We are here to start something

Linda Henecke
President & CEO

Linda has been leading the agency since 1995. During that time she has transformed the agency, building capacity for unprecedented growth in the number of children served and the funding to support those relationships. The program has grown from serving less than 200 children in a year to recently helping 826 children in mentoring friendships! This has made a lasting impact not only on children’s lives, but also on volunteers and the community.

Linda’s commitment to Big Brothers Big Sisters is unquestionable, with nearly 25 years of participation. Before becoming President & CEO she served on the Board of Directors and got her start as a Big Sister to Mindy. That friendship continues to develop after all these years. Subsequently, Linda has mentored four children and truly understands the impact of one-to-one relationships.

Kristi Hansen
Program Director

Kristi has a sincere passion for educating and empowering children to believe in themselves. Through working with adolescents in a residential treatment facility, mentoring two children since 1999, and directing a national assistive technology center for children with disabilities, she has witnessed the impact an advocate can have on a child’s life.

Kristi has a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and a strong interest in gaining improved outcomes from successful mentorship. Since becoming the program director in 2011, Kristi looks forward to enhancing the lives of numerous at-risk children in our community.

Kathy Beardsworth
Fund Development & Marketing Director

Kathy joined the agency as the Development Director-Fundraising & Operations in 2007, leading the agency toward success through developing partnerships, special events, grantwriting and overseeing Information Technology.

As an active community volunteer focused on assisting youth and helping them have opportunities for success, Kathy has assisted school and youth-serving organizations in their fundraising campaigns. Bringing those assets to Big Brothers Big Sisters, as an agency leader she continues to develop partnerships and resources to facilitate agency growth, currently raising over $900,000.

In 2009, she was promoted to Fund Development & Marketing Director, leading marketing initiatives, developing a donor database and establishing an operational endowment. Kathy is a passionate public speaker and workshop presenter for the Linn County NonProfit Resource Center Development Institute.

Erin Brokel
HR & Finance Manager; Match Support Specialist

Erin graduated from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA in 2006 with a BA in Business Administration. Upon graduation, she was hired by the American Heart Association where she worked for four years developing a strong passion and appreciation for the role that non-profit organizations have on their community. She is an active volunteer in the community as a canine foster home for Great Plains Pointer Rescue and has served three years on the K9COLA Board of Directors as their Volunteer Coordinator. Erin joined Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2011 as their HR & Finance Manager & Match Support Specialist and she looks forward to assisting the organization in attracting and retaining quality staff, providing strong financial reporting and supporting positive relationships in the community between children facing adversity and adult mentors.