Our Team

Executive Director

Brian Andrews has served as Executive Director of LARJP for the last five years and has facilitated tremendous growth within the organization. He is involved in several community organizations and frequently volunteers his (limited) spare time to helping individuals and community-wide projects. Passionate about the importance of second chances, fueled by his own lived experience of the criminal justice system, Brian has worked to connect with both staff and clients on a deeply personal level.
Born and raised in Crosby, Brian was crowned homecoming king and had a successful high school football career before getting involved with drugs and alcohol. What followed was a rollercoaster of pain, loss, forgiveness, and redemption. He now has been clean for over ten years, and continues to celebrate life with his wife and kids. It is with this background, leadership, and empathy that Brian leads LARJP to new heights.

Manager of Restorative Practices

Michael is a Minnesota native, growing up and raising a family in the Twin Cities area. He brings with him 30+ years of experience in meeting and exceeding his client’s needs in the medical sales field. He was an entrepreneur and small business owner, helping to improve patient care in hospitals and clinics around the Midwest.
During the COVID Pandemic, he reflected on what was most important to him, which was making a positive impact in people’s lives. He started working in a Group home for vulnerable adults, assisting them with their day-to-day lives. Then an opportunity came to become a Peer Recovery Specialist in the Brainerd Lakes area. This came at the perfect time for him.
He has close family ties to this area and was able to relocate to support his aging parents, while also living out his newfound purpose of working with people one-on-one to help them improve aspects of their lives. During this work he was given an opportunity to become a volunteer with LARJP. It was the result of this volunteer work that he found his purpose; to help turn lives around toward a path of success and achievement.

Restorative Practitioner

Ash DeCent is honored to serve the Lakes Area Restorative Justice Project as a Restorative Practitioner, bringing with her a deep commitment to community, healing, and second chances. A mother and woman of faith, Ashley’s passion for restorative justice is shaped by lived experience and over a decade of working in human services in Crow Wing County. She is dedicated to breaking generational trauma and forging futures in resiliency, believing that accountability and compassion belong in the same sentence. Outdoor adventure and appreciating God's beauty keeps her grounded and able to keep fighting the good fight. Ash is committed to serving the Lakes Area community by helping build safer, more connected spaces where people are seen, heard, and restored.

Restorative Practitioner

Alyssia Fearing is a Restorative Practitioner, mother of three, and current Social Work Student pursuing her bachelor's degree. With over 12 years of personal recovery, she brings lived experience, compassion, and a deep commitment to helping others create positive change. Alyssia is passionate about serving her community, supporting youth and families, and promoting accountability, healing, and meaningful connections. She believes people are more than their past mistakes and that everyone deserves the opportunity to grow, rebuild, and move forward.

Restorative Practitioner

Suz Lamusga brings over 20 years of experience in sales, customer service and more than a decade of entrepreneurship and self-employment.
Suz has a long history of community service, previously serving as a Family Readiness Leader with the Army National Guard. Suz currently serves as President of the Lakes Area Valor Lions Club that focuses on students and service. She also is a volunteer with many organizations in the BLA. Her dedication to service has earned her two Presidential Volunteer Service Awards and the Army National Guard Volunteer of the Year Award.
As a cancer survivor, wife of a combat veteran (retired), daughter of a Vietnam veteran, and mother of two daughters, Suz understands the importance of resiliency, empathy, connection, and community.
Suz’s personal experiences have shaped her passion for restorative justice, inspiring her to build meaningful connections, empower others to use their voices, and create safe spaces where everyone feels heard, valued, and supported. Through her work at LARJP, she brings advocacy, empathy, and a commitment to helping young people take accountability, repair harm, and build stronger connections within their communities.

Board Chair

Steve Berg is a retiree of 3M Company that moved to the Brainerd Lakes area in 2018. After retirement, he was encouraged to engage in the community through volunteering, and after just a short search, came to the conclusion that LARJP was a good fit in that he truly believed in the program and possessed some necessary business skills that LARJP and the Board could utilize. That has now turned into almost six years on the board, the last three serving as Board Chair. It has been a great opportunity to help strengthen and grow this particular organization and that of the great BLA as well. However, one must always leave room in the schedule for ice fishing, boating, travel and many other activities that make retirement up here in the northland so great!

Board Officer

Jon has been a Brainerd resident his entire life. He currently works for CLA as a Principal in the Construction group for over 15 years. He joined the board of LARJP in 2013 and has been the finance chair ever since. Jon believes in LARJP’s mission and has seen the impact it can have in peoples lives.

Board Officer

Julie Truschel is the President of Community Supervision Solutions, a consulting firm that assists corrections agencies achieve better outcomes through implementing evidence-based practices. She has an extensive employment history in criminal justice, working since 1985 in various capacities of juvenile and adult corrections. Time dedicated to LARJP is important to her, because using restorative justice practices is proven to help people stay out of the system, which is the single most effective way to improve individual lives while also reducing costs for everyone.

Board Officer

Kassidy Rice lives in Brainerd with her husband and youngest two children. She also has two grown daughters and an adorable grandson. Kassidy works for Sourcewell in Staples as the Manager of Education Solutions which provides services and supports for regional public schools. Her experiences as a teacher, church youth leader, and foster/adoptive parent have instilled a passion for empowering each young person to become the best version of themselves.

Board Member

Jennifer Fundine is a special education teacher MspEd. Having spent 22+ years in education, she has worked with youth of ages through many roles in a multitude of programs including traditional schools, shelters, mental health facilities, chemical dependency treatment centers, correctional placements, work programs, and day treatment facilities. Jennifer believes that collaboration through positive relationships and belonging are keys to personal growth, resiliency, and independence. Jennifer experienced her first healing circle about 15 years ago and was re-introduced about five years ago after one of her students told her about a "meeting" he had after school, and asked her to accompany him as a support person. She's been connected to LARJP as a direct and indirect supporter ever since.

Board Member

Drew comes from working in the criminal justice background, working as a law enforcement officer in the area for over 7 years and a school resource officer for 4 years. Prior to that, he worked in corrections for a year and a half, and interned with probation during college. He played football at my alma mater Minnesota Crookston. Currently, he lives in the Brainerd lakes area, enjoying his free time hunting and fishing. He first became aware of LARJP during my first year as an SRO and have worked closely with them ever since.

Board Member

Biography Coming Soon. Please check back!

Board Member

Boozhoo Nindenawaymaganigidoog ! (Hello, my Relatives, Ojibwe)
My name is Suzanne Wise and my Indian name is Aazhinangookwe which means Shooting Star Woman. Apart from my years in college I have lived my entire life on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation on the beautiful shores of Mille Lacs Lake.
I have a master’s degree in social work from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, as well as a degree in drug and alcohol counseling from Minnesota North College. I am also the proud Mother of four beautiful daughters and my husband Dan is from Brainerd.
I have been involved in the Lakes Area Restorative Justice Program (LARJP) for about two years. Like many of our Volunteers I started out facilitating groups. I first learned about the program when I saw a Peacekeeping workshop offered by LARJP on social media. Restorative justice has always been an interest of mine when I was able to witness a group of Alaskan Native people, who are the original people to utilize peacekeeping practices in restorative justice circles do a presentation at a National Native conference nearly 40 years ago.
I attended the workshop, met several volunteers and connected with the Staff. Over time, I was invited to sit on the Board because of my background in counseling, facilitation, social work and being a Bush Foundation Change agent. I was drawn to the team-based approach and the way the process helps young people recognize that making a poor choice does not make them a bad person. Youth can take responsibility, learn from the mistake and choose who they want to become. I look forward to continuing the work in the community as a Board member.