Board Members
Ronna Ellis, Client Service Coordinator
Ronna and her husband Jim are two of the founders of ARC. A 39-year-resident of the Hudson/River Falls area, Ronna has been involved as a volunteer in numerous community organizations including Habitat, Turningpoint, Restorative Justice, School-age Mentor programs, Operation HELP, and more. She received her degree from UWRF, focusing on Sociology and Criminal Justice. She places strong importance on being involved with an organization that is transparent, forthright, and volunteer driven.
Judy Perkins, Secretary
Judy lives in Ellsworth. She is retired from the Ellsworth School District where she worked in Early Childhood Special Education and continues to volunteer her time. She is President of the Ellsworth Public Library Board. She has 3 children and 5 grandchildren.
Tammy Pitzen, Member-at-Large
Tammy was born and raised in River Falls. She is a proud member of this community and has a passion for helping others. For 25 years she was an active volunteer and leader in the PC 4-H Program and has been a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters. She is currently involved with The Power of 100 Women, Free School Supply Event, and PC Relay for Life. She has recently taken over as Coordinator of Angels on Earth Giving Tree Program. She works at St. Bridget Catholic Church, is married with 2 sons and 1 spunky dog.
Lori Rodewald, Treasurer
Lori has a master’s degree in School Guidance Counseling and a master’s degree in Special Education. She has strong community ties to both Hudson and River Falls having raised her 4 children in the area. Lori works at Sholom in St. Paul as Volunteer Coordinator and has 5 years in Volunteer Management with non-profit organizations. Lori has a passion for supporting volunteer- based community programs and giving back. She feels strongly that ARC’s mission and purpose in the community is vital.
Sharon Schulze, Chairperson
Sharon has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN, RN). Prior to retirement, she was employed as a Pierce County Public Health Nurse serving in the Ellsworth and River Falls communities for 32 years. She now serves on the Pierce County Board of Health. She has been active with Assistance & Resource Center since 2014 and has served as chair since 2015. Her volunteer time outside of ARC is focused on English Lutheran Church in Ellsworth and with the Ellsworth Public Library.
Cindy Testa, Marketing and Outreach
Cindy is a lifelong resident of River Falls. She is married and has a blended family consisting of 4 children and 5 grandchildren. She spent 26 years employed at a factory in River Falls. After the factory closed, she attended CVTC and graduated with an Associate Degree. For the past 8 years she has been a Property Manager with Meridian Group. While performing duties at work, she discovered ARC and the services it provides in River Falls and Ellsworth. Cindy wants to give back to the community and believes in ARC’s mission.
Angel Zimmerman, Phone Volunteer Coordinator
Angel has lived in River Falls for 26 years. She and her husband started a business locally which would grow to become one of the area’s largest employers. Angel has been active on a variety of Boards and organizations, including, UWRF Chancellor’s Advisory Board, River Falls Economic Development Council, River Falls Chamber of Commerce, Big Brothers-Big Sisters and more.
Board Support
Peter Carr, Grant Writer
Peter is a retired epidemiologist. He most recently worked for the MN Dept. of Health as the AIDS and STD Director. Peter serves on the Pierce County Board of Health and is technical assistance provider for the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Director’s Global Program.
Dianne Hickok, Tax Preparer, Finance Committee Member
She and her husband, Cline, have lived in the River Falls area for 13 years. A CPA, she recently retired from a large public accounting firm in Minneapolis where she specialized in exempt organizations.
Patricia Kjosa, Data-Input
She and her husband, John, have lived in the River Falls area for 42 years. Prior to retiring, she was an Executive Assistant at 3M for 39 years.
Jim Ellis, Finance Committee Member
He and his wife, Ronna have lived in the area for 39 years. Jim retired from Imation in 2016 as Vice President, Imation Global OEM and Strategic Business Development with nearly 35 years of leadership in the data storage industry. He first joined 3M Company in 1978 and held a variety of technical and business management positions within the data storage businesses of Imation and 3M, including the management of tape, optical and flash businesses. Jim is a graduate of the University of Minnesota where he studied computer science and mechanical engineering. He is on the board of directors and is treasurer of Canvas Health, a Minnesota-based nonprofit chemical and mental health services organization.
Kayla Ince, Website Manager
With a degree in Mass Communications from UWEC and a background in digital marketing, Kayla manages the ARC website. She currently works at H.B. Fuller in Vadnais Heights, MN. Kayla and her husband reside in Somerset, WI, and have two golden retrievers named Austin and Axel.
Phone Volunteers
ARC is fortunate to have a dedicated group of 10 phone volunteers. Several of whom have been with the organization for 13 years.
Additional Volunteers
ARC has a group of volunteers to call on for events, projects, and fundraising.