In recognition of Women’s History Month, Rogers is celebrating our women team members and all their contributions to the organization and our Mission!
We are proud to work alongside more than 2,300 women teammates, 258 of which are in leadership roles. To showcase their many accomplishments and how they inspire all of us every day, we invited employees to share with us their stories.
Nikki Briskie, compliance specialist
“Nikki is the greatest co-worker/team member you could ask for. She is extremely knowledgeable, helpful, hardworking, and always brightens up the team’s day. Nikki was recently on maternity leave and during that time, I realized how big of an impact she truly makes. I am so lucky to be on a team with her. Outside of Rogers, she is an amazing mother, wife, and friend to all. Nikki immediately makes the day better just by talking with her!”
~ Amanda Egnarski, compliance specialist
Brenda Bundy, executive director, nursing, Inpatient Services
“I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with Brenda in various capacities, most recently as we support the Brown Deer inpatient care teams through some major changes. Brenda is truly inspiring as she leads with confidence, authenticity, and humility. She is an outside the box thinker and problem solves with action and intention. She has a great sense of humor and demonstrates compassion toward the patients she interacts with and staff she supports. Her skills as a nurse model excellence and composure during crisis situations. Brenda leads her team with clear direction yet an openness that fosters growth as individuals develop their own style of management.”
~ Elizabeth Kemppainen, director, nursing operations
Debbie Case, director of revenue cycle and health information
“Debbie doesn’t just inspire me; Debbie tries to lift and inspire all women around her! She is smart, driven, encouraging and educates you on things you need to know, or even don’t NEED to know but want to understand. She welcomes questions and truly wants you to understand the answer and where you can find it for next time. Her personal mission in life is equal pay for women. She coaches women, in and out of the organization of all ages, how to ask for and get what they want. She not only inspires in the workplace, but she also chose to be a single foster mom and eventually ended up adopting her son Elias at the age of 2. An old song reference for sure, but she is WOMAN hear her roar! I’m privileged to work for her and have learned so much in our short time together and look forward to whatever else comes my way through her. Rogers is fortunate to have her!”
“Debbie became our director at a time when I was still unsure what would happen in our department after our previous director left. She proved to be a strong compassionate leader. I was so impressed by the thoughtful and purposeful way she put together action plans and ideas to better our department. I admire many things about Debbie, but on the top of the list are her passion to empower women and to accept nothing less than positive, productive, and effective change. Her delivery on asking for or speaking to difficult subjects is strong and direct yet fair and insightful. I am so grateful to work with her every day and look forward to all the things I know I will learn from her in the future!”
~ Shelley Reuteler, revenue integrity auditor
Maxine Cimperman, registered dietitian, Nashville
“Maxine is a wealth of knowledge and engages with her team and the patients she cares for in a fun and empathetic manner. She is also an adjunct professor, contributing to the ongoing knowledge and skills of others in the field!”
~ Anna Meremable, Rogers Operating System deployment leader
Izzi Cooper, behavior specialist, Seattle
“Izzi is the definition of a team player and always willing to jump in and support her coworkers. Izzi is creative, lighthearted, genuine, and a master rapport builder – her patients adore her! Izzi customizes treatment to each individual patient, and she never approaches treatment with a one-size-fits-all perspective. Even though she’s allergic to dairy, she is the bread and butter of our clinic.”
~ Carly Fox, therapist, Seattle
Avery Corcoran, behavior specialist, Seattle
“Avery goes out of her way to make sure her patients and coworkers feel supported and motivated. She is detail-oriented, firm but kind, and has an innate sense of when to pick up the pace of treatment and when to slow it down. It’s very clear to the people around her that she loves her job and feels lucky to be around these amazing kids each day. Bonus points: she rocks three-inch heeled boots on Fridays better than anyone I know!”
~ Carly Fox, therapist, Seattle
Sam Clos, director of operations, Minneapolis and St. Paul
“Sam Clos is one of the most compassionate leaders I have met and worked with. She leads with both her brilliant mind and grounded heart. She consistently models how to be a supportive, inclusive, and curious leader. While she is our team’s ‘smart solutions generator,’ she always balances this talent with humility and openness for feedback. Sam listens… truly listens, without judgment. She is not fragile in front of disagreements and diverse ideas. I have the honor to watch her daily advocating for our patients and staff in Minnesota. She doesn’t shy away from having hard, meaningful conversations with our team to assure that we create a culturally responsive and inclusive clinical and work environment. She balances multiple priorities like a queen! Sam also brings consistent joy and laughter to the team and cheerleads all of us hard when we accomplish small and big successes. I have personally learned a lot from Sam!”
~ Ajeng Puspitasari, PhD, senior clinical director, Northern Service Area
Sam Clos, director of operations, Minneapolis and St. Paul, and Fawn Purky, director of nursing, Outpatient Services
“As nurses in the Minneapolis clinic, we get to work closely with Sam and Fawn. These two have inspired us throughout our time at Rogers and have helped us become better nurses and people. They both continuously handle difficult situations with compassion and are a sense of calm when needed. They lead by example, with empathy and humility. They believe in us and our team, even then we don’t believe in ourselves. They have both taken time to get to know us personally and to help find areas where we can use our passions at work and grow professionally. But most of all, they have shown us that true leaders show up when needed. Whether it was flying in for a visit/support or moving a schedule around to be available when needed in the moment, they both have and continue to show up. There are no questions or concerns that we could bring to them that they wouldn’t help us work through in a timely manner. They are by our side during the challenging times and guide up through them. They are also there to celebrate accomplishments (professionally: new certifications, DAISY Award, LimeLights, and personally: marriages, buying houses, family additions). Their support as leaders inspires us to continue to show each day, for our patients and for each other.”
~ Amanda Von Feldt and Aubrey Redemske, registered nurses, Minneapolis
“What I admire most about Jacque is her desire to know the ‘why.’ The investigative nature that inspires her to ask questions, get to the root cause, brainstorm solutions, and get things done. Her ability to hyper multi-task is like nothing I have ever seen before and yet she still is fully aware of everything she is doing. I also admire her positive and happy energy even when she may not be feeling it 100%. She can turn a mood around for the better, that I cannot help getting in a good mood as well. She is quite amazing, and I am so lucky for all the things I have learned from her in the past eight years!”
~ Shelley Reuteler, revenue integrity auditor
Janet Gatlin, director of outreach, Northern and Central Service Areas
“Janet is the heart of the outreach team. She goes above and beyond to make sure our team has the resources and support it needs to move forward. She cares for each member of the team and ensures that they are successful in everything that they do. She is always there to brainstorm, strategize, teach, and advocate for us. We are so lucky to have her as our fearless leader and we are grateful for all that she does.”
~ Annie Jaworska, Blair Famarin, and Jamie Schrandt, outreach managers
Nancy Goranson, PsyD, director of training for the American Psychological Association Approved Doctoral Internship Program, and Kristin Miles, PsyD, psychologist
“In addition to their clinical supervision responsibilities, these two psychologists have provided leadership for the American Psychological Association doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship programs from when Rogers first worked toward getting fully accredited by the APA (about 10 to 12 years ago to today.
From what I can remember, the initial application process was daunting. There are a LOT of moving parts and nearly every clinical director plays some role, from the weekly didactic lectures, to supervision, to the internship advisory committee.
Bottom line is that this internship program is perhaps the primary way we get such amazing psychologists to join our team!”
~ Ruth Lepien Muller, marketing education and events lead
Jennifer Hoffman, campus relations recruiter
“Jennifer and I connected from the time of my interview, and that connection grew ten-fold over the course of the last year. I attribute that connection to her personality and her drive for greatness. Jennifer inspires me to remember that I am valued. She inspires me to remember that I matter and that I should never settle for less. She is a constant rock on our small team – always willing to support and encourage. Jennifer has impacted my life professionally and personally and inspires me daily to never doubt my abilities. I’m proud to be on her team, and I’m proud to call her a dear friend.”
~ Jessica Nelson, campus relations coordinator
Annie Jaworska, outreach manager, Eastern and Western Service Areas
“I had the pleasure of working with Annie as Hinsdale’s outreach rep before her promotion to manager. Annie leads her work with her heart, which allowed her to build trusting relationships with community referents, as well as patients. To this day, clinicians in the area ask about how Annie’s doing or reflect on how great she is at her job. Annie makes it a point to go out of her way to ensure a prospective patient finds needed help, whether that be with Rogers or with an outside referral. She brings an air of positivity and encouragement with her wherever she goes, which served her well as she began helping train new outreach reps, supporting other clinics, and growing into her current role. Now that I don’t work with her daily anymore, she’s remained a good friend and colleague, and I’m so thankful for the dedication she brings to Rogers, as the success of our clinic was a direct result of her efforts. Annie is a woman who empowers other women, reminding them of their strengths and capabilities, both during times of celebration and times of struggle. Rogers is so incredibly lucky to have Annie on staff, and I know she’ll continue to do amazing things in her career.”
~ Cindy Cole, director of operations, Hinsdale
Laura John, clinical services supervisor, Minneapolis
“Laura jumped at the opportunity when I reached out to our clinics for presenters at MARRCH (a Minnesota Addiction Conference), and when the day came there were a few hundred clinical professionals lining the room. Laura did an amazing job presenting on ‘Treatment of Co-Occurring Depression and Anxiety through the use of Behavioral Activation and Exposure and Response Prevention.’ We had several groups of people come up to our booth after and say how much they loved her presentation and how her speaking skills kept them engaged the entire 1.5-hour presentation. Laura is so passionate about teaching addiction treatment to others, which you can see and feel during her presentations. Laura also inspires me to improve my presentation/speaking skills!”
~ Jamie Bjork, outreach representative, St. Paul
Charity Lopez, therapist, Kenosha
“Charity has compassion for the patients and her co-workers. She demonstrates this through her daily actions of being on the care committee, spending extra time to plan and coordinate activities for her fellow employees. If I was a patient at Rogers, I would want her to be my therapist as she has all the traits of a great therapist: genuineness, concern, compassion, and empathy. She advocates strongly for her patients in every aspect of treatment. Charity loves being a therapist, and I observe this daily. What a joy to work with a woman who is committed to her career and yet flexible with her team, always making us feel a part of the decision-making process. Charity is a team player who is flexible and willing to help the team in any way she can. I am very grateful for her inspiring words of encouragement to peers and to the patients. Thank you, Charity.”
~ Lisa Franz, licensed clinical professional counselor, Kenosha
Dione Knop, outreach representative, Sheboygan
“Dione has gone to great lengths to provide for our patients whether it be access to clothing, hygiene necessities, or fun activities such as mini golf passes and ice skating passes. Her efforts of advocating and manual labor to get us items and grants are endless and always done with a smile on her face. She has inspired me to do more for my community and always offer a helping hand. Dione has connections and resources, which she is always sharing with patients and staff in order to provide the best care possible. She will always go above and beyond to help out other roles and fill in as needed for her team.”
~ Kaylee Zipperer, supportive living coordinator, Sheboygan
Jordan Kriecha, intake specialist, Oconomowoc; Hannah Nolte, intake specialist, West Allis; Bryana Martinson, Admissions Services supervisor, West Allis
“Jordan for being an honest leader, Hannah for being the kindest person, and Bryana for being a great supervisor and making the job more enjoyable – having a good boss is so important.”
“In her previous role as vice president, operations for the Northern Service Area, Signa was dedicated to cultivating the development of the leaders who worked with and for her. She inspired me to work hard and do better as there was never a challenge she wouldn’t meet head-on. All while making space and time for some positivity and fun to the work we do.”
~ Bridget Ellingboe, director of operations, Madison
“Candi is a fearless leader who never stops. She never stops caring; she never stops motivating; she never stops supporting; she never stops pushing me to do better. I have been privileged to be under her leadership for over a year, and in that time, she has inspired me to push for greatness even when others aren’t looking. The passion she has both professionally and personally is admirable and while she wears many hats, she never fails to see the potential in someone and let them know that they are seen and heard.”
~ Jessica Nelson, campus relations coordinator
Jeanette Osborn, manager, Utilization Review
“Jeanette has been my mentor, coach, and friend since I was promoted to manager years ago. I was promoted at a time when they didn’t have all these training opportunities, CBLs, and Leader in Trainings and had to learn on the fly with lot of bumps along the way. Jeanette came along and helped me through it all. Jeanette continues to assist me with difficult situations or sometimes just to rant and rave. She has an amazing team that respects her like nobody’s business! She’s smart, compassionate, and has just the right amount of empathy and business acumen to truly support this organization in the right way. Jeanette knows many things having been here for so many years. If anyone needs anything, if she doesn’t know it, she knows where to point you! She is always positive, encouraging, and supportive, and I can’t imagine working here without her!”
“Jonna has been with Rogers ‘forever’ and to me she is the ‘glue’ holding a lot of things together around here. As Social Services manager for the Oconomowoc campus, she oversees several dozen staff who function as the point person for patients during their treatment, while also serving as the clients’ rights specialist for any formal complaints…and she does all this while staying calm, cool, and collected.
Jonna really understands the day-to-day operations of our patient-facing team members, and has always been my ‘ready reference’ for so many questions that come to me, which I can’t answer about who’s the right person to ask about this, etc.
She’s also helped grow our CE program, by helping Rogers become an approved sponsor through the Association of Social Work Boards and National Board for Certified Counselors, and chairs that volunteer review team, plus now works closely with Talent Development to see that our national webinars can be offered as CBLs for social services staff to receive CE credits.”
~ Ruth Lepien Muller, marketing education and events lead
“Jonna is one of the hardest working people I have ever met. She always comes to work with a great attitude and has always been understanding of her employees. She provides meaningful positive feedback often and encourages her employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance. I loved working for Jonna and appreciate everything she does for this organization!”
Ajeng Puspitasari, PhD, senior clinical director, Northern Service Area
“Dr. Puspitasari leads with humility and grace. She is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met yet finds ways to provide education and information compassionately and non-judgmentally. She is someone who truly leads with curiosity, asking questions because she genuinely values the experiences and thoughts of those around her. She is a champion of equity, diversity, and inclusion work, authentically engaging in the work both inside and outside of Rogers. She has been instrumental in my development as a leader, gently guiding me to resources to help me be a better advocate and ally and showing up for the hard conversations. We are so lucky to have her as a leader at Rogers.”
~ Rae Anne Ho Fung, PhD, clinical director of Outpatient Services, West Allis
Jennifer Skemp, manager, Residential Operations, Mental Health Recovery adolescent residential care
“Jen worked as the therapist on a challenging case with me before becoming my manager at OAC. She is a strong, confident, kind, smart, and unique woman, who is such an inspiration to me. During my time working for/with Jen, I learned so much both as a person and as an aspiring therapist. When I complete my graduate studies, I hope to be as supportive and confident as Jen is!”
“When Jen Skemp became manager of OAC there were many changes going on within our program and the hospital in general. Jen took them all in stride. She is firm but fair and for the first time in the 23 years that I have been an employee for Rogers I feel like part of a team. Jen has always made time to meet with me when needed and accepts feedback about ways to make the program better. I believe she has improved the communication throughout the team and continues to problem solve daily to help make our program the best it can be. She has inspired me to do better in my role here and in my life in general by taking every challenge head on with a smile on her face even when we know she's struggling. I am honored to have her as my manager and appreciate everything she has done to help her employees feel like they can make a difference in the lives of our residents.”
~ Jennifer Morales, residential care specialist, OCD and Anxiety adolescent residential care
Gretchen Sullivan, director of operations, Seattle
“Gretchen is a driven leader who always wants the best for herself and her team! She is willing to share her experiences and learnings and is a lot of fun to work with.”
~ Anna Meremable, Rogers Operating System deployment leader
Caitlin Wheeler and Caitlin Ellis, therapists, Silver Lake Outpatient Center
“They both inspire me to continue growing as a therapist and to challenge myself in new ways, such as pushing myself in difficult situations with clients and growing my knowledge when working with eating disorder patients. Caitlin Wheeler has encouraged me to read more on how physical activity can be a beneficial outlook for ED clients; it just depends on the amount the patient can engage in and how they are viewing it. She has provided me multiple resources as well regarding LGBTQ+, exposures, body positivity resources, etc. Caitlin Ellis has encouraged me to identify different outlets for patients to use when struggling and resources for me to use to identify how I can support my patients. Both the Caitlins make the environment working at Rogers so inviting and reliable as a team. I am grateful to work and receive the support I do from both of them!
~ Elizabeth “Lizzy” Malueg, therapist, Silver Lake
Nicole Wiswell, therapist, Madison
“I have worked with Nicole for quite some time and her energy and willingness to help has always been amazing. I also really appreciate and am inspired by her willingness to put the patients first and foremost regardless of situation or context. I feel it is something that continues to encourage me and makes me want to keep doing my best to provide care and support for the patients who come in.”
~Chris Lunder, therapist, Madison
Brown Deer clinic team
“Without the village we have working, especially those in direct care, we would not be able to do the job we are doing. It’s been a long haul and continues to be that. There have been huge amounts of admissions all at once. Many staffing issues that have people doing extra work across the board daily. Turnover continues to happen at a high rate. Staff are tired but are working tirelessly. It would be hard to select one person and not feel like someone is being left off. So, who do I nominate? I nominate the village. Every single person in the Brown Deer clinic.”
