U.S. staff

Executive Director

Shari Blindt
Executive Director

Shari Blindt was appointed executive director for Common Hope in September 2006, having previously served as the director of development. Shari brings more than 18 years of experience in the marketing and client services industry. Prior to Common Hope, she served in senior management roles with Penn Garritano Direct Response Marketing, Global Marketing Solutions for Fair Isaac Corporation, and Global Financial Services for DynaMark, Inc. Her experience leading team-based, collaborative business units contributed significantly to her clients’ success and the growth of these organizations.

Shari’s involvement with Common Hope began shortly after the adoption of her two Guatemalan children, when she felt a strong need to give back to the people of Guatemala. She began volunteering both in the US office and on the executive board’s marketing and fundraising committee. She also led a Vision Team, where she was able to directly participate in the services that Common Hope provides. In September 2005, Shari left the for-profit sector and joined the Common Hope staff.

At Common Hope, Shari sees a fitting unification of her personal and professional life. She has a very personal passion for building opportunity for impoverished Guatemalan children and families and says, “Common Hope is my opportunity to truly give back to a country which has helped to make my family and my life whole.”

Finance

Lynn Brysiewicz
Director of Finance and Administration

As the director of finance and administration for Common Hope, Lynn provides leadership and support for financial management, accounting, administration, and sponsorship. This includes the management of budget development, human resources, and systems. In all of her work, Lynn strives to support our staff to maximize our efficiencies and financial resources.

Prior to Common Hope, Lynn served in various leadership roles with Optum Health and HealthPartners. Lynn’s passion for serving and working with Guatemalans began in 1998, when she traveled to Guatemala on a Vision Team with Common Hope. In 2001, Lynn returned to Guatemala as a long-term volunteer in San Lucas Tolimán. She continued volunteering in Guatemala working on many administrative and development projects prior to joining Common Hope.

Mara Hennen
Accounting Manager

As the accounting manager, Mara is responsible for account reconciliations, financial statements, and audit preparation. Mara also works closely with our Guatemalan accounting staff in the consolidation of financial data, reports, and audits.

Mara was most drawn to Common Hope for its evolved take on development and international partnership. In her daily work, she finds inspiration in the wide variety of individuals who support the organization, from college students and young professionals, to book clubs, to CEOs, to church and school groups and even kids with lemonade stands. She is excited to play a role in connecting their enthusiasm to the well-conceived work of Common Hope.

Ashley Weinhandl
Financial Assistant

As the financial assistant, Ashley is responsible for processing all donations to Common Hope.

Ashley first learned of Common Hope during a college study abroad semester in Guatemala, when she had the opportunity to tour Common Hope in Antigua. She was immediately impressed by the level of respect and sense of teamwork visible among the staff, volunteers, and community members at the site. Ashley feels very fortunate to be part of a multicultural organization that focuses on empowerment of individuals and families through a spirit of collaboration and solidarity.

Development

Peg Fourré
Development Director

Peg oversees the development area where she provides direction and oversight to all fundraising and communications activities.

She brings a great depth of experience in marketing, communications, fundraising, public relations, and special events, particularly for non-profit organizations.  Most recently, Peg ran her own business as a marketing and communications consultant.  Prior to that, she was the development director at St. Stephen’s Human Services and a public relations specialist for Catholic Charities.

Common Hope has been a household name for Peg ever since her sister started an art school in Antigua and adopted two Guatemalan children in the early 1990’s. Peg’s first visit to Guatemala was in October 2007 as a student of photography

Louise LeGrand
Donor Relations Manager

Louise’s role is to care for the vital relationships that mobilize our work in Guatemala. She meets with individuals and groups as well as plans fundraising events.

Before this, Louise worked in development for an organization that brings impoverished Guatemalan youth to the U.S. for education. She also brings a decade of retail management experience, a background in communications, and a recently completed degree in theology. Louise’s love for Guatemala began in 2004, when three nephews joined her family through adoption. Like Common Hope, she believes that every person deserves the chance to flourish.

Kate Lucas
Grants & Communications Coordinator

Kate supports the development team by writing grants and managing the grant schedule. She also edits the newsletter, writes web copy, and coordinates marketing communication activities.

It was during her enriching semester as an international student in Central America that Kate first learned about Common Hope—but not until several more life twists and turns that she joined the staff in 2006. She feels blessed to work at an organization where she can engage her love of writing, her passion for social change, and her appreciation of Central American culture.

Tom Stukel
Creative Designer

Tom supports Common Hope’s communication and fundraising efforts by designing the website, printed materials, and media that bring people closer to our work and the people we serve.

He feels that with his degree in peace studies and his knowledge of graphic and web design he could not have found a better fit than Common Hope. He became interested in Common Hope after his own Vision Team experience during college at St. John’s University and became a permanent staff member after interning with us.

Kate Heider
Sponsorship Manager

Kate is the sponsorship manager at Common Hope, overseeing more than 2,700 students and their Sponsors. Kate works with the sponsorship staff in Guatemala to administer the sponsorship program and facilitate communications between the affiliated children and their Sponsors.

Kate learned about the organization through her husband, who went on a Vision Team trip in 1998. They have been sponsoring a child ever since, so Kate was thrilled at the opportunity to work with the sponsorship program. As an adoptive parent, she also enjoys working with the many families who have adopted children from Guatemala to help them maintain a connection and give back to the country of their children’s birth.

Mary Horan
Sponsorship and Events Coordinator

Mary supports the work of Common Hope by managing special fundraising events that help find new sponsors. Mary also promotes and schedules speaking engagements for faith communities, civic organizations, businesses, and schools around the country.

As a Sponsor of Raul and Carlos, brothers from New Hope Village, Mary brings her heart to work every day. She also brings her passion for social change and shared values with Common Hope.

Jessie Szopinski
Sponsorship Coordinator

As sponsorship coordinator, Jessie supports the sponsorship manager in promoting relationships between the affiliated children in Guatemala and their Sponsors. Jessie matches children with new Sponsors and helps Sponsors visit Guatemala to see their sponsored child and family.

Jessie was introduced to Common Hope by a former Vision Team Coordinator and was drawn to the mission and values of the organization. She is excited to be part of a team that is dedicated to social change and long-term development in Guatemala.

Louise coordinates Vision Team trips for individuals and groups so that people can learn our work first-hand and integrate their experience into their communities back home. She also coordinates the volunteers in the U.S. office and introduces Common Hope to new interest groups such as schools, churches and businesses.

Louise has worked with non-profits for ten years since graduating with a degree in social anthropology and an M.A. in community conversation. She volunteered for several years overseas mainly in southern Africa working on community development projects and is delighted to have discovered Common Hope, as she identifies personally with the mission through her own experiences. She hopes to encourage and inspire others to get involved. Originally from England, Louise moved to Minnesota after meeting her husband in Africa.

Brianna Jensen
Volunteer & Community Liaison

Brianna also coordinates Vision Team trips to Guatemala for individuals and groups so that people can learn about our work first-hand and integrate their experience into their communities back home. She also introduces and promotes Common Hope to new interest groups such as schools, churches and businesses.

Brianna is recently back from Guatemala, where she spent the past year with Common Hope coordinating and receiving Vision Teams on the ground in Antigua. She is excited to now be working with the Vision Teams on the U.S. side, really seeing the process full-circle. Brianna has had a love for the Guatemalan people and culture ever since she spent a semester there studying in college and feels so fortunate to be able to be part of an organization that is dedicated to the country she loves.

Leanne Turnquist
Volunteer Coordinator

Leanne works part-time with Common Hope helping to facilitate volunteer experiences in Guatemala. As a former long-term volunteer herself, Leanne provides personal experience and insight for people planning to visit and volunteer in Guatemala.

Leanne and her husband Tim have been involved with Common Hope for more than ten years. They first learned about Common Hope in 1999 when they traveled to Guatemala to visit the daughter they were adopting. On a recommendation, they visited Common Hope in Antigua and were impressed by its philosophy of offering resources to families while they lift themselves out of poverty. Since then, Leanne has volunteered in the U.S. office, Tim has served as the U.S. systems manager for two years, and in 2004, Leanne and Tim packed up the kids and volunteered in Guatemala for 19 months.

Administration

Colleen Tracy
Office Administrator

Colleen supports the U.S. office in the areas of HR administration, in-kind donations, and office operations. She also supports the executive director, Shari Blindt, with board communications and other projects as requested.

A graduate of the College of Saint Benedict, Colleen worked for a number of years at Ecolab, most recently in the human resources department. She learned of Common Hope from her parents, who participated in a Vision Team. In addition, Colleen’s nephew volunteered with Common Hope in Guatemala and still lives in-country, working for another NGO. She and her husband recently visited their nephew and fell in love with the mission and people when they toured Common Hope. Colleen enjoys the close camaraderie she finds at Common Hope.