Cathy Wurzer is a broadcast journalist with MPR News and Twin Cities PBS, author, documentary filmmaker, artist, horsewoman and wanna-be dancer.
Cathy Wurzer
Founder, Board Member, Executive Producer
Jill Sauber
Board Member
Jill M. Sauber is Certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA®) by the National Elder Law Foundation. She is the managing attorney of Sauber Legal Services in Minneapolis, Minnesota where she focuses on estate planning, elder law, and related litigation. Her elder law practice includes special needs (settlement) planning, long-term care planning, Medicaid benefits, guardianship/conservatorship, asset protection, and veterans’ benefits as a VA-accredited attorney. Jill maintains her mortician license and practices in the niche area of mortuary law.
Jill is a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) Foundation, past President of the Minnesota NAELA Chapter, an active member of several committees of the American Bar Association Senior Lawyers Division including acting Group Director of the Elder Law Group and Elder Law Committee Chair. She is a member/past treasurer of the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) Elder Law Section Governing Council. Jill was recently appointed as a Commissioner on the American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Law and Aging (COLA) for a one-year term beginning August 2023.
Jane Whitlock
Board Member
Jane Whitlock is a certified end of life doula practicing since 2015. In 2018 she did a Minneapolis Tedtalk titled “What Death Taught Me About Life.” This began her work as a public speaker/death educator. In 2020 she cofounded the MN Death Collaborative. In 2021 she co founded the Full Circle Care program to provide support at end of life for residents, families and staff at a skillednursing facility in Minneapolis.
Nicole Boor
Board Member
Susie Putzke
Board Member
Susie is an ordained pastor under appointment in the Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and presently serves as Connectional Pastor of Love First United Methodist Church in Sartell, MN. After receiving her Master of Divinity from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston IL, Susie completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, MN. She served 13 years as a chaplain for St. Cloud Hospital. Susie spent many of those years specializing in Palliative Care, supporting patients and their loved ones through serious illness, difficult conversations, and end of life decision making. Susie is a mother of four and in her spare time enjoys lake life and producing community theatre productions in her hometown. Susie sees it as both an honor and a privilege to support the valuable work and partner with the amazing leadership of the End In Mind project.
Sheryl Ramstad
Board Member
Kevin Hofman
Board Member
Kevin Hofman is an attorney who has been practicing law for 40 years in business litigation, focusing on banking and financial services and extending to contracts, defamation, and other business disputes. He has served on the Board of Minnesota Continuing Legal Education and the Minnesota State Board of Legal Education, which he chaired for three years. Besides the End In Mind Board, he sits on the board of a non-profit that provides services to adults with disabilities. Watching his relatives and friends age has impressed him with the importance of End in Mind’s purpose and efforts, and he’s proud to be a member of End in Mind’s board.
Karoline Pierson
Board Member
Recently retired after a long career in healthcare, Karoline spends her time volunteering for a variety of causes in her local community, church, and state. She spent her career in healthcare systems in MN and Chicago, especially enjoying the systems that delivered care to the underserved. She earned her undergrad degree from Concordia College – Moorhead and her M.A. in organizational leadership from St. Catherine University. She lives in the west metro. She sees the End in Mind Project as a natural fit for her lifelong interest in living your best life and volunteering for causes she supports.
Melanie Shirley
Board Member
Melanie Shirley is an experienced executive leader specializing in business strategy, digital marketing, sales leadership, and business growth. Her background spans consumer products, professional services, and high-tech industries, within founder-led startups to private equity-owned enterprises. Melanie excels in developing innovative strategies and leading high-performance teams. She is passionate about End in Mind’s vision and mission and is honored to support their work.
Denny Morrow
Board Member
Denny Morrow, Ph.D. began his professional journey as a teacher and coach. He later served as principal of four schools and twice as Superintendent of Schools. He was a Bush Leadership Fellow at Harvard University. Later, he was Dean of the Graduate School at Bethel University. He also worked for a dozen years overseas with schools and non-profit organizations. Most recently, he was an executive coach for school district leaders.
