Staff
Anna Leighton, Executive Director
Faith’s Lodge is happy to welcome Anna Leighton to the position of Executive Director. Anna replaces interim Executive Director Kristi Gray Shepherd, who helped establish and gain exciting momentum for Faith’s Lodge during the past eighteen months. Anna Leighton joins the organization with ten years of nonprofit experience, most recently as the Director of Development for Conservation Minnesota and the Director of Development for Bethesda Hospital. Anna earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Olaf College, and will earn a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from Concordia University in May.
Kristi Luenzmann, Program Director
Kristi comes to Faith’s Lodge with over 16 years of experience working with children and families in both traditional and non-traditional settings. She has worked as a child life specialist at some of the top institutions in the nation including Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins. In addition, she worked at the Ronald McDonald House of the Upper Midwest where she helped to establish a house-based child life program, the first of its kind in the country. As a child life specialist, Kristi has worked to help children and their families understand and manage challenging life events and stressful health care experiences. In this role, she worked alongside parents, children and their families in the midst of crisis, grief and loss to offer support. In addition to Kristi’s clinical work, she is skilled in the areas of program development and management and is passionate about working to make a difference.
Evelyn Nyberg, Manager of Lodge Operations
Evelyn (Evy) Nyberg comes to Faith’s Lodge with 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry. She has been Operations Director for private clubs and city clubs in the Twin Cities, and for the last seven years she has managed operations, sales, and marketing for The Lodge at Crooked Lake in Siren, WI. Evy has outstanding connections in the Burnett County area, is a community volunteer and was a Girl Scout leader for five years. She is very excited to be a part of Faith’s Lodge, and her main focus will be to ensure an excellent guest experience.
Family Programming Funded By Ronald McDonald House Charities, Upper Midwest