career, she continued to volunteer for a mix of social service and social justice focused organizations as time allowed. She even served on the board of Solid Ground – an organization that provides families experiencing homelessness with safe, stable housing and an array of supporting services. Now retired from a successful career as a senior executive with Federal Reserve Bank, Claudia is focusing her efforts on volunteering and advocating for causes that matter to her.

Claudia learned about Valley Outreach from a friend and fellow board member and knew it was an organization she wanted to be part of. She said, ” I was very impressed with the mission and impact on improving the lives of families in our community and beyond.  Valley Outreach was certainly an organization that I could wholeheartedly support and want to help succeed.  Bottom line, Valley Outreach approaches its work and its clients in a manner consistent with my own values.”

As board chair, she hopes to foster a positive and inclusive environment where all board members feel valued and engaged in the board’s work and that their skills are leveraged efficiently. 

Meet the New Board Officers

The first new board officer is Eliza Chlebeck, Vice Chair. Eliza is a seasoned professional with extensive experience as the Sr. Director of Communications & Community at Andersen Corporation. She brings an abundance of corporate social responsibility knowledge and skill to our team. This is Eliza’s second year on our Board.

The second new board officer is Heather Hammond, Secretary. Heather is a successful leader with a passion for giving back to the community. In addition, Heather is Philanthropy Officer at Guild and deeply understands the unique challenges and opportunities nonprofit organizations face. Heather’s board term started just under a year ago.

The third new officer is Steve Scallon, Treasurer. Steve is a retired pediatrician with a history of commitment to improving the lives of those in need. Steve brings energy, enthusiasm, and ideas to our team, and has served with us for six years.

Meet Tiffany, Board Member

We are also excited to welcome Tiffany Parr as a new board member. Tiffany is the CFO at McGinty Road Partners. Tiffany has a unique background in the nonprofit sector and valuable connections within the community, which will be highly beneficial as we continue our work to serve the community.

We are incredibly grateful to have these talented individuals serve on our Board of Directors, and we look forward to the great things we will achieve together.

We review board candidates on a rolling basis and encourage individuals, with one or more of the following, to apply: candidates who identify as Black, indigenous and people of color; people who identify as LGBTQ+; individuals with personal knowledge and experience using food shelves and support programs; applicants with professional expertise connected to our work in basic needs services. If you would like to learn more about our board of directors, please visit Team & Board of Directors – Valley Outreach (valleyoutreachmn.org).