YAP Staff
Leadership Team
Val Rubin-Rashaad Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Executive Director [email protected] Val graduated from Concordia University with a B.A. in Political Science, and she began her youth-work career in 1989 with the Inner City Youth League! Val then went on to work at various shelters in the cities, including Salvation Army, Booth Brown, and The Bridge, to name a few. Early in her career she also joined Streetworks as an outreach worker, which lead to collaborations with the Youth and AIDS Projects. She joined the YAP team in 1998 and has been so excited to see all the wonderful changes that are happening with the organization! |
Dr. Calla Brown
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Principal Investigator [email protected] Calla is an internist and pediatrician and practices primary care at a community health center in Minneapolis. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota and joined YAP in 2020. Calla is passionate about community health, human rights, and health justice, and is thrilled to be a part of the YAP team. |
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Andrew Schuster
Pronouns: He/Him/His Director of Operations [email protected] -- 612-547-8870 In his past endeavors, Andrew has gained experience in HIV advocacy, project management, community organizing, and health education. With a B.A. in Communications/ Journalism and Justice/Peace Studies from the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN), Andrew strives to eliminate stereotypes, stigma, and barriers to care. |
Raquelle Lenoir
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Director of Development [email protected] Raquelle has been working in public health for 5 years. However, most of her reward for public health is with her work in HIV. Raquelle has been apart of many different forums as well as being an educator on other health disparities. In her downtime, Raquelle spends with her cat Makeva. She also loves to cook and play video games. Raquelle is excited to be apart of the YAP family. For her it's the job of a lifetime. |
Gage Urvina Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs Director of Client Services [email protected] Gage considers themself to be a public health advocate and HIV activist. Gage has worked in the field of HIV/youth services in the public health sector for over 10 years, where they strive to mentor and educate through lived experiences, subject matter expertise and providing leadership and voice to system change. Gage has been recognized both locally and nationally for their work. In their downtime, Gage spends a lot of time gardening and tending to their over 200+ indoor plants! |
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Direct Service Staff
Audrey Seligman Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Advisory Board Coordinator [email protected] Audrey considers herself a public health generalist; she loves applying the principles of public health across a broad range of topics. She has previous experience working on projects in sexual health, mental health, and infectious disease prevention and management. Audrey is passionate about centering equity in public health work. She has a B.A. in Biology and Community and Global Health from Macalester College and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Minnesota. When Audrey is not engaging in public health work, she is a track and field coach. Audrey is enthusiastic to be joining the YAP team! |
Alex Palacios Pronouns: They/Elle Prevention Specialist - Early Intervention [email protected] Providing HIV and STI prevention and care linkage services, including testing, education, prophylactic distribution and referrals, to Trans and GNC identified individuals and their loved ones. |
Jordan Owens Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Prevention Specialist - Early Intervention [email protected] Jordan is a student at the University of Minnesota working towards her B.S. in Health and Wellbeing Sciences. She is passionate about community and person-centered health promotion with an integrative and holistic approach. Jordan has experience as a CNA, director of health and wellness education, and wellness coordinator. Recently, she began working as the Student COVID Coordinator for the Youth and AIDS Project!! |
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Kali Duesa Pronouns: She/They Medical Case Manager - Health Educator [email protected] I am Kali Duesa, serving as the Medical Case Manager at YAP. My professional background includes extensive experience working with inner city youth, individuals with disabilities, marginalized individuals, and the elderly. I am deeply passionate about mental health, self-care, and personal growth. Advocating for marginalized communities is a core part of my mission, as I am dedicated to helping individuals discover and embrace their unique magic and light in this world. |
Tim Steeves Pronouns: He/Him/His Medical Case Manager [email protected] -- 612-405-4315 Tim graduated from Metropolitan State University with a B.A. in Social Science before enrolling in the Master of Social Work program at the University of Minnesota. His professional service experience is in community mental health; where he provided mentorship, education, and direct support to individuals living with serious and persistent mental health diagnoses. In his youth, Tim advocated for HIV/AIDS prevention, outreach and support with professional and community organizations such as MN DHS, The Revolting Queers, and The Aliveness Project - he is excited to return to HIV service work with the Youth and AIDS Projects! Tim enjoys weightlifting and singing with a community choir. |
Coco Conteh Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs Status Neutral Non-medical Case Manager Coco's thrilled to join the YAP family! With many years of experience supporting youth living with disabilities and marginalized individuals through both national and international work, they are passionate about giving back to the community. They look forward to showing up authentically and bringing positive empathetic energy to all YAP's projects! If you want to see Coco come alive, find them dancing/performing at local events! |
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Katie Gronevelt
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Administrative Assistant - Finance
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