Meet the Team
There's a lot of heart that goes into making A Place For You everything that it is today. Here's a glimpse into the heartbeat of APFY!
Vicki VanderVegt
Executive Director
Mathew Viney
Shelter Manager
I work at A Place for You in Pine City, Minnesota. My official title is shelter manager. Under this position, I manage the day-to-day operations at the shelter I also supervise the support staff and advocate and case manage all the clients that we serve.
I also live in Pine City with my wife and five children. In the summer our family enjoys getting outside and visiting state parks and in the winter we enjoyed playing video games and watching Netflix. I grew up in central Minnesota an hour north of the Metro. Growing up my family experienced some of the same barriers that the clients I work with today are experiencing.
In 2006 I graduated high school. I lived and worked in the same area I now serve. It wasn't until 2017 that I started school at Pine Tech in Pine City Minnesota. I then transferred over to the Cambridge Community College where I finished my associate's degree. Currently, I'm working on my bachelor's degree at Concordia Saint Paul. My major is psychology. I do not know what the future holds as far as education is considered. I do know that I am fascinated by people and that I will continue to learn and grow in this field.
My approach is building relationships. When it comes to any part of my job the relationship I have with the person I am working with determines my success. I strive to create a safe place for people to talk and express themselves without fear of judgment. Once there is a level of trust established then the real work can begin. This looks different for every person. I also call on my team at the shelter along with other agencies and the community to help remove barriers. There is no way to succeed alone, by building relationships and asking for help when it is needed I have found some success in my work.
Michelle Young
Board Chair
Michelle grew up in White Bear Lake, MN, and briefly lived in Michigan before making her home in North Branch with her husband and three children, where she's been for the last 25 years. She has degrees in Elementary and Secondary Education and nursing, as well as a Master's degree in Psychology. Michelle often calls herself a professional student! Early on, she taught middle school English but now spends her time doing volunteer work in both the community and in her church. Michelle's passion is working with vulnerable populations, whether they be local or in other parts of the world. She is excited to be a part of such a great organization as A Place For You.
Linda Setterlund
Vice Board Chair
Linda has been a volunteer at A Place for You for more than 3 years. Linda has assisted in the daily operations of the shelter- answering phones, helping residents enter the building, and organizing the in-kind donations in the storage room. Her education and background have been in healthcare. She worked for 30 years as a Medical Technology in Laboratory Medicine and finished her career in Healthcare Quality Improvement Organization. "I love the mission and vision of APFY and strive to help improve and maintain its environment and processes".
Linda also currently serves on the Board of the Pine City American Auxillary and she volunteers weekly at Family Pathway Comunity Foodshelf.
Kim Brubaken
Board Member
Kim Brubaken is a retired senior high guidance counselor. She retired from Pine City High School after 20 years. Prior to that, she was the director of the Employment & Training Center at Pine Technical College, which delivered welfare reform programs in a five county area. Kim has been a lifelong resident of Mora where she has been actively involved in youth mission trips and providing foster care for adolescent teenage girls. Kim has been an advocate for youth and adults while serving on several boards including her church and advocacy organizations in the Twin Cities.
Gwyn Doenz
Board Member
Bio & Picture Coming Soon...
Steve Schmidt
Treasurer
Bio & Picture Coming Soon...
Briana Matrious
Board Member
Briana Matrious has been a member of the Pine County community all her life and is an enrolled member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. She works for the University of Minnesota Extension as a Tribal Community Facilitator and is a part of the American Indian Resource and Resiliency Team. Her past experience volunteering on the Pine City Fire Department and as an EMT for over 14 years is where her love for her community started. Outside her full-time work, Briana is the Chairwoman for the Mille Lacs Band Department of Athletic Regulation and has been a certified personal trainer for 5 yrs. through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Briana loves her community and is very passionate about overall healing the mind, body, and spirit. Words that she lives by are “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Roy Whaley
Board Member
Bio & Picture Coming Soon...
You?
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Regularly attends board meetings and important related meetings
Makes serious commitment to participate actively in committee work
Volunteers for and willingly accepts assignments and completes them thoroughly and on time
Stays informed about committee matters, prepares themselves well for meetings, and reviews and comments on minutes and reports
Gets to know other committee members and builds a collegial working relationship that contributes to consensus
Is an active participant in the committee's annual evaluation and planning efforts
Participates in fund raising for the organization
