Team Member Spotlights

As the lone Rise team member working in the Moorhead area, Becca Benke has her hands full. She works with Rise’s Minnesota Employment Center (MEC) as an occupational communication specialist to support people who are Deaf, Deafblind, and hard of hearing overcome employment barriers. Additionally, she provides job coaching and

When you talk to Ross Wangensteen about his job, the abundance of passion he has for his work comes across immediately. Ross is an employment consultant for Rise, serving on the community support and deployment team. His primary objective is to assist people in finding employment, though there’s a wide

As a mental health practitioner and housing support specialist with Rise, Amanda LaPlante works in the ARMHS (Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services) and Rapid Rehousing programs to assist people with their housing challenges. Through her support, people can get back to living a functional life, find stable housing, and become

For Patty Thurk, preparation is everything.
As an employment consultant at Rise New Richmond, Patty’s primary goal is to find employment opportunities for people. Accomplishing that goal calls for Patty to take on a wide variety of tasks—ranging from employment coaching to networking with local business leaders to find new

Jebb Anderson’s official title at Rise is an employment specialist, but the vast scope of his role makes it challenging to summarize all that he does in a single job title. Jebb has many skills in his tool belt and plenty of passion for the Rise mission, which allows him

As a direct support professional at Rise’s Adult Day Program in Fridley, Habie Jalloh arrives to work each and every day with a wide smile on her face with the goal of always going the extra mile. Talk to anyone that interreacts with Habie at Rise, and you hear the

Currently the program supervisor at Rise’s Coon Rapids site, Antiwnette Holliday is proof that great things come to people who work hard and bring passion to their work.
Antiwnette joined the Rise organization five years ago as a temp, and her talent and potential were quickly recognized and rewarded with

Paul Kuhlman is a housing support specialist with Rise’s Employment Innovations and Rapid Rehousing programs serving people in Central Minnesota. In this role, Paul serves as a vital advocate for people who have mental health issues by assisting them find affordable housing. He then helps them make a smooth transition

Santos Flores brings a tremendous amount of professionalism, positivity, and passion to his work with him each and every day at the Rise Spring Lake Park production facility where he works as a warehouse supervisor. When you talk to Santos, it’s easy to be impressed by his infectious positive attitude

When you cross Amanda Jarnagin’s path, expect to be greeted with an enormous smile that matches her heart. She loves to start her day with a good laugh before rolling up her sleeves to begin her work.
Amanda is a direct support professional in a program that works with Deaf