Chair

Anna Madsen is first and foremost the spouse of David Willis, and the mama to Else and Karl. Those relationships are her core and her everything.

She serves as a Public Theologian for the Northeastern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Theology (ELCA), allowing her to think, write, and present about Christian theology and how it intersects and informs the many and various points of Life, which also led to her creation of the Spent Dandelion Retreat Center, hosted on their property on the North Shore of Lake Superior.

With her husband David, she co-created Karl’s Wheelhouse, an (ad)venture which sprung up out of her experience of Karl’s traumatic brain injury. Through that, she became aware of the numerous disadvantages and threats of isolation that people within the disability can suffer. Her passion, David’s creativity and dedication to service, and more recently Else’s organizational and social media skills have brought Karl’s Wheelhouse to the point it is today.

She loves engaging in politics and resistance work, gardening, hiking, baking bread, and being both gladdened and exasperated by their three dogs, singular cat, and the Minnesota Twins..

Vice-Chair

Else is a recent college grad from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. She graduated with a double major in Political Science and Religion. She now works for a non profit in Duluth that addresses housing inequity. She is deeply committed to reforming the criminal justice system, and to advocacy for the least of these.

However, nothing comes before her commitment to family. And, with Karl’s Wheelhouse, she is able to combine her love for advocacy with her deep love for Karl. She also brings with her a true, true commitment to making good Google Spreadsheets.

Secretary

Cindy Matheson brings over four decades of dedicated service to individuals with disabilities, illness, and injury — and a deep personal connection to the mission of Karl’s Wheelhouse.

After a distinguished 30-year career as an Occupational Therapistacross a wide range of settings, Cindy returned to school in 2015 to earn her Master’s in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling. For the next decade, she partnered with students, families, and school staff to help young people with disabilities build meaningful plans for life after high school — always with an eye toward independence, purpose, and possibility.

Her connection to Karl’s Wheelhouse is personal. Cindy had the privilege of working alongside Karl and his family in the earliest days of their dream — helping lay the groundwork for what would become a beloved venture built on vocation, dignity, and community impact. Watching that vision grow into Karl’s Wheelhouse is a source of great joy, and a big part of what inspires her to contribute in this new way.

Outside of her professional life, Cindy is an active volunteer with American Legion Auxiliary Post #71 in Duluth, where she has served as secretary for more than five years. When she’s not serving her community, she can be found gardening, hiking, traveling, or spending time with the people she loves most.​​​​​​​​​​​

Treasurer

Meagen Rockenbach holds a Doctorate in Business Administration and brings experience in organizational strategy, research, and community leadership.

While her professional background is in marketing research and insights, she has developed practical financial management experience through her work with local nonprofit organizations.

She currently manages budgeting and financial tracking for Two Harbors Pride, supporting transparent and responsible stewardship of community funds. Her work reflects a commitment to thoughtful governance, accountability, and mission-driven organizations.

Director

Joel grew up with 3 brothers in Saginaw, Michigan. His father was a Lutheran minister and his mother was very active in local theater, so he grew up focused on being an active part of the community around them. After graduating from Augustana College in Illinois, he worked as a Geologist for a while and then felt the call into Outdoor Ministry/Bible Camp. He served as Program Director at Sugar Creek Bible Camp in Wisconsin for 3 years. After marrying his wife Amie in 2000, he moved to Fort Collins, Colorado to work at Lutheran Ranches of the Rockies (Sky Ranch/Sleepy Owl Ranch) where he served as Program Director for 5 years and as Interim co-executive for 2 years. In 2008, he began serving as Executive Director of Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry (Camp Hiawatha/Camp Vermilion), based out of Cook/Deer River/Duluth. In December of 2023, he left the Executive role to follow his passion and specialize in fundraising. Since January of 2024, he has been serving as the Director of Donor Engagement for Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp, Inc (Camp Wapo/Ox Lake/Wilderness Canoe Base) based out of Amery, Wisconsin and Grand Marais, MN.

His hobbies are wood working, wood carving, guitar, mandolin and banjo. If there is a campfire, he’s usually around it. If you see him there, he’ll tell you more.

He lives with his family, Amie and their children Ella (20) and Isak (16) in Duluth, MN.

Director

JoJo is a mental health therapist in private practice and a Methodist clergy person, currently serving as pastor of the United Church of Two Harbors. She is a fierce advocate for access, equity, and justice, with a particular passion for supporting individuals and families who find themselves on the margins of life.

JoJo brings over 35 years of experience in special education, having taught at both the collegiate and public school levels. Her professional work is deeply informed by her lived experience as a person with a disability; she is Deaf and fluent in American Sign Language; Jojo is a strong proponent of inclusive, accessible systems of care.

JoJo lives in Duluth with her wife, they have nine children, six of whom have special needs. Her personal, pastoral, and clinical vocations are woven together by a deep commitment to community, compassion, and creating spaces where people are truly seen, heard, and valued.

Director

Kitty Mayo is the editor of the Lake County Press, with professional experience in newsroom editing, reporting, and community-focused communications.

Her work reflects a commitment to strengthening a healthy, nurturing community through clear, responsible journalism and civic engagement. She brings to board service a practical focus on sustainability, accessibility, and mission-driven decision-making.

Director

Andrew’s pioneering career in tech has included a wide range of entrepreneurial, operating, and public service leadership roles, including: Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States under President Obama; Head of Global Public Policy at Google; partner at betaworks; co-founder and partner at Higher Ground Labs; EVP at Tumblr and Medium; VP and Chief Policy Officer at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN); CEO of Digg and Instapaper; and President and COO at Assembly OSM.

Andrew has deep ties across the extended universe of tech, policy and legal academia. He has held positions as Senior Fellow in Cybersecurity and Internet Governance at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs(2014-2015); Lecturer in Law at Stanford Law School and fellow at the Stanford Center for Internet & Society (2011-2012); Fellow at the Center for Information Technology Policy, Princeton University (2011-2012); and Senior Fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School (1998-2005). He served as the Founding Executive Director of the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale University (2017-2018).

Andrew serves on the board of directors of Globant (NYSE:GLOB), and the Starknet Foundation. He is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Andrew got his undergraduate degree in history at Yale University, and his J.D. at Harvard Law School. Over the course of his childhood, he lived in Portland, OR; Los Angeles, CA; Toledo, OH; Wayzata, MN; Fargo, ND; London, UK; and Golden Valley, MN, where he graduated from Neil A. Armstrong Senior High School.