Katie joined grassroots solutions in November 2011 as a community organizer on the do.town campaign, a community initiative that seeks to make the healthy choice the easy choice. Katie engages residents and organizations from the private, public and nonprofit sectors to build strong networks in Bloomington, Richfield and Edina, MN. Katie grew up in Bloomington and is excited to use innovative and creative ways to empower and connect community members to create policy, systems and environmental change in her hometown.

Prior to joining grassroots solutions, Katie worked with the YWCA of Minneapolis researching the intersections between early childhood education and economics and racial justice, with the purpose of educating and organizing stakeholders around this issue. She received her master of public policy degree in May 2011 at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, with concentrations in nonprofit management and women in public policy. She specializes in engaging community stakeholders, building cross-sector collaborations and using technology to enhance impact within the community.

Katie spent most of her time as a kid on the baseball diamond. With dirt always on her uniform and slightly sunburnt skin, she was an intimidating sight to see. From being the only girl on her Killebrew baseball team at age 10, to playing Division I softball for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, Katie’s experiences in sports shaped her competitive nature, love of camaraderie and team building, and belief in the value of hard work.