The Board

Family Tree Clinic is a nonprofit community clinic governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Our mission is to provide quality, confidential reproductive and sexual health care services to diverse communities.

The clinic, which has been in operation since 1971, provides medical, educational and referral services to many different groups. Discrimination at any level of the organization on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital status, disability will not be tolerated. Family Tree Clinic maintains a strong commitment to reproductive freedom and provides service in a manner that maximizes patient access to all legal medical options.

Board members are selected on the basis or their commitment to the vision and mission of the organization. Family Tree Clinic Board members are expected to serve on at least one committee or task force as well as the Board. Our Board members include patients, community leaders, professionals in the health care field and nonprofit leaders.

Board of Directors Diversity Statement

The Family Tree Clinic Board of Directors respects and values the diversity of all its patients, staff, and Board members.

The Board of Directors defines diversity as individuality. This individuality includes a wide spectrum of attributes, such as personal style, age, race, ethnic heritage, sexual orientation, language, physical ability, religious affiliation, family, citizenship status, socio-economic circumstances, education, political affiliation, and life experience.

A diverse Board of Directors creates an inclusive environment in which a full range of ideas and information can be exchanged, leading to fuller and richer Board decisions that will best serve the clinic and its patients.

A diverse Board of Directors makes good business sense and will help ensure the on-going and future growth and success of the Family Tree Clinic.

The ability of the Board of Directors to know its patients depends on the Board members’ understanding the diverse communities that the clinic serves.

To be most successful, the Family Tree Clinic must fully integrate diversity into the clinic’s culture and standard practices and processes and this will be facilitated by a diverse Board of Directors.

To download the diversity statement click here

Why Become a Board Member?

There are many reasons individuals become Board members:

• Gain Board experience
• Get involved in public policy discussions
• Influence the legislative process
• Actively put one’s passion for reproductive health to work
• Have a rewarding and dynamic volunteer experience
• Get involved in the community on a grassroots level

We invite you to consider serving on our Board. The Family Tree Clinic Board of Directors currently meets ten times a year.

For more information contact:

Alissa Light, Executive Director
1619 Dayton Ave. #205
Saint Paul, MN 55104
651-523-0171 ×129
alight@familytreeclinic.org

Board of Directors

Ericka Webb-President of the Board of Directors

• Ericka is a communications manager at Best Buy, specializing in non-traditional communication methods such as viral internal campaigns and virtual discussions with leadership. She brings a unique perspective from her education in both science and communications, as well as previous board experience. She joined the Board in 2007 to continue her focus on improving reproductive and sexual health care services for all women as a means to a productive, successful life.

Lynelle Wood-Treasurer

• Lynelle, Treasurer & Chair of the Finance committee, works in Human Resources and Labor Relations and became a board member in 1996. She has volunteered at the Tree as a health educator for many years and joined the Board to become more involved in the policy and governance of the clinic.

Kathy Larkin-Vice President

• Kathy has worked in staff and operational roles in various organizations over the past 25 years. Kathy joined the board in 2009 because she believes that providing quality, affordable sexual health care and education is vital to our community.

Jonathan Oppenheimer-Secretary

• Jonathan is a Health Educator for the Health Start school-based clinics in Saint Paul, doing primarily reproductive and sexual health-related counseling in four public high schools. After a brief stint at Family Tree as a volunteer educator, he joined the Board in 2010 because he has a belief that all people deserve the right to honest, accessible, affordable, and competent sexual health care.

Adrienne Dorn

• Adrienne is Director of Development at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. She also works with Minnesota 2020, an organization that research and reports on public policy issues and Ka Joog Nonprofit, an organization that empowers Somali youth. In her spare time, Adrienne attends live music events and runs.

Ashley Gotreau

• Ashley is a Senior Development Associate for the Center for Victims of Torture where she manages the direct mail and monthly donation program.  Before CVT, she lived and worked for a nonprofit in Washington DC working in development and communications.  She is passionate about human rights, women’s reproductive rights and access to affordable health care for all.  

Matt Halley

• Matt has been the Executive Director of Cookie Cart, a North Minneapolis-based youth employment program, since September 2004.  He has 20 years of experience in youth and family programs, both in direct service and leadership roles.  He has developed expertise in a variety of vulnerable youth intervention strategies and the administration of programs that support them.  His interests include experiential learning, GLBT youth, and crisis/family intervention.

Emily Hawes-Van Pelt

• Emily is an obstetrician-gynecologist in the northwest metro with interests in adolescent medicine and sexual health.  She recently returned to Minnesota after training in Tucson, Arizona and attending medical school in Atlanta, Georgia.  As a Macalester student, she utilized the services of Family Tree Clinic and appreciated the excellent care and the Tree’s commitment to serving the community.  She joined the board in 2011 because she believes that all people deserve access to outstanding healthcare.

Josh Larson

• Josh Larson is a Health Information Manager at Pediatric Home Service, a Roseville-based home care and DME agency providing care and services for medically-fragile, technologically dependent children. Josh‘s core responsibilities include: patient records, coding, HIPAA & billing compliance, and health information systems. In additio, he is also a licensed Respiratory Therapist of 19 years. Josh recently joined the Board because he is passionate about eliminating sexual health care disparities in the community, especially  those experienced by LGBT youth.

Erin Morgan

• Erin Morgan is a marriage and family therapist working at the Center for Victims of Torture as a Clinical Advisor for International Programs. Prior to working at CVT, Erin worked in mental health clinics, domestic violence and abused children’s shelters, and in private practice. She joined the board because of her interest in promoting thoughtful family planning and expanding access to high-quality health care.

Anne Tatro

• Anne is a registered nurse with experience in the areas of trauma and surgery, as well as public health and working as a sexual assault nurse examiner. She has a Masters in Public Health Nursing with a focus on adolescents. She joined the board in 2010 because she is passionate about reproductive health and education in our communities as well as improving access for those in need.

J. Michael Wilkerson

• J. Michael Wilkerson is a Research Associate at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health. He is a principal investigator of two NIH-funded studies collecting formative data for the development of technology-based HIV prevention tools for U.S. and Indian men who have sex with men.