Leadership

As President and Chief Executive Officer of Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin, Karina Forrest Perkins leads with a deep commitment to advancing whole-person care and building healthy, thriving communities for all. She brings more than 25 years of experience at the intersection of behavioral health, integrated care, and nonprofit leadership, with a well-earned reputation for relational leadership, innovation, and mission-driven impact.

Karina is a nationally recognized voice in the fields of mental health, substance use disorder treatment, healthcare, education, and prevention. Her leadership is defined by a steadfast dedication to collaboration, compassionate care, and person-centered service. She is known for cultivating strong partnerships, inspiring teams, and shaping systems that respond to the complex and evolving needs of individuals and families.

Before joining VOA MN/WI, Karina served as President and Executive Officer of Vail Communities, where she led efforts to support individuals living with mental illness and co-occurring conditions. Her career also includes CEO roles at NAMI Oklahoma, Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota, Wayside Recovery Center, People’s Center Clinics and Services, and Heartspring. In addition, she has served in senior advisory roles under three Oklahoma governors and one Minnesota governor, influencing statewide strategies in trauma-responsive care and integrated systems.

Karina holds a master’s degree in human relations and counseling from the University of Oklahoma and a postgraduate certificate in organizational development and health innovation from Harvard University. She is also a 2017 Bush Foundation Fellow, recognized for her transformative leadership in building community-centered systems of care.

As a leader, Karina believes that compassion, purpose, and community are the foundations of meaningful and lasting change. She is honored to walk alongside the dedicated staff, partners, and individuals served by VOA MN/WI as they pursue bold, innovative solutions that expand opportunity, promote resilience, and ensure dignity for all.

Julia is passionate about working to close the gaps between people and possibility. She believes in supporting people to reach their full potential, the resiliency of communities, and hope.

Julia has almost 20 years of experience working to improve the health and well-being of people and communities. She has held numerous leadership positions that tap into her background in public health, external relations, resource development, communications and marketing, and strategy development and implementation. In her role at Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin, Julia works to advance the organization's Affordable Housing, Community Justice, and Older Adult Services strategy, while stewarding and enhancing community engagement and mission advancement. She holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Minnesota, a Master of Public Health from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Julia has served on cross-sector coalitions, committees, and boards throughout her career, and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Center for Energy and Environment.

Julia believes in the power of the social sector to be influencers of larger systemic change through its excellence, compassion, innovation, and grit.

As Interim Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Roma strives to understand and treat others how they wish to be treated. She leads the organization through strategic goals for employee engagement and embracing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace.

Roma has more than 30 years of leadership experience in Human Resources in both corporate and nonprofit settings. She has held certifications as a Human Resources Professional (HRP) and Certified Compensation Professional (CCP). Roma has a Master of Organizational Leadership from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Roma is passionate about helping people. She is a former Board Member of House of Charity and HR Committee Member of the Minnesota Council of Churches. Roma currently serves on the Advisory Council for the Assistance League of Minneapolis/St. Paul and a mentor in the Momentum Mentor Program at Menttium Corporation.

As a leader, Roma strives to meet her colleagues where they are at and give them the tools they need to succeed.

As Vice President of Health & Education, Katie is dedicated to ensuring that each person receives unique supports that serve the whole individual and their family through tailored and integrated services. She enjoys seeking new service opportunities and pursuing ways to continually enhance Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin’s impact on individuals and communities.

Katie has over 20 years of experience in providing mental health treatment services and more than 10 years in service area leadership. Her expertise includes strategic planning and execution, new program development, creating continuums of care, and overseeing service delivery that is culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and yields exceptional outcomes for those served. In her role at Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin, Katie collaborates closely with Directors and their teams in Behavioral Health, Education, and Youth Residential Treatment to provide compassionate, person-centered care, while also considering how to help people and communities thrive into the future. Katie is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and has a Master of Social Work from Saint Catherine’s University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Business Management from the University of Minnesota.

As a leader, Katie uplifts program leaders and staff as we work to walk alongside individuals on their journey to be their whole and best selves. She believes being a part of someone’s journey is incredibly precious and this meaningful role fuels her commitment to this work.

As Director of Information Technology, Jeff strives to implement technology that enhances Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin’s work with the people and communities we serve.

Jeff originally began working at VOAs Children’s Residential Treatment Center and later transitioned to the Information Technology (IT) team. He has more than 10 years of experience managing information systems, including the implementation and oversight of system security. Jeff has a Bachelor of Arts from Saint John’s University.

Jeff specializes in IT security systems and is passionate about leveraging technology to provide efficient, secure solutions for VOA’s services.

In his role as Director of Mission Advancement, Chris is responsible for maintaining and expanding the organization’s corporate and foundation grant portfolio. He also provides coordination and preparation of the organization’s grant responses for governmental funding agencies.

Prior to his role at Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin, Chris was the Manager of Sharing and Caring Hands’ Mary’s Place, a temporary shelter for families experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis. At Mary’s Place, he was responsible for the oversight of case management efforts, guest experience, grant writing, and volunteer engagement and coordination. Chris also spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras, serving as a Business Development Advisor for several new and emerging business ventures. Chris holds a Certificate in Fundraising from the University of Saint Thomas and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Saint John’s University.

Chris leads from the motto, “stay humble and curious.”

As Director of Spiritual Care and Social Justice CPE, Laura applies a racial justice and equity lens to ministry and spiritual care and guides direct efforts in community outreach and relationship-building with BIPOC-led initiatives to address systemic racism. She leads the Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin ministry team to further develop and diversify the VOA Ministry of Service in local communities. Laura also manages the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program to enhance the spiritual care provided to the people served by VOA.

An ordained pastor, Laura has more than 23 years of experience as a minister and providing spiritual guidance. She is an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Certified Educator Candidate with The Association of Certified Pastoral Education (ACPE) Spiritual Direction Certification. Laura has a Doctor of Philosophy from Princeton Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary, and a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Olaf College.

Laura fosters spiritual care throughout the organization by tending to the ways people find meaning and purpose in their lives: honoring the whole person’s inherent dignity (body-mind-spirit), listening with care and attention, offering a non-judgmental presence, bearing witness to the resilience of spirit in the life stories of individuals, and the work of healing and advocacy for the advancement of racial justice and equity in our communities.

As Senior Director of Community Justice, Chris oversees Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin’s reentry services for men and women returning to community after incarceration. In his role, he strives to create a world where second chances are unlimited.

Chris is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and brings more than 20 years of program management experience. After a career in the US Postal Service, he came to VOA through Amicus, first as a volunteer and then as a program facilitator and manager of Amicus' Volunteer & Mentoring Program. He is a member of the Minnesota Corrections Association (MCA), Minnesota Community Corrections Association (MCCA), and the International Community Corrections Association (ICCA). Chris is certified in Motivational Interviewing, Thinking for Change, Carey Guides, and Treatment Group Facilitation.

Chris embraces the philosophy of radical hospitality, which stems from the belief that all human beings are inherently deserving of dignity and respect.

As Director of Care Options Network, Susanne works to connect service providers to care resources and fosters relationship building to help older adults thrive.

Susanne has more than 15 years of professional experience in the older adult care industry and knows first-hand that older adults are best served when industry providers trust and support each other. Susanne has a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from the University of Minnesota.

Susanne is personally inspired by the mission of Care Options Network and believes a team leads a product or service to its full potential. She strives to create a space that seeks and nurtures engagement.

Debra Hoffman is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with more than 20 years of experience in the field of mental health and human services. Her areas of expertise include direct clinical services, service and programmatic oversight, program development and leadership, and strategic planning. Debra has worked primarily in the non-profit sector, focusing her career on advocating to remove service gaps within the continuum of care and addressing barriers to service access.

Debra’s foundation of leadership is rooted in the philosophy of serventry, and she is passionate about supporting and uplifting others in reaching their personal and professional goals. She believes strongly in taking a person-centered approach to service-delivery, as well as leadership, and advocates for the recognition of each person as a whole people. In her role at Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin, Debra supports Program Directors and their teams within the Youth Residential Services Division to provide trauma-informed services that have positive outcomes and align with the agencies mission of helping people build hope, resilience, and well-being through the integration of health, housing, and human services. 

As Senior Director of  Disability Services, Liz leads her team from a place of creating joy and fostering independence for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Liz has worked with Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin for nearly 10 years, initially working as a Program Manager and being promoted to Regional Manager and later Associate Director. She is an expert in delivering quality person-centered services and advocating for essential home and community-based services for people with disabilities. Liz has a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Nebraska.

Liz believes all people have the right to live, love, work, play, and pursue their own life aspirations.