Public Affairs Students Association (PASA)

Clark Koenigs, MPP, President
koeni229@umn.edu

A first year MPP Masters in Public Policy student with a concentration in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy, Clark is a native of McIntire, Iowa. Originally from a family farm, Clark received his Bachelors of Political Science at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. Clark came to the Humphrey School after spending a year working as a Senior Team Leader for Target in North St. Paul. While working for Target, Clark helped start Deutsch Bauer LLC, of which he is currently majority owner. Before coming to the Twin Cities, Clark spent nine months in Fort Collins, Colorado working as damage restoration and trauma scene clean up specialist. Currently, Clark likes to spend his free time mountain climbing, playing guitar, and riding his bicycle.

Cassidy Gardenier, Vice President
garde031@umn.edu

A first year MPP Masters in Public Policy student with a self designed concentration in Advanced Policy Analysis and Public & Nonprofit Leadership & Management, Cassidy has made Minneapolis her home for the past five and a half years. Before coming to the Humphrey, Cassidy worked during the 2010 campaign cycle on two separate campaigns and then helped to reestablish the Young Progressive Majority, Minnesota. She currently serves on the board of directors as Vice President and is actively working to engage young people in the political process through civic engagement. Here at the Humphrey, Cassidy is active in the Humphrey Food Policy Collaborative and working on various research projects surrounding urban agriculture and local foods. Cassidy holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Montana in Missoula Montana. She is active in local politics and spends her "free time" gardening, traveling and taking in the local music scene.

Charley Bruce, MPP, Treasurer
bruc0071@umn.edu

I am excited to be treasurer because I want to ensure the PASA budget continues to be responsibly maintained and can meet the needs of Humphrey students. I want to ensure that Humphrey students can continue to develop new and continue current student groups that enhance the academic diversity and student experience at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Before coming to Humphrey worked as an AmeriCORPS VISTA. I was involved with vendor contract renewal, helped the executive director maintain the operating budget, and I was involved in numerous grant proposals requiring me to understand each line of the organization's budget and explain the important parts to potential funding sources.
I also was a Minnesota Daily political reporter during my undergraduate years. While reporting on Minneapolis city politics, I was often tasked with understanding expenditures affecting the University of Minnesota and the surrounding area. In addition to understanding expenditures, I had to explain their significance to the Daily's readership in articles. I will apply this experience to the Treasurer's responsibilities of updating the PASA membership of the budget and explaining the processes involved with making budgetary decisions

Laura Logsdon, MPP, Secretary
logs0014@umn.edu

I am a first year MPP focusing in Leadership and Management with particular interests in local government management. I attended the University of Iowa where I studied history and English, worked at a museum, and played clarinet in the Hawkeye Marching Band. After graduating I spent two years working at a Volunteer Center as an AmeriCorps member where my interests in Public Affairs developed.
I'm new to the Twin Cities and love exploring neighborhoods, meeting people, hosting gatherings with friends, and participating in outdoor winter activities. The University of Minnesota and the Humphrey School have been very welcoming to me and I'm excited to participate in PASA because I want to be part of an organization that enhances student experiences. I look forward to be involved with continuing to improve communications and engagement between students, administration, and the community.

Jan Saxhaug, MPP Rep
saxha009@umn.edu

My name is Jan Saxhaug, and I am a Masters in Public Policy candidate. I graduated from Luther College in 2004 with a B.A. in history. Upon graduation I enlisted in the United States Army. I served for 6 and a half years, deploying twice to Iraq, and once to Afghanistan. Those years were extremely challenging, but also rewarding in their own way. My job required me to go "outside of the wire" on a regular basis, and afforded me the opportunity to interact with the people and cultures around me. This experience gave me a deep appreciation of the far-reaching impact of U.S. foreign policy abroad. When I left the military I was still drawn to the idea of public service. This, as well as a strong desire to come home to Minnesota, is what ultimately led me to the Humphrey School. I am thrilled to serve once again as the representative for my fellow MPP's to PASA and COGS. Please, if you have any ideas on how to make our experience here at Humphrey any better, don't hesitate to contact me, i'd love to discuss it with you.

Katherine Heilmann, MURP Rep
heil0109@umn.edu

As MURP ( Masters Urban and Regional Planning) Rep, I hope to better integrate MURPS with the rest of the Humphrey School—I think there is often a divide between the various programs but I believe each has much to learn from the other. Before coming to the Humphrey, I worked in various fields, including green marketing, event planning, and teaching English as a Foreign Language. I traveled here and there and eventually landed back in my home state to go back to school. I came to the Humphrey after a yearlong stint in Central America with a renewed interest in sustainable agriculture, food systems, and food policy. I am also interested in systems thinking and sustainable planning and design. Outside of policy and planning interests, I am a social creature and love all activities outdoors, i.e. skiing, camping, canoeing, biking, and playing.

Joseph Dammel, MS-STEP Rep
damm0045@umn.edu

Joseph Dammel is a second-year MS-STEP (Masters Science, Technology Environmental Policy) student who is also pursuing a law degree. His undergraduate degree is in environmental engineering, from Michigan Technological University. In addition to serving as a PASA rep, he is a research assistant in the Center for Science, Technology, and Public Policy, Editor-in-Chief of the Minnesota Journal of Law, Science, and Technology, and a board member of the Environmental Law Society.

Erica Schneekloth, MPA Rep
schn0724@umn.edu

My is Erica Schneekloth and I am a 2nd year MPA (Masters Public Affairs) Student and aspiring to tie my philanthropic endeavors to my existing professional experiences.
I found myself called to the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, because I believe that it is imperative to support agencies and projects which call to you and are passionate about. For me, I am very passionate about historic preservation and community involvement. I believe preservation is essential in maintaining a sense of community within a neighborhood.
I reside in St. Paul's Dayton's Bluff Community and work on a variety of volunteer projects including the on-going renovation of my 1887 year old home.
As your MPA representative, I would like to make sure that each of you are included and connected with your fellow classmates and alumni. Since, I think that all MPA's are a fascinating bunch; I want to know what you're passionate about and how we can network together.

J.B. Sherpelz, MDP, MDP Rep

J.B. Scherpelz graduated from Miami University in 2005 with a degree in political science. Following two years recruiting for Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, a nonprofit focused on developing undergraduates, he moved to Nicaragua in the fall of 2007. Once there, he spent nine months working at a locally run nonprofit helping to develop a scholarship program and teach an English language class. Before coming to Minneapolis, J.B. lived in Chicago and was a recruiter for Ernst & Young. This time cemented his love of the Cubs, deep dish pizza, and stand-up comedy.
J.B. was drawn to the Humphrey School and the MDP (Masters International Development) program in particular for its multidisciplinary approach and focus on teaching applicable skills. He is using the MDP degree to focus on issues involving education, nonprofit management, and engaging communities on a local level. He is also involved with Common Grounds, a university organization that brings together students from Humphrey, Carlson, and the law school to work on a year-long project.
Following his time at the Humphrey School, J.B. would like to work in either corporate social responsibility or at the intersection of the private and nonprofit sectors.

Sara Stalland, MPP, Curriculum Chair
stall046@umn.edu

Fellow HHHians: I am an action-taker and constant strategist—which makes me ideally suited to be Curriculum Chair. Before registering for classes my first semester I talked to as many students as I could to get recommendations on what to take, from whom, and when to take it. Then, I went to Curriculum Conversations a few months into fall semester to get the insider details on these same questions. I have found these information sessions, both formal and not, to be tremendously helpful as I navigate my time here at the Humphrey. To excuse the cliché, the Curriculum Chair position would give me a chance to "pay it forward."
My agenda is simple: to work with students to resolve issues and concerns with their degree curriculum; to serve as liaison to faculty in communicating these concerns; and to further our reputation for excellent academics and professional preparedness.
If you have questions, comments, solutions, and/or analysis regarding anything curriculum, please email me. I enjoy meeting over hot beverages or in focus groups. I look forward to representing you as we improve our HHH academic experience.

Frantzie Saint-Juste, Diversity Chair
saint020@umn.edu

Frantzie is a first year MDP (Masters International Development) student born in Jeremie, Haiti and raised in Orlando, FL. Before coming to the Humphrey Frantzie was a student at the University of Florida majoring in political science with minors in education and international development (GO GATORS!). While at the Humphrey she has enjoyed learning from the academic, professional, and personal experiences of her peers and the faculty and staff all around the U.
As diversity chair she wants to help expand the conversation on diversity to include not only racial differences, but individuals with contrasting sexual orientations, intellectual, and political ideologies. She truly believes that diversity is the one common thread that we all share. So let's work together to create "one Humphrey, one community."
With that said, not having experienced a "true" Minnesota winter, Frantzie is terrified of what next winter has in store for her.

Kevin Ely, MPP, Social Chair
elyx0004@umn.edu

I am a Masters in Public Policy Candidate, concentrating in Public and NonProfit Management. I enjoy all things social: dinners, happy hours, cultural events, and potlucks. I moved from Ohio to Minnesota when I was just 5 years old. Previously, I studied Political Science and History at the University of Minnesota, Morris. After college, I briefly worked on political campaigns in the election of 2004. Following a tumultuous year of elections, I moved on to work as a Mortgage Loan Specialist at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. There, I helped people who were relocating with their company by underwriting, processing, and closing their mortgages. When the corporate relocation and mortgage industry started to hit a wall, I moved on to working in Higher Education. I first worked in admissions at Normandale Community College admitting students. After I worked with transfer of credit and course scheduling in the Registrar's office at Hamline University. I look forward to using my intimate knowledge of the cities to inspire new and different Humphrey social activities.

Kate Noble, MPP, Community Engagement Officer
nobl0062@umn.edu

Kate is first year MPP student with a concentration in Nonprofit Leadership and Management. Originally from St. Paul, she earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. During college she worked as a Youth Job Corps Supervisor mentoring high school students in basic job skills while coordinating gardening projects. After graduating, she lived in Argentina for eighteen months where she focused on becoming fluent in Spanish, teaching English and practicing the impossible balance of contemplating the future while being fully present. Prior to attending Humphrey, she worked at two Minneapolis Public Schools where she taught behind grade-level students and translated for Spanish-speaking families.
She has always prioritized being an engaged member of society and is interested in many issues ranging from education policy and youth development, to transportation and energy policy, to immigration and public health. She hopes you will take time to connect with her so that she can relay your passions regarding the world outside Humphrey to the PASA team. When she's not studying public policy, Kate likes being physically active outside, exploring far-off lands, seeing live music, and trying and learning new things.

Jesse Williams, MURP, Career Development Officer
will3760@umn.edu

Jesse Williams is a first year MURP focusing on Economic and Workforce development. He received his BA from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in Political Science in 2003. Jesse is an active Freemason recently finishing his first term as president of his lodge. As a team player Jesse is extremely creative and flexible. If there is a power vacuum he will fill it but prefers to serve as support to an inspired and directed leader. If you're trying to get to know Jesse you can ask him about his dogs.

Harshada Karnik, Technology Officer
karni032@umn.edu

A first year Master's of Public Policy candidate, Harshada will do a concentration in Advanced Policy Analysis. She grew up in India and did her under grad in Economics at Saint Xavier's College, Mumbai (The College that Obama visited to interact with students). Before coming to the Humphrey School, Harshada worked as a journalist writing about financial planning and covering banking for the personal finance pages. She is passionate about financial inclusion and financial literacy and wants to be involved with the pilots being implemented in India to use technology to take formal banking to the masses. She loves experiencing 'Minnesota', reading and talking to people. When missing from the Humphrey, you will find her at the African Development Centre where she is working as a Communications and Fund Development Intern.