Rise is pleased to welcome three new community volunteers to its Board of Directors to serve three-year terms.

Patrick (Pat) Deeg of Deephaven said he was interested in serving Rise “because of the wide range of services and programs it offers people with disabilities or other life challenges. With such a broad outreach, Rise is able to serve and enrich the lives of a large and diverse demographic of people. It is exciting to be part of something so impactful with such altruistic objectives. Over the years, I have seen the direct success an organization like Rise has had on a close family friend with a developmental disability.”

Pat is a principal at Marks Group Wealth Management in Minnetonka. The firm is a boutique portfolio management group that manages money for families, corporations and private foundations. With his financial background, Pat plans to serve on the Board’s Finance Committee.

Also new to the Rise board is Lauri Hopkins (left in photo), vice president of Hays Companies, a nationwide corporation offering risk management, insurance, and employee benefits advisors. Lauri, who lives in Lino Lakes, has been a long-time supporter of Rise and says she is grateful to now be part of the Board.

“I have had the pleasure of being a business partner of Rise’s for the last eight years representing Rise’s employee benefits programs,” Lauri noted. “I feel that my experiences and professional network will be beneficial as a board member. More importantly, I have been continually impressed with the unwavering commitment that the Rise team has on improving the quality of life for the people they serve, and I wanted the privilege to be part of that.”

In addition, the Rise Board of Directors welcomes Kristin Hangebrauck, director of Product Management for Target Digital, who lives in St. Louis Park. Kristin says, “As I’ve learned more about how Rise assists the people it serves, I’ve been drawn to its mission of opening doors and providing opportunities for growth and empowerment. Finding joy and purpose in life often comes from serving others in your work, and I love that Rise makes that possible for the people it serves and for the people who work at Rise.

“As a company, Target is very supportive and encouraging of its team members volunteering,” Kristin added. “Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the opportunity through Target volunteer programs to consult with several local nonprofits on business problems they are facing. I was looking for an organization to which I could bring those same consulting skills and experiences, but contribute in an ongoing way — really investing in the organization and people it serves. I’ve been incredibly impressed by the passion, care, and talent of the Rise leadership team and Board members. I know I will learn and grow a lot by working with this team. I hope to be able to contribute at the same level to Rise’s continued success.”

The Rise Board and leadership teams look forward to working with Pat, Lauri, and Kristin and appreciate their willingness to serve. Welcome!