About MNACE
Minnesota Association of Colleges and Employers.
About
Our dynamic organization of 130 members include 31 colleges and 42 employers. Our members acquire valuable skills and networking contacts through their participation in timely panel discussions and breakout sessions. MNACE has helped its members to thrive, as is evident in the excellent feedback received by current members.
Our Mission
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To bring together educational and employment representatives who are involved in the career development and employment of college students and alumni.
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To increase communication and interaction among members and provide a forum to share best practices and discuss common issues, trends, and concerns.
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To promote and facilitate the personal and professional development of our members.
Member Benefits
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Three meetings per year
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Productive breakouts and programs
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Low membership costs
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Strong networks and shared leadership for both employers and colleges
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Reduced meeting fees
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Membership directory of participating colleges and employers
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Annual recruiting calendar of career fairs and events
Board of Directors
Andrea Mayer
Director of Strategic Planning
Director of Career Development
Concordia University
Andrea has been working in higher education for 11+ years and is currently the Director of Career Development at Concordia University, St. Paul. In addition to working with students, she collaborates across campus to embed career readiness into the curriculum and student engagement experiences (i.e. clubs and orgs, athletics, residence life.) She currently serves as the Past-Chair of the Minnesota Education Job Fair Association (MEJFA), Programming Committee Co-Chair for the Minnesota College and University Career Services Association (MCUCSA), and recently stepped out of the role of Chair Professional Development for the Minnesota Private Colleges’ Career Consortium (MPCCC).
Dani Stein
Director of Operations
Human Resources Business Partner
Normandale Community College
Dani recently made the change from working for a private employer to higher ed, where she is a Human Resources Business Partner at Normandale Community College. Dani is passionate about making workplaces inclusive and welcoming, where employees have a supportive environment to be their best selves. Dani has also served on the board of MNACE as its Secretary, and she looks forward to the opportunity to continue developing relationships with everyone at MNACE and assisting the board in helping our members thrive.
Lauran Hundshamer
Director of Programming
Vice President Marketing and Recruitment
St. Catherine University
Lauran has worked in both private and non-profit organizations in a marketing capacity developing go-to market strategies from the group up for over 15 years. With her experience within higher ed, she is passionate about education and knows it has the ability to lift people from poverty. Lauran has been married to Dave for 24 years and has two grown children—Muriel, a law school student at the University of North Dakota, and Henry, a junior at UND, and two fur-children (her favorite children Muriel claims), Lanny McDonald and Bobby “Marvin” Hull (clearly a hockey fan) both cocker spaniel puppies who keep her company as well as drive her absolutely nuts. In her free time, she loves to camp, be on the pontoon, and enjoy a good dirty martini.
Crystal Sander
Treasurer
CPA
Redpath and Company
Crystal is a Certified Public Accountant at Redpath and Company specialising in the nonprofit tax service area. She began her career in public accounting right after graduating with her Bachelors in Business Administration from Concordia University in St. Paul in 2017. Crystal has experience in personal tax, nonprofit audit and nonprofit tax. She is excited to join the MNACE board and to start building relationships with members of MNACE.
Caitlin Perszyk
Secretary
Assistant Director of Employer Engagement
University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering
Caitlin began as a career counselor in 2010 at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF), where her passion for helping students and connecting them with employers was discovered. While in grad school, she worked at the University of St. Thomas in an early college readiness program, while splitting time as a career counselor at UWRF. She has also been a career counselor at Concordia University, St. Paul, recruited briefly at a small local company, then returned to higher education where she is now an assistant director of employer engagement in the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota. Caitlin has a Masters of Arts in Leadership in Student Affairs from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelors of Science in Marketing Communications from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Caitlin is MBTI certified, is a past MN ACE Treasurer, has held positions on different committees and is currently on a committee reworking a mentorship program for the Hire Big 10+ career consortium.
Jess Franta
Communications Chair
Partnerships Office Managing Director
Purdue University
Jess has worked in higher education for over ten years balancing both career coaching and corporate partner relations. Prior to education she supported recruiting, marketing and event management at various B2C companies. In 2021 she joined Purdue University to lead the newly established Krannert School of Management Partnerships Office. In this role she connects students and employers to create experiential learning engagements in the form of consulting projects, course projects, live case studies and research opportunities throughout the Midwest and greater United States. In her free time Jess enjoys the great outdoors via hunting, fishing and camping with her two kiddos, spouse and yellow lab.
Chrissy Jensen
Membership Chair
Assistant Director of Career Counseling
University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering
Chrissy has served as a career counselor in higher education for 11 years. She began her career at Hamline University and has worked at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities since then. Chrissy has a Master’s degree in Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She has a passion for helping students through individual counseling as well as teaching career and first-year experience courses. Chrissy has held various leadership roles within professional associations such as Minnesota College and University Career Services Association (MCUCSA) and the Career Development Network (CDN). Chrissy loves MN summers, enjoying the lakes, and getting outdoors to play with her young daughter.