Nicole Brudos Ferrara is the owner of Damselfly Forest Therapy and a forest therapy guide certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT). She is also certified in Wilderness First Aid Essentials and CPR through the Institute for Wilderness and Emergency Medicine. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and worked as […]

Artyce Thomas has served as Executive Director of the Women’s Shelter and Support Center since August 2019, leading a domestic violence program that supports survivors across a 10-county region in Southeastern Minnesota. She brings more than two decades of experience in survivor-centered leadership, advocacy, and organizational management. Prior to joining WSSC, Artyce was the Executive […]

Kathy is a Parish Nurse at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minnesota. She received her Master’s Degree in Nursing and Nursing Education from the University of MN and her Clinic Nurse Specialist in Adult Health from Winona State University. She has spent over 40 years in acute health care, working across the continuum of care […]

Amy Krause of A. Krause Studio is a Rochester-based artist whose body of work explores social justice issues, mental health advocacy, cultivating belonging, and connecting to her Korean American heritage. She has a degree in fine art painting from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and specializes in acrylic paint, watercolors, digital art, murals, and art classes. […]

Aubree Derksen is a bilingual Family Resiliency Extension Educator at the University of Minnesota. She has Masters’ Degrees in Early Childhood Education and Parent and Family Education. She’s worked in various settings in children’s mental health, child protection, public health, school-based programs, home visiting, and ECFE. Her current work is focused on healthy relationships, postpartum […]