Staff & Contact Information
Main Office – 612.872.4226 | Main Fax – 612.822.2510
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Gunnar Liden, Executive Directorgunnar@youthfarm.net 612.872.4226
Gunnar joined YFMP in 1999 and spent his first 7 ˝ years as the Program Director for the West Side neighborhood before becoming the Executive Director in 2006. Gunnar has a degree in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota, with an emphasis in Education and Social Change. Prior to his work at YFMP, he spent 3 years working at the Jane Addams School for Democracy on the West Side of St. Paul leading a variety of youth organized initiatives. He spent time in 2002 organizing and fundraising alongside the Homeland Project, a group of Hmong teens that he traveled to Laos and Thailand with, in order to visit their homeland and families. Currently, Gunnar also serves on the Board of Community Shares of MN, and has also served as a board member (2000 – 2005) and board chair (2005 – 2006) of the West Side Citizens Organization. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, he lives on the West Side of St. Paul with his wife, Kate, and 2 young children.
Phil Rooney, Lyndale Neighborhood Program Director
phil@youthfarm.net 612.990.9261
Phil began working with Youth Farm and Market Project in 2007 as an Americorps member and spent three summers with the West Side program. He has coordinated the Second Shift Youth Commission for the City of Saint Paul and has been the teaching assistant for HECUA's programs based in Oslo, Norway. He spent his first year out of high school as an Americorps NCCC travelling around the Northeast U.S. and eventually graduated from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities with a degree in Political Science. He was born in Canada, but his home is definitely Minneapolis. He is happily married to a former Youth Farm cook, Cate Carlis.
Colin Cureton, Powderhorn Neighborhood Program Director
colin@youthfarm.net 612.872.4226
Colin worked as YFMP summer staff in the Powderhorn Neighborhood in 2008. Prior to that summer, Colin received his B.A. in Environmental Studies at Carleton College in 2007 where he had the opportunity to study food and justice issues in the classroom as well as all over the world, including Western Samoa, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. Since graduating, Colin has worked and served in youth development, community organizing, education, and public policy advocacy at numerous Twin Cities nonprofits. Active in the ‘good food revolution,’ he is the Co-Chair of the Growing Food and Justice for All Initiative’s Education Committee, serves as a board member with Eat for Equity, and prior to coming on board at YFMP worked as a Research Assistant for the Little Earth Food Justice and Youth Empowerment Project. Colin is also currently a candidate for a Masters in Public Policy at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute.
Outside of work and school, Colin can be seen flipping around town with the Afro-Brazilian Capoeira Association, behind two turntables as a local DJ, or biking around town. Colin is originally from Ann Arbor, MI but for many years has been happy to call Minnesota home.
Amanda Stoelb, West Side Program Director
amanda@youthfarm.net 952.220.0953
Amanda started working at YFMP in 2004 as an Americorps member and continued that work for two years. She was hired as West Side Program Director in 2007. She is fluent in Spanish and has strong connections with the youth and families on the West Side. Amanda is an active board member of her neighborhood association. Originally from Sheboygan, WI, she is a graduate of St. Thomas University with a degree in Justice and Peace Studies/Spanish.
Heather Wiitala, Business Manager
heather@youthfarm.net 612.872.4226
Heather started as a student intern in 2000 from the University of Minnesota. From 2000 – 2005 she worked in the Lyndale Neighborhood YFMP as summer staff, serving as the Assistant Lyndale Program Director in 2002, and became Business Manager in 2002. Heather provides strong behind the scenes support of the executive and program staff, as well as the Board of Directors. Originally from Mt. Iron, MN, she is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in Sociology.
