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: Sierra Lyon
Sierra is a La Crosse, Wisconsin native receiving her Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Viterbo University with a major in Marketing. She also received a Master’s Certificate from the University of California – Davis in Fundraising and Development. Her love for nonprofit work started when she founded Abilities in Harmony – Adaptive Show Choir Camps in 2017 at age 19. Abilities in Harmony provides middle and high school students with special needs an opportunity that they wouldn’t ordinarily have to sing, dance, and perform on stage. Sierra is an active member of the La Crosse Rotary After Hours Club and the La Crosse Women’s Alliance. She enjoys traveling, waterskiing, volunteering, and playing with her kitties in her free time

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: Karen Nelson

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:

  • Jess Parks
  • Sydney Vian

Part-Time:

  • Chelsea Dalton
  • Morgan Michel
  • Kim Christianson
  • Jack Johnston
  • Delaney Schultz

La Crosse Co. Outreach Staff

  • Outreach Advocate: Tianna Hail
  • Outreach Advocate: vacant
  • Outreach Advocate: vacant
  • Outreach Advocate: vacant
  • DART, Victim Service Coordinator:  Rita Carranza
  • Facilities Manager:  Luke Wenzel
  • Trauma Specialist: Alexandra Bice, MA, LPC-IT
  • Volunteer & education Coordinator: Doreen Olson
  • Youth & Family Advocate:  Jen Scaccio, CSW

Trempealeau Co. Outreach Staff

  • Outreach Advocate: Leticia Halverson
  • Outreach Advocate:  Sally
  • Outreach Advocate:  Kim Jones

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.