JoAnn Cardenas Enos

JoAnn was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on the East SideCbetter known as Dayton=s Bluff.  Her childhood was wonderful, growing up with three brothers in a small community that was once named “The Patch” and was first settled by the Irish almost underneath the Third Street Bridge.  She had a secure home, entertaining brothers, extended family and many good friends.

It was JoAnn=s oldest brother who kept her focused; he helped her get where she is today.  It was because of Rick that she became involved in the educational world labor movement, political arena and many communities that opened her eyes to a world of many encounters.  She is forever grateful.

These experiences have prepared JoAnn to serve on the Board of Directors for Access Press.  She is very excited to get started and brings to this board a commitment of service.  JoAnn has volunteered on various boards and commissions, including the St. Paul Human Rights Commission, working towards a better community.  She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota.  She is a Project EXCEPTIONAL Trainer, training to increase the number and quality of inclusive child care and education programs for young children with disabilities in Minnesota.  JoAnn works for the Department of Human Services in Partnerships for Child Development, Interagency Services.

JoAnn feels that Access Press has achieved much by keeping up with trends and desires of the community.  There still needs to be a stronger commitment and more communication if we are going to continue that effort.  JoAnn brings this commitment to Access Press.  The future of Access PressCand the continuation of the recognition it richly deservesCdepend on her ability to insure that, as a board member, all efforts are being met to get the news out and to strengthen what is already in place.

Kelly Matter

Kelly has been Vice President of Program Services for Goodwill/Easter Seals (G/ES) of Minnesota since 1998.  In that capacity, Kelly is responsible for a staff of 65 vocational and rehabilitation professionals, and 12 programs operating in the Twin Cities, Elk River, St. Cloud, Willmar and Rochester.  Services offered range from pre- and post-vocational services for adults with disabilities to job skills training programs for adults with disabilities and other barriers to employmentCamong those assisted are parents moving from welfare to economic independence and those participating in adaptive medical equipment loan programs.  She is currently chair of the Legislative Committee of the Minnesota Association of Community Rehabilitation Organizations (MACRO), a Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) surveyor, and is working on a master of arts in organizational leadership at the College of St. Catherine.  She is past president of the Minnesota Rehabilitation Association (MRA).

Prior to accepting the position of VP, Kelly worked at G/ES in a number of capacities, including Director of Vocational Services, Program Services Manager and Placement Specialist.  In addition to her 14 years at G/ES, she also worked for Lawson Software as a College Relations Coordinator.

Kelly has always been a fan of Access Press and really looks forward to serving on the board and contributing time, energy and resources to this valuable community newspaper.

Tom Squire

Born in Oakland, CA, Tom was raised in nearby Lafayette.  He received his B.A. and M.A. from UCLA, and his Ph.D.  in political science from the University of California at Santa Barbara.  He moved to Wisconsin and taught political science on the college level for ten years.  He then moved to St. Paul, entered the U of M Law School, completed his law degree and was admitted to the Minnesota and Federal Bar.  He was a legal services attorney, specializing in Social Security Disability law.  He is now retired.  He lives in St. Paul and is a humble and obedient servant to an orange cat named Malgie.

Tom enjoys reading history, politics, commentaries on current events and science fiction for relaxation.  He is addicted to classical music, especially the works of Bach and Mozart.

Peg Thomas

Peg’s work in the nonprofit sector is comprehensive:  She has conceived and implemented numerous financing programs, helped develop national initiatives, and is knowledgeable about both foundation and nonprofit management.  As the Executive Director of the Grotto Foundation, she charted its growth over the course of 12 years and earned numerous awards and recognitions along the way.  She was the CFO at United Arts, and the founding Executive Director of both the American Indian Health Care Association and Metro Deaf Senior Citizens.  While at Metro Deaf (now Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens) for seven years she helped the seniors organize and win the Telecommunication Administrative Hearings which launched the National TTY Relay system and the special needs telecommunications equipment distribution program.  She is now a partner in the consulting firm Strategeries (www.strategeries.com), which offers strategic and nonprofit business planning.  Peg has master’s degrees from the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota and the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Peg eagerly became a board member of Access Press.  These will be very tough times for all of the people who are part of Minnesota’s vibrant and very diverse community of people living with disabilities.  Access Press can be an important source of information and critical as the community reorganizes, builds cooperation and finds needed resources.

Sue Warner

Sue Warner joined Courage Center in the fall of 2001 as a communications manager.  Prior to that, she spent nearly 24 years with Allina Hospitals & Clinics, including 16 years with Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Sister Kenny Institute.  An Augsburg College graduate, Sue=s professional experience is in nonprofit health care communications, public relations and marketing, with a focus on employee communications and publications.

An active member of the Twin Cities disability community, Sue has focused her advocacy efforts mainly on transportation issues.  She was one of three plaintiffs who filed and settled a class action lawsuit against the Regional Transit Board, ATE and Metro Mobility in 1994.

Through the years, Sue has been involved in volunteerism, and civic and community boards of directors including the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) and the City of Brooklyn Center.  Sue lives in Brooklyn Center, in the home her parents built.  A season ticket holder for the Guthrie and the Minnesota Twins, Sue almost always has a book tucked away for those precious moments of extra reading time that pop upCoften while waiting for Metro Mobility!