Staff and Board of Directors

Leadership Team

Executive Director: Ann Kappauf
Ann Kappauf has a degree in nursing and certification in business management. She has over 30 years of leadership experience with nonprofit agencies. She has been a certified instructor of Crisis Prevention Intervention, a Boy Scout troop leader and a board member of the Houston County ABC Works, Inc. Ann lives in rural Minnesota with her husband and children. She is also a survivor of domestic violence.

Development Coordinator: TBD

Program Coordinator: Heidi Svee
Heidi Svee studied Political Science, Public Administration & Women’s Studies at UW-L.  She also completed the Nonprofit Leadership Development Program at Viterbo University.  She has held several positions within local nonprofits and served as WI State Office Administrator for a national nonprofit out of Washington D.C.  Heidi has served on numerous local and national racial equity initiatives, most recently as Community Facilitator for Creating a Healthier Multicultural Community in La Crosse.  She is a single mother to three children and two rescues – a cat and dog.  She is a survivor of rape and domestic abuse.

Business Manager: Stephanie Moore
Stephanie Moore studied psychology at Walden University and accounting at Tech school.  Working to help Domestic Violence survivors has been a passion of hers for several years that stems from her being a domestic violence survivor herself.  She has been with our agency for 2.5 years as Crisis Advocate before merging into the Business Manager position, and her mission to pay it forward in every aspect pushes her to strive at 110% for our agency.

Lead Crisis Advocate: Sherri Larsen
Sherri Larsen is the Lead Crisis Advocate for the shelter and has worked in the domestic abuse field for over 25 years. She also is in recovery from alcohol for over 25 years and sponsors many native women in pursuing their early path of recovery. She is a proud member of the Anishinaabe and Dakota Nation. She is the mother of five children and sixteen grandchildren, along with many in the community who call her “Mama Sherri.” She is a survivor of child abuse, domestic abuse, and rape culture. She once sought safety at New Horizons Shelter over 30 years ago and now shelters others there to keep them safe.

Lead Outreach Advocate: Jen Scaccio
Jen Scaccio wears two hats within the agency. One as our Youth and Family Advocate and one as our Lead Outreach Advocate. Jen graduated from Viterbo University in 2009 with a BA in Social Work. She started her journey here as an intern in the Legal Advocacy Program, fell in LOVE with the mission and was hired shortly after. Jen’s passion for working with families comes from her resilience from childhood trauma.

 

Crisis Advocates at Shelter

Full-Time:

  • Stephanie Goebel
  • Katrina Sletten

Part-Time:

  • Margaret Killian
  • Sydney Vian

Back-Ups:

  • Courtney Conway
  • Korto Thrune
  • Morgan Richman
  • Nicole Thomas
  • Agnes Reis
  • Kimberly Christianson
  • TBD

La Crosse Co. Outreach Staff

  • Anti-Human Trafficking Advocates: Anna Kivi
  • Culturally Responsive Advocate: Tianna Hail
  • Resource Advocate (Shelter-Focused): Karen Nelson
  • Resource Advocate (Community-Focused): Rosanne Northwood
  • DART, Victim Service Coordinator:  Rita Carranza
  • DART, Multicultural Advocate:  Xia Moua
  • Diversity Advocate: Lynda Crowley
  • Facilities Manager:  Luke Wenzel
  • Trauma Specialist: Alexandra Bice, MA, LPC-IT
  • Volunteer Coordinator: Erica Borde
  • Youth & Family Advocate:  Jen Scaccio, CSW

Trempealeau Co. Outreach Staff

  • Bilingual Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate: Leticia Halverson
  • Domestic Violence Advocate:  Sally
  • Sexual Assault Advocate:  Kim Jones
  • Trauma Specialist: Alexandra Bice, MA, LPC-IT
  • Youth & Family Advocate:  Jen Scaccio, CSW

2021 Board of Directors

Steve Michaels (2021 Chair, Executive Committee)
Insurance Agent

Cassie Heser (2021 Vice Chair, Executive Committee)
Project Manager, Altra Federal Credit Union

Kate Tomten (2021 Secretary, Executive Committee)
Operations Manager, Mayo Clinic Health System

Terri Urbanek (Past Chair, Executive Committee)
Business Counselor and Outreach Specialist, Small Business Development Center

William Berg 
Retired President & CEO, Dairyland Power Cooperative

Carol Robertson
Leadership Development Training Consultant

Dan Roemhild
Manager, DigiCOPY

David Hendricks
Retired Social Worker

Cota Hernandez
Gundersen Health System

Brooke Pataska (Secretary, Executive Committee)
Investigator – Sensitive Crimes, La Crosse Police Department

If you’re interested in serving on the board and would like to apply, please CLICK HERE.