The caring and dedicated staff that make it all happen at Our Neighbors' Place supported by an active Board of Directors

Shelly began at Our Neighbors' Place in  April 2016 serving in the role of Program Coordinator.  In this role, Shelly successfully managed all programs including highly successful fundraising and community awareness building events.  When there was a vacancy in the Executive Director role, the ONP Board of Directors voted unanimously to name Shelly Smith the Executive Director.  Since assuming this role in May of 2018, Shelly has provided leadership in all aspects of Our Neighbors' Place including highly successful grant writing work and beginning ONP's first ever corporate giving campaign.  Shelly is passionate about both educating the community and providing assistance to anyone who is struggling.

Shelly can be contacted by emailing shelly.smith@ourneighborsplace.org

Sara has been with Our Neighbors' Place since February 2016. She works directly with guests needing help finding affordable, sustainable housing.  Her expertise and creative problem-solving are a valuable resource at Our Neighbors' Place.    

Sara can be contacted by emailing casemanager@ourneighborsplace.org

Sue will be the first impression for guests as they arrive to the day center and help direct them to services we offer.  She will also be planning our events and bringing her planning skills to future fundraising efforts.

She is motivated by the mission of ONP to help people by connecting them to resources within the organization and in the community.  It is especially significant to her how ONP meets people where they are at in life, helping them with both their problem at hand but also partnering with them to find long term solutions for their issues. 

Sue looks forward to applying her creativity, professionalism, problem solving skills to managing the day center, The Closet clothing center, and the many events participated in and sponsored by Our Neighbors' Place.  She is a team-orientated person for projects and daily tasks. Additionally, she is motivated by doing work that supports her coworkers to succeed in their positions.

Sue can be contacted by emailing sue.dorsch@ourneighborsplace.org

Brian Manion has been a part of Our Neighbors’ Place Board since 2017 and currently serves as Treasurer. Brian lives and works in River Falls where he has been with WESTconsin Credit Union for over 10 years and currently oversees the River Falls Office as a Vice President of WESTconsin. Brian chooses to assist Our Neighbors’ Place because helping those who may need some extra assistance is what everyone should strive to do and that’s exactly what Our Neighbors’ Place does. In down time, enjoying any adventure with his family is what he appreciates the most. 

Brian can be contacted by emailing brian.manion@ourneighborsplace.org

Brock lives in River Falls and works in finance remotely for CarMax. He has a passion for helping others and has previously volunteered through different Backpack programs, Volunteer Tax Preparation services, international mission trips, and more. He is excited to serve the local community as a member of the Board and continue the mission of ONP. In his free time, Brock enjoys spending time with his wife and two young kids as well as playing and watching hockey. 

Brock can be contacted by emailing brock.raffaele@gmail.com

Julie Larson has a passion for volunteering and has found a home volunteering for Our Neighbors' Place.  Julie believes in service to make our community a better place for all and that service is a life long journey.  Julie has lived in River Falls since 1982 and is married with two adult children.  Julie's husband Keith is a former Our Neighbors' Place Board member and continues his support by serving as a member of the maintenance committee.  Julie is grateful for the opportunity to serve Our Neighbors' Place and our community.

Julie can be contacted by emailing julie.larson@ourneighborsplace.org

Tanya Franta is a River Falls native, where she lives with her young family. She has been volunteering with ONP since 2014 and is our current board President. She has worked professionally as a nurse at the River Falls area hospital since 2013 and enjoys volunteering with various community engagement groups, church, and youth programs. Outside of these, she invests her time in friends, gardening, house remodeling projects, and running her family farm and store. 

Tanya can be contacted by emailing tanya.franta@ourneighborsplace.org

Amy joined the ONP Board fall 2023. She is delighted to serve an accomplished organization that provides such vital services to our community. In addition to ONP, she has been a member of the River Falls Rotary since 2021 and recently became a founding member of the St. Croix Valley Optimists Association. As the community development director for the City of River Falls, she helps lead the city through economic development, engineering, comprehensive city planning and building inspections and services. Amy lives in River Falls and enjoys gardening, biking, yoga, reading, forever learning and birdwatching.

Amy can be contacted by emailing apeterson@rfcity.org

Adam Axvig joined the Our Neighbor’s Place board in 2023. Adam has been involved in public policy in Minnesota for nearly 20 years and currently serves as President and CEO of the Minnesota Association of Farm Mutual Insurance Companies, a trade association that supports farm mutual insurance companies across the state of Minnesota. Adam lives in River Falls with his wife Amanda and daughter Molly. When he’s not working, he enjoys fishing, hunting, hiking, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Adam can be contacted by emailing adamaxvig@gmail.com

Meet real estate expert, Jill McNamee, owner and founder of the McNamee Real Estate Team. With over 16 years serving homeowners, buyers, families, and business owners on both sides of the Minnesota, Wisconsin border you can say she’s successful through her dedication and passion for the people she works with and the properties she sells. 

Year in and year out, her commitment to excellence never waivers not only consistently earning her and her team a spot on the Top Selling Real Estate Teams in St. Croix County list but also professional advancements as both the Productivity Coach and Operating Principal of Keller Williams Realty Integrity WI/MN, Hudson. Her reputation amongst her peers and community members has earned her the title of trusted advisor and one of the most competent experts in her field. 

Her reputation is nothing less than a female changemaker and business leader for all. Jill’s passion to connect, educate, and empower other small business owners led her to create St. Croix Valley Girls - a 600 member strong networking group in 2009. Each month attendees come to share, support, and learn from one another with professional presentations and best practices. Her commitment to her community is one of passion; lifting up others, while demonstrating the best example of what the word neighbor really means. 

Jill’s excellent customer experience and special touch treatment along with her many collaborations throughout the city, fundraising events for local non-profits, and overall love for her hometown shines through, making the McNamee Real Estate Team the only team when it comes to all things real estate. 

Jill can be contacted by emailing jill@mcnameeteam.com

Wes lives in River Falls with his wife Anna and their daughters Bella, Evie, and Charlotte. A professor of Shakespeare, Wes has been teaching literature and writing for over 20 years, while also serving in progressively higher leadership roles. An Iowa native, he spent most of his academic career at Augusta University in Georgia until July 2023, when he became Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at UW River Falls. Only a few weeks after moving to town, he began hearing about the impressive work of ONP and was delighted to join the board, which he has served on since October 2023. Wes is passionate about working with others to make River Falls a strong and thriving community where people work together for the betterment of all.

Wes can be contacted by emailing wesley.kisting@uwrf.com

Rachel Sixberry joined the board in 2023 and is passionate about serving her community. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner in River Falls, and also volunteers at the Pierce and St. Croix County Free Clinic. She has also previously worked serving her local community in Public Health and as a Sexual Assault Nurse. She is excited to support ONP in its mission to provide access to basic necessities for those in the community. In her free time she enjoys many outdoor -ings,  including biking, hiking, snowboarding, swimming and camping with her family. 

Rachel can be contacted by emailing rcsixberry@gmail.com

Renee Doerre has been an active member of the Our Neighbors' Place Board since 2024. She moved to River Falls in 2013 and quickly became involved in the community, especially in sports. With a career in business, currently holding a senior leadership role at Target Corporation, and a background in social work from her time in Chicago, Renee is passionate about making a difference in the area. Renee aims to use her business knowledge and dedication to help Our Neighbors' Place have a significant impact on the community. She, her husband, and their three daughters live just outside the City of River Falls, with their crazy chickens and a lab named Nikki. 

Renee can be contacted by emailing rdoerre@gmail.com