Our Beacons Leadership
Beacons is co-created and co-led with young people, families, schools, and youth development organizations.
Our Beacons Leadership Team represents the voices of young people from Beacons programming across the region, with representatives from each high school and input from all Beacon Centers. This work launches each year with our Beacons Leadership Camp Retreat where youth leaders in grades 3-12 have an immersive overnight leadership experience led by youth for youth.
Our staff team for Beacons is intentionally representative of the strengths and diversity of our Beacons communities, with 55% of our staff team being alumni of the programs and/or the school districts, and 77% of our staff team identifying as BIPOC. These talented leader bring joy and connection into the Beacons schools each day.
Meet our Core Network Staff
Hayley Tompkins
Program Executive
Shakira Onwuachi
Minneapolis Beacons Network Director
Amy Vilayrack
Richfield Beacons Network Director
Suzie Vue
Beacons Network Specialist
Ashan Jayasuriya
Program Evaluation Specialist
YMCA Beacons Leadership
Community Ed Beacons Leadership
Boys & Girls Club Beacons Leadership
Our Executive Leadership Advisory represents the boards and stakeholders of each major partner and includes:
Jenny Collins, Executive Director for the University Y and Beacons Network with Y of the North
Hayley Tompkins, Program Executive for Beacons Network
Glen Gunderson, CEO of Y of the North
Shelly Carthen-Watson, CEO of the YWCA of Minneapolis
Terryl Brum, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities
Dr. Latanya Daniels, Assistant Superintendent for Richfield Public Schools
Aviva Hillenbrand, Executive Director of Community Education for Minneapolis Public Schools
Patrick Troup, Vice President of Student Affairs, Minneapolis College
Jenny Collins, Executive Director for the University Y and Beacons Network with Y of the North
Hayley Tompkins, Program Executive for Beacons Network
Glen Gunderson, CEO of Y of the North
Shelly Carthen-Watson, CEO of the YWCA of Minneapolis
Terryl Brum, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities
Dr. Latanya Daniels, Assistant Superintendent for Richfield Public Schools
Aviva Hillenbrand, Executive Director of Community Education for Minneapolis Public Schools
Patrick Troup, Vice President of Student Affairs, Minneapolis College