Our Team
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Each day, GHR Foundation staff strive to be of service to people and their limitless potential for good.
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amy goldman
ceo & chair Amy Goldman is CEO and Chair of GHR Foundation, a hope-fueled global funder of service to people and their limitless potential for good. Amy steers the foundation’s direction with optimism and a background in diplomacy and social investment that has inspired new approaches to philanthropy. Under her leadership, GHR elevates powerful movements of faith and inter-faith actors for community-led development; implements systems change strategies across public, private and faith sectors to keep children in families; unlocks significant funding from industry and government to prevent Alzheimer’s dementia and is launching new collaborations with Black, Indigenous and people of color-led organizations to address racial inequities. Amy serves on Georgetown University’s board of directors and is a trustee and vice chair of the board for the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is also a member of Opus Holding board of directors, Visitation School board of trustees (chair), Jesuit Refugee Service International Development Group, Mayo Clinic Leadership Council, and Council on Foreign Relations. Amy previously served as a lead consultant for Washington D.C.-based International Trade Services, where she conducted trade negotiations and crafted investment strategies for global corporate clients. She holds a master’s degree in political science from the University of California at Berkeley, a master's degree in law and diplomacy from Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and bachelor's degree in foreign service from Georgetown University. 
Andrew Dorle
Associate director, investment Andrew Dorle is associate director of investment at GHR Foundation. In this role, he assists the team in developing and implementing investment strategy, monitoring existing investments, and maintaining portfolio reporting and analytics. He is also responsible for the sourcing and recommendation of new investment partners and strategies across a broad range of asset classes. Andrew previously worked at Nuveen investments, where he assisted portfolio managers in various back office functions including corporate actions and portfolio accounting. He also worked as an associate accountant for Bland & Associates, where he assisted in tax return preparation and small business, Native Sovereign Nation and Medicare/Medicaid audits. Andrew earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in accounting and finance from Creighton University’s Heider College of Business. He is also a CFA® charterholder. 
Chris Berger
director, Communications Chris Berger is responsible for communications and innovation strategies that advance program priorities and enhance the impact of GHR and its partners. In this role, he is re-imagining how philanthropy can catalyze social innovation and systemic change while co-leading the $1M BridgeBuilder Challenge. Previously principal of Berger Brands and director of global social impact at Weber Shandwick, Chris has represented clients including American Refugee Committee, Public Radio International, Cargill CSR, This American Life and NEED Magazine. He has supervised teams addressing issues including global development, human rights, freedom of press, environmental sustainability and social entrepreneurship through strategies and programs that engage change-makers around the world. Chris is a British-American Project fellow and member of the Innovation Advisory Board of Sapientia, having formerly served as board member of Global Minnesota, The Push Institute and Urban Boatbuilders. He is also a recent Policy Fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and member of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Minnesota delegation. Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies and political science from Macalester College. 
Dan lauer
senior program officer, children in families Dan Lauer is the senior program officer for GHR Foundation’s Children in Families initiative and works to leverage child protection interventions that strengthen families, deinstitutionalize children and drive further evidence of innovative, family-centered approaches. Partnering with experts in the field, Children in Families uses innovative, research-based solutions to scale and support effective programs while pursuing systemic change through family-centered alliances, systems and policies. Dan was previously vice president of international programs at Holt International Children’s Services in Eugene, Ore. where he worked in various capacities since 1986. During his tenure, his responsibilities included work in Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia, finding permanent, secure, in-country families or family-like settings for children without homes. Dan earned a master’s degree in international development, community and regional planning from the University of Missouri at Columbia, and a bachelor’s degree in community services and public affairs from the University of Oregon. 
kristen grubb
senior Director, Accounting and Financial Reporting Kristen Grubb is the director of accounting and financial reporting for GHR Foundation. She is responsible for financial reporting and analysis, oversight of the annual audit process and oversees the day to day finances of the organization. Kristen previously spent eight years in public accounting, where she specialized in taxes for nonprofit entities, including public charities, large health systems and private foundations and worked with clients to complete their tax filings, consulted on legal entity formation and obtained tax exempt status for the entities. Kristen is a certified public accountant and earned a master’s degree in business taxation from the Carlson School at the University of Minnesota and bachelor’s degrees in accountancy and business administration from the University of North Dakota. 
mary dalsin
program officer, Alzheimer’s initiative Mary Dalsin is a program officer with the Alzheimer’s Initiative. In this role, she contributes to proposal support and design, manages grantee relations and the grants process, and assists in strategic programming efforts. Prior to this role, Mary also engaged with the Global Domain as a Program Manager, providing support to Prepare the Future, Inter-Religious Action and Sister Support Initiatives at GHR. Mary brings an evaluative mindset to her program work at GHR and strives to support grantee partners. Mary’s professional career has focused on program and grants management, project design and evaluation. Previously, Mary served as a program administrator at the Public Health Trust in Oakland, CA and has more than 25 years of experience in grants and program administration, working both overseas and domestically. She brings diverse expertise working in cross-cultural and international settings, engaging equally with all, from local actors to policy analysts to scientific communities. Mary strives to promote collaboration and break down silos, while enabling local communities to develop and communicate their stories. Mary currently serves as a Master Gardener with the Extension office of the University of Minnesota and has lived in Russia and Uzbekistan, working with environmental and health activists and non-governmental organizations. 
Meg Gehlen Nodzon
Senior Program Officer, Education As Program Lead for Education at GHR Foundation, Meg Nodzon uses her expertise in Catholic school governance and deep commitment to racial equity to uncover unique approaches to closing achievement and opportunity gaps within Catholic education. Nodzon is passionate about tailoring educational programs to meet the unique needs of schools and the students they serve. In 2014, as Education Program Officer, Nodzon partnered with the University of Notre Dame to implement a blended learning model at three Twin Cities Catholic schools. Following a successful launch, blended learning was scaled up to five more schools, as part of Notre Dame’s Higher Powered Learning Program. In 2015, Nodzon was responsible for the Twin Cities launch of the Boston College City Connects student support program. Initially piloted in six Catholic schools, City Connects now provides holistic supports to students in ten Catholic schools and a handful of public charter schools across Minnesota. Nodzon is committed to catalyzing effective governance and leadership models in Catholic education. Through a 2015 partnership with the Healey Education Foundation, Nodzon was instrumental in the creation of new school governance pathways in six Catholic schools. By forming Boards of Specified Jurisdiction, this governance model helped distribute management and authority across a lay-led board. Boards of Specified Jurisdiction were added to three additional Catholic schools in 2018. As Senior Program Officer for Education, Nodzon collaborated with several schools to explore a consolidation of operations and the creation of a management organization. These efforts originated the Ascension Catholic Academy, developed as a model to govern the operations of three Catholic schools serving BIPOC scholars. In 2020, Nodzon led the design and implementation of the first Program-Related Expense (PRI) at GHR to rescue a Catholic school facing closure. Nodzon strategically leveraged GHR’s commitment, attracting other funders and partnering with community members to consolidate the school’s multiple debt obligations and re-negotiate school contracts. The school was able to remain open as a result and continues to serve as a cornerstone of the community today. Nodzon is currently a Career Pathways Fellow at the Council on Foundations and earned a 2016 certificate from the Education Grantmakers Institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She previously held arts administration positions at MacPhail Center for Music and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Nodzon earned an M.A from Hamline University and a B.A from the University of St. Thomas. Nodzon serves on the board of Cookie Cart and is a volunteer running coach for Moms on the Run. 
Suzanne Flannigan
Chief Financial Officer Suzanne Flannigan is the chief financial officer of GHR Foundation. She previously served Adler Management, L.L.C., as chief financial officer and vice president, and as controller. Suzanne has served Opus Group companies in various capacities since 1998. Before joining Adler, she served Opus Corporation as an enterprise resource planning implementation manager. She previously served Opus South Corporation as controller. She began her career in the audit department of Arthur Andersen. Suzanne is a certified public accountant and earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees in accounting from the University of South Florida. |
Amelia Corl
managing director, local programs Amelia Corl is managing director of local programs at GHR Foundation, where she manages local programs strategy and advances executive priorities across the program team. Amelia previously served as chief of staff at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), where she led strategic planning, M&E, budgeting, and human capital initiatives. Prior to her work at USIP, Amelia worked at the US Agency for International Development, where she worked closely with the Chief Strategy Officer and the head of the Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning. While there, she advised the leadership team on management, communications, and policy priorities. Amelia also served as a senior consultant at International Business Machines (IBM) in the Global Business Services division, where she led change management projects, IT implementations domestically and overseas, as well as communications activities. Amelia attended the University of Minnesota's graduate program in Sociology and completed her BA at Macalester College. 
BRyan bencomo
INVESTMENT director Bryan Bencomo works closely with the Chief Investment Officer to develop and implement the Foundation’s investment strategies and processes. He is responsible for sourcing investment partners across a broad range of asset classes, with a focus on public and private equity. He also serves as a key contributor to the development and implementation of the Foundation’s investment portfolio analytics. Bryan previously worked at Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, where he was engaged in the sourcing, due diligence, and execution of public and private equity investments. Bryan also previously worked at Allstate Investments, the investments subsidiary of Allstate Insurance Company, where he assisted in the due diligence and monitoring of externally managed hedge fund and long-only equity and fixed income strategies. Bryan earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics with concentrations in finance, accounting and statistics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a CFA® charterholder. 
fred miller
Chief Operating Officer & managing director, biomedical programs Fred Miller serves as chief operating officer of GHR Foundation. In this role, he leads strategic planning for the Foundation and manages its health program, which focuses on curbing the impact of Alzheimer’s disease by investing in prevention research and therapies. Fred is a director emeritus of McKinsey & Company, having served the company for more than 27 years. He launched McKinsey’s Minneapolis office and spent the past decade as a leader in the firm’s healthcare practice, where he helped guide business strategy, new product development and commercial operations for Fortune 500 healthcare companies. Miller has experience leading corporate strategies with a focus on growth and innovation. Fred earned his master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago, where he was a Kemper Fellow. He received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics summa cum laude from DePauw University where he was a National Merit Scholar. 
jen lynch
Human Resources, IT & Facilities Manager As Human Resources, IT & Facilities Manager for GHR Foundation, Jen manages relationships with our service providers and serves as our in-house operations resource. She manages staff meeting and engagement activities, serves as first point of contact for new hires and manages onboarding. Jen works with our IT service provider to develop and implement IT workplans and serves as administrator for software services. She manages day to day activities of the physical and virtual offices, executes and manages contracts, convenes and coordinates the administrative team and ensures smooth operating functions. Jen also coordinates client services and all-foundation activities. She is foundation administrator for Opus Foundation and Enkel Foundation and provides executive level administrative services to the foundation teams to support impactful grantmaking, good governance and effective and efficient operations. Prior to joining GHR, Jen served as operations director for an environmental advocacy organization focused on Minnesota. Lynch earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from St. Cloud State University. 
kevin bennett
senior program officer, twin cities racial equity Kevin Bennett joins GHR as senior program officer and program lead for GHR Foundation’s Twin Cities Racial Equity initiative. He brings a wealth of experience, expertise, compassion, and commitment to develop the program’s initial strategy, oversee a focused grantmaking approach, and provide strategic direction and engagement to community partnerships that address racial wealth and opportunity gaps. Most recently Kevin served as chief equity and impact officer for Ascension Catholic Academy and Church of the Minneapolis, St. Paul Archdiocese. He provided leadership in creating and sustaining culture (ways of being - living, leading, and serving), anchored in humanity and faith, to provide equitable opportunities and outcomes for those most marginalized and underestimated in our communities. Kevin previously held the role of chief of staff supporting strategic initiatives in the office of the CEO for the Achievement Network, a Boston-based nonprofit organization supporting 940 schools serving 330,000 students in 26 states. Kevin also served as a senior executive consultant working in higher education with Greenwood Asher and Associates. He worked with very high research, land-grant, and historically black colleges and universities across the country to develop organizational readiness and capacity in senior leadership. Kevin has worked in the K-12 education space as senior district administrator in the area of fair and equitable practices after serving as K-12 principal of an award-winning magnet school with campuses in downtown Minneapolis and suburban Minnesota. He has served on many boards within the community, and served as an adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Kevin holds graduate degrees in Educational Leadership from Loyola University of Chicago and Hamline University, and a bachelor’s degree from Drake University in Sociology. 
kathleen mahoney
senior program officer, children in families Kathleen Mahoney, Ph.D., works with GHR Foundation’s Children in Families team and has led the Foundation’s work with Catholic women religious. She focuses on efforts that support and strengthen women’s religious life as well as the role of faith in strengthening family life and care for children. Mahoney is the recent past president of Porticus North America Foundation, where her portfolio included global work with faith-based organizations, especially Catholic sisters. She has held academic posts at Washington University in St. Louis, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis and the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, where she founded the Institute for Administrators in Catholic Higher Education. She has served on the boards of the Cristo Rey Network, L’Arche USA and the Louisville Institute. Kathleen was a Spencer Dissertation Fellow and a National Academy of Education Postdoctoral Fellow. She earned a doctorate in education from the University of Rochester and degrees from the University of Toronto in religious studies and the University of Notre Dame in theology. She is author/co-author of two books and various articles on the intersections of faith and education. 
melinda egharevba
strategy and program operations assistant Melinda Egharevba is strategy and program operations assistant at GHR. She works in partnership with the Senior Strategy Officer and the Senior Director, Governance and Operations. In this role, Melinda provides project management, administrative support, and overflow support to the program area and grants management staff within the Program Team. Prior to joining GHR, Melinda served as operations director for an identity-affirming, anti-oppressive care and wellness organization in New York City. She earned an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia in black studies, economics, and business. 
tenzin nordon
program manager, education Tenzin Nordon is program manager for the Education program, focusing on closing the opportunity gap by strengthening Catholic K-8 and higher education institutions. In this role, she provides high-quality grants management, program administration, and continuous improvement support thereby helping GHR achieve its impact goals related to Education. Prior to joining GHR, Tenzin served as Project Manager for the Community Resiliency and Recovery Work Group: one of 8 MN COVID-19 Response Teams established by Governor Walz during the pandemic. She is a daughter of Tibetan refugees and is a leader with a passion and mission to bring sustainable change to communities. Education is one of her core values, and she has devoted 12 years to bringing change to communities via education access and success. She served in a direct-service, program development, and communications capacity at the Get Ready Program at the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. Before her work at Get Ready, she served two AmeriCorps terms with College Possible, helping 39 highly motivated high school students navigate the college admissions process. Finally, she helped co-found and lead Lamton, a local tutoring and mentoring program for Tibetan youth and run by Tibetan youth. Tenzin earned a B.A. in Biology from Carleton College and an M.A. in Organizational Leadership- Strategic Management through St. Catherine University. Her master’s thesis explored how the Tibetan Exile Community can intentionally cultivate leadership among the next generation of Tibetan women. |
Amy Weiser
Accounting Manager Amy Weiser is the accounting manager at GHR, providing accounting services and financial management to GHR Foundation and foundation investment partnership clients. She maintains philanthropy accounting books and records, prepares reports and assists the Director of Accounting and Financial Reporting. Prior to joining GHR Foundation, Amy worked as a senior accountant for Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, a national accounting firm. She was responsible for preparing and reviewing a variety of tax forms with a focus on private foundation tax, trust and estate income tax and family partnerships for her clients, as well as financial reporting for private foundations. Amy is a certified public accountant and earned a bachelor’s of science degree in accounting from Metropolitan State University. 
jason matz
chief investment officer Jason serves GHR Foundation as chief investment officer. He is responsible for developing and implementing an investment strategy that is integrated with and supportive of GHR’s design-build approach to philanthropy in the areas of global development, education and health. Prior to joining GHR, Jason served for a dozen years as Carleton College’s first chief investment officer. At Carleton, Jason was charged with building an investment and operations team, developing and implementing a new asset allocation framework, and partnering with high quality investment managers to develop the portfolio. He worked closely with Carleton’s investment committee to leverage their investment and organizational expertise. Jason was recognized for his work at Carleton in 2015 when Institutional Investor magazine named him endowment manager of the year for smaller institutions. Prior to joining Carleton, Jason was the director of global equity research at investment consulting firm Jeffrey Slocum & Associates, Inc. where he worked with many different types of clients to develop their equity portfolios. Previously, Jason was an investment analyst at the Minnesota State Board of Investment where he managed the fixed income and equity portfolios, respectively. Jason currently sits on the Investment Committees at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota and Benilde-St. Margaret’s, where he is also a board member. Jason is a past board member and treasurer of Wilderness Inquiry. Jason earned a master’s degree in finance from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Boston University. 
kerry medek
Managing Director, Global Programs Kerry Medek is managing director of global programs at GHR Foundation, an independent philanthropy of service to people and their limitless potential for good. As program lead for Prepare the Future, Kerry supports a network of faith and secular actors working tirelessly to improve social systems in ways that promote healing, community and equity, effectively changing hearts, minds and structures for the common good. Accompanying the Catholic Church, other faith institutions and all people of goodwill, she pursues impact by cultivating a culture of care that supports listening, shared learning and experimentation. Previous to this, Kerry supported strategy and learning for the foundation as well as grants management and board operations. Before joining GHR, Kerry was a governance coordinator at the Minnesota State Bar Association, where she managed communications for 21 district bar associations across the state. She also coordinated refugee programs for Catholic Charities of Tennessee, managing a multi-year program serving newly arrived refugees. Her experience includes program strategy, communications and evaluation, community and corporate relations, volunteer recruitment, and financial management. Kerry is active with Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and is past board member and treasurer of Peak Grantmaking. She earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn. 
Molly Morton
Executive Assistant Molly Morton provides executive administrative assistance to the CEO and supports board and committee activities. She has more than 20 years of professional experience in C-level support, marketing and communications, and nonprofit development. Molly earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and public relations from the University of St. Thomas. 
ritt kong
grants management associate Ritt Kong is grants management associate as GHR Foundation. In this role, he provides support to ensure grantmaking operations, systems and data support the mission and strategic goals of the Foundation. Ritt began his career at MicroEdge, as a pre-sales solutions architect, and was then a solutions engineer at Blackbaud. He managed the internal company product databases and was the subject matter expert for the grantmaking solution. He also worked in the corporations and foundations vertical as a solutions engineer, providing product demonstrations to foundations, corporations and non-profits, as well supporting the sales team. Ritt earned his bachelor’s of science degree in Biology at the University of Minnesota. 
Tara Kaushik
Global Communications Specialist Tara Kaushik supports and develops communications initiatives that enhance the impact of the Foundation’s work and offer greater visibility to its partners. A 2018 graduate of Macalester College, Tara earned a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Anthropology. She has previously worked as the Matching Grant Intern at the International Institute of Minnesota, supporting refugee and immigrant clients in finding early employment and becoming financially self-sufficient. She worked as a Program Assistant at Macalester’s Department of Multicultural Life, designing and executing collaborative workshops aimed at creating a more just, equitable campus environment. Most recently, she was a Production Assistant with Macalester Communications, where she was responsible for creating and editing promotional content for the Macalester Moment fundraising campaign. 
samantha bossman
Grants Manager Samantha Bossman is grants manager at GHR Foundation. In this role, she manages grantmaking operations, systems and data support the mission and strategic goals of the Foundation. Samantha was previously the development officer for the Ramsey County Historical Society in Saint Paul, MN. As a department of one, Samantha helped build a quality fundraising program for the Society by securing institutional support, growing the annual fund, and converting and managing the database system. Prior to joining GHR, she held various roles in development for organizations including the National Children’s Museum and the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, a museum highlighting the U.S. women’s suffrage and equal rights movements located in Washington DC. In 2017, she served as JCI St Paul President and board member of the Saint Paul Jaycees Charitable Foundation. She continues to volunteer with local nonprofits throughout the community. Samantha earned a master’s degree in museum studies from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in art history from Earlham College. 
Aoky Sarhan
associate director, investment Aoky Sarhan is associate director of investment at GHR Foundation. In this role, he assists the team in sourcing, evaluating, and monitoring external investment partners across a broad range of public and private equity strategies. Aoky previously worked at the Yale Investments Office, where he covered the Endowment’s global public equity investments, helped to manage the University’s debt program, and participated in the office’s recruiting efforts. Aoky earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Yale College magna cum laude. He is also a CFA® Charterholder. |
