Board of Directors

Carol Perrault
Carol Perrault is the Director/Events Coordinator of Bridging Hearts. She works with Erin Anderson de Laffitte to 

provide a variety of monthly social events for BH members. In Carol’s words, “Bridging Hearts has been life changing
for our adult son Matt. He looks forward to each BH event and enjoys being able to meet up with his friends. I’mgrateful for the opportunities Bridging Hearts provides, and I especially enjoy knowing that each member can find their place within the organization.” Carol is active in her church, where she cooks weekly meals for nearly one hundred parishioners and community members. In her free time, she enjoys walking, reading, cruising in the Caribbean, and especially exploring the Twin Cities with her BH friends. Carol and her husband Dave have three adult children (including a set of twins) and one grandson.

Teresa Johnson
Teresa Johnson is a former hairstylist and salon owner. She and her husband Steve served their community as foster parents for twenty years and have also served as youth and young adult leaders in their church. For the past five

 years, volunteering as the Duluth Bridging Hearts Director has been Teresa’s passion. Bridging Hearts has been

instrumental in how her daughter Mariah, who is a member, has developed a community of great friends. Mariah appreciates the way Bridging Hearts gets her out of her comfort zone and provides a fun group of people to hang out with. When she isn’t volunteering or working, Teresa enjoys movies, game night, reading, hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Julius Chepey
Julius Chepey is an Information Technology leader with more than twenty-five years’ experience as a Chief Information Officer at several Minnesota companies. He is currently CIO of Anderson Trucking Service based in St. 

Cloud, MN. As a Bridging Hearts board member, Julius has helped chart a path for the increased use of IT for the members and the organization. Julius first became involved with Bridging Hearts through a twenty-four-hour website challenge. While he was CIO at AP Group in New Brighton, MN, Julius and several of his IT team membersvolunteered to partner with Bridging Hearts to rewrite the external facing website, www.bridginghearts.org. That was a successful launch—the core platform is still in use today. Julius and Kevin Roth, one of the original members of the website challenge, both remain active on the board. Julius has a strong passion for mentoring future IT leaders in both structured and informal settings. For recreation, Julius and his wife Trudi like to travel in the state and spend time with relatives. He has one grown son who is an ever-hopeful and lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan.

Scott Madson
Scott Madson is a retired CPA with more than thirty years of corporate finance and accounting leadership experience with a variety of Twin Cities companies. He also has held a variety of leadership roles within his church and local Boy Scout troop. As a Bridging Hearts board member and treasurer, Scott is responsible for keeping its

 books, records, and financial statements, as well as the budgeting, banking, insurance, government filings, and financial information for grant applications. He advises the board about the organization’s financial standing and the impacts of various courses of action. Scott’s adult son is a Bridging Hearts member who, “really looks forward to BH events and the social interactions they bring.” Scott himself says that he’s “proud to be a part of an organization that provides social gatherings and support for a group that, unfortunately, often lacks such opportunities for entertainment and personal growth.” In his downtime, Scott enjoys golfing, fishing, traveling, watching Golden Gopher football, and attending family gatherings with his wife Andrea and their adult twin sons.

Adam Pascoe
Adam Pascoe is a business analyst with nearly twenty years of experience in the IT field, specializing in translating

 complex business needs into clear, actionable solutions. He was introduced to Bridging Hearts through the Nerdery’s Overnight Website Challenge and was drawn to its mission of helping neurodiverse individuals to build 

meaningful social connections. Throughout his career, Adam has held a variety of roles in information technology including project management, software development, systems integrations, and process analysis. He’s passionate about leveraging technology to solve real-world problems. Originally from Upper Michigan, Adam now lives in the Twin Cities with his wife, two pugs, and two cats. He’s a proud father of four adult children and a growing number of grandchildren. Outside of work, he enjoys programming side projects, fishing, and jet-skiing on Minnesota’s lakes.

Elizabeth Weiss Verdick
Elizabeth is a Twin Cities writer who has spent most of her career authoring books for children—from babies to teens. Her special interest is SEL, or social-and-emotional learning. She has two adult children—Olivia and Zach—and two goofy French bulldogs who are her “children with fur.” Elizabeth’s son Zach was diagnosed with autism before age three, which took the family on an unexpected journey supporting his education and growth. As part of this learning process, Elizabeth teamed up with Elizabeth Reeve, M.D., to write The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (and Their Parents), a handbook for those growing up with ASD. “I’m so excited to be on the board of Bridging Hearts because I’ve watched my son face challenges as a young adult trying to build connections in a world that often feels chaotic to him. Every day, he works hard to be himself and be okay with that. I like being part of an organization that recognizes and supports neurodivergent people who have their own special ways of socializing and experiencing the world. As a writer, I particularly enjoy helping Bridging Hearts with its communication efforts and outreach.” To learn more about Elizabeth, please visit her website, elizabethverdick.com.

Dr. Elizabeth Reeve
Elizabeth Reeve is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, working in research at HealthPartners, meeting with patients, and teaching medical students and doctors. As both a physician and a Bridging Hearts board member, she has the 

unique position of keeping members up to date on physical- and mental-health issues. She conducts a monthly meeting open to all members to explore topics related to a wide range of health concerns. “I’m dedicated to health education for our members and beyond. In addition, I focus on community grant opportunities as a way to keep Bridging Hearts financially healthy, with very low membership fees. BH has changed my life by providing my adult disabled son with a rich and varied social life. I hope other neurodivergent families in the Twin Cities and Duluth areas can find us and benefit too.” Her work on the board also includes fundraising and event chaperoning. In her spare time, Elizabeth keeps busy exercising every day and enjoying many hobbies such as cross-country and downhill skiing, walking, gardening, and tending to the prairie land she lives on. She has three grown children and three grandchildren, who love to come and visit.

Rebecca Levine
After graduating from law school, Rebecca Levine found herself drawn to helping families of children with special needs. She then held a clerkship in Hennepin County Family Court with Judge Daniel Moreno and Judge Kevin Burke, after which Rebecca joined the law firm of Thiel, Anderson and Levine, focusing on estate planning for families who have a child with a disability. Rebecca has seen her three daughters through college into adulthood, and now she continues to practice with her solo firm, Rebecca Levine Law PLLC (rebeccalevinelaw.com), officing within Thiel, Anderson, Kukla & Gunderson. She has helped hundreds of parents to become guardians of their adult child with special needs and has participated in the Hennepin County court-required video that guardians are required to view. Rebecca currently serves as board president of Bridging Hearts, setting the agenda for meetings, ensuring that board members complete assigned tasks, problem-solving when necessary, and overseeing the overall health of the organization. Her legal experience comes in handy when guiding the board with questions and concerns. In her downtime, Rebecca enjoys travel (especially visiting her daughters in Canada and Colorado), rooting for the Minnesota Vikings and the Wild, and attempting to golf and control her garden.

Kim Sherman
Kim Sherman blends her skills as a Business Systems Analyst and as a dedicated mother of four to bring a unique 

blend of professional expertise and personal commitment to the Bridging Hearts board. Kim first became involvedwith the organization by assisting with the launch of “The Bridge,” the new platform and website that serves as a vital resource for connecting the Bridging Hearts community. Kim enjoys traveling with her family, being creative through crafts and music, and participating in other volunteer opportunities supporting the arts. She is actively involved in local theater programs and participates in the booster organization for her local high school marching band.

Kevin Roth
In 2015 Kevin Roth got involved with Bridging Hearts during the Nerdery’s Overnight Website Challenge. In Kevin’s words, “As the team captain, I led a team of talented developers to create a new website overnight for this incredible nonprofit organization. The experience was both challenging and rewarding, and it ignited a passion within me to continue supporting Bridging Hearts’ mission. After the challenge, I was honored to be invited to join the board of Bridging Hearts.” Kevin and his wife Meghan are the parents of a child on the autism spectrum, so they’re familiar with the challenges and joys of raising a child with special needs. Kevin’s professional background in web development and cybersecurity has been valuable in helping Bridging Hearts leverage technology to improve services and reach. He is committed to using his skills and experience to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals with learning differences and their families. Kevin’s involvement with Bridging Hearts gives him an opportunity to contribute to a future where everyone feels valued, included, and empowered.