Right before the new year, FamilyWise Services' Prevention Services Department hired and onboarded two new team members. We are excited to learn from them as we work together to reduce ACEs in our state.

Firstly, we would like to welcome Deanna (DeDe) Drift as the new Director of Tribal Projects. DeDe joins our team and brings a wealth of experience. She has her Master’s Degree from the UMN – Duluth, and has served as the Commissioner of Human Services at Bois Forte Tribal Government where she administered 32 state and federally-funded grants, and supervised staff in the fields of victim services, mental health, chemical dependency, elder services, and youth activities. She also has experience supporting individualized employment plans and training through her roles as Equity Employment Counselor/Advocate and Career Specialist for participants receiving MFIP, and as a Student Personnel Coordinator at the UMN- Duluth. She has most recently been working as the Realty Manager at Bois Forte Tribal Government. 

Next, we would like to welcome Mickey Foley as our new Communication and Development AmeriCorps VISTA. Mickey received his Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from Beloit College in Wisconsin. After college, he studied comedy writing at The Second City Chicago and improv at the Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis. While doing data entry and clerical work in the financial industry, he wrote, directed, and performed theater in the Twin Cities. For the last 4 years, he was an AmeriCorps member with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, building homes and supervising volunteers. He will be assisting the Prevention Services Department by researching best practices and piloting programs and trainings that support communities as they work to reduce adversity and build protective resilience factors into their individual, family, and community practices.

We are very excited to have DeDe and Mickey on our team. Please wish them a warm welcome to the Minnesota ACEs Action Community!