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.

Program Manager

Jeanine is a Parent First to an adult daughter who is currently serving in the United States Marines. Over the years, Jeanine has served the community in various ways, through working with children from Head Start ages to teens and young adults. She spent years working with the Crisis line overnight, serving at her church, working for the school district and with children and in the private sector. In her personal time, she is a board member of a nonprofit organization which focuses on supporting marginalized communities. It is with this passion for people that Jeanine is helping to grow and revolutionize LARJP. She likes the color green and fluffy things.

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.

Board Officer

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

Melanie R. Dotty has been working as a lawyer in Crow Wing County for the past 27 years. She has worked in the juvenile court system for many years. After working firsthand hand with juveniles charged with crimes, she grew to appreciate the need for restorative justice practices. She has witnessed the amazing services that LARJP has provided to the youth in our community. She has been a LARJP board member for several years.
When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

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

Angel Zierden currently serves as the Mayor of Breezy Point and has been active in drafting state legislation for over 10 years. She also serves on the Government Affairs Committee for the Brainerd Lakes Chamber and is a Board Member for Relationship Safety Alliance. Her full-time work includes real estate investment and is currently working on a workforce housing development with space for childcare. As a child, she witnessed domestic violence and experienced abuse, but eventually escaped to a women's shelter with her mom and two younger siblings at the age of five. Through these and other life experiences, she believes that prevention and restorative justice are key solutions to addressing many problems with our youth today, which is why she joined the Board for LARJP. Angel enjoys running marathons and spending time with her husband Teddy and their four children, Lily, Liam, Luka and Luxen.

Board Member

Biography Coming Soon. Please check back!