Board of Directors

Becca Stiles-Nogosek

President

Becca Stiles-Nogosek is a small business owner & community development contractor. She previously served as the Development Events & Volunteer Manager for the Minnesota Children’s Museum Rochester. Previous to her work at the children’s museum, Becca was the event coordinator at the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, a facilitator with the Diversity Council and worked at The Rochester Civic Theatre. Becca was also a Special Education Paraprofessional with the Rochester Public Schools for several years. As a former employee of ABC, Becca is honored to serve a great organization and its individuals in a different way.

Becca has a great passion for the Rochester community and serving and advocating for all its community members.

Dee Vasquez Sabol

Vice-President

Dee has been engaged in work on behalf of individuals with disabilities throughout her career both in Minnesota and Colorado. She has an adult son with a disability and has played the role of advocate and educator on his behalf and on behalf of others navigating systems and services.

Dee has a Masters Degree in Nonprofit Management. She also has a private fine art and design studio, a patient husband, two sons and a small menagerie. She is committed to responsible and equitable growth in the Rochester area.

John Caldwell

Treasurer

John Caldwell is Senior Commercial Lender with Bremer Bank in Rochester. In this role, he oversees the bank’s credit administration and underwriting departments. After graduating from St. Cloud State Univ. he had the opportunity to live and work in Sacramento, CA until 2003, when he returned to St. Cloud and met his wife Shelly in 2008. They have lived in Rochester for the past five years and have enjoyed being part of the vibrant community.

He is also on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee for The Reading Center/Dyslexia Institute of MN and appreciates the opportunity to serve the Rochester community. In his free time John enjoys officiating high school and college football, golfing, and traveling to warm climates during the winter months.

Jeff Smigielski

Past-President

Jeff is a former neuropsychologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he worked since 1988 up until his retirement in 2018. Before coming to Rochester, he worked at the Clinical Science Center at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Since the mid 1970’s, Jeff’s career has focused on working with people who have disabilities. He has had a particular interest in working with people who have acquired brain disorders, including traumatic brain injury. Jeff has served on the board of a number of nonprofit organizations, and just completed six-year terms on the boards of Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance and Minnesota Stroke Association.

Jeff and his wife Terry have been married for 40 years. They are the proud parents of six children, and have been blessed with 11 grandchildren (so far).

Courtney Sebo Savica

At-Large

Courtney is an estate planning, probate, and litigation attorney with the law firm of Wendland Utz, Ltd. Courtney focuses on working with families who have suffered loss and conflict. Courtney helps families navigate their way through the complicated and overwhelming legal system – or to avoid it altogether with an estate plan. Courtney recently co-wrote a chapter on the SECURE Act for MinnCLE, Minnesota’s leading CLE resource for attorneys. Courtney also regularly presents at CLEs for state and county bar associations throughout Minnesota.

Courtney is licensed to practice in both state and federal district courts in Minnesota. She is a former Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Gordon W. Shumaker and Larry B. Stauber, Jr. with the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Courtney lived and practiced law in the Twin Cities for 20 years before returning to her native Rochester three years ago. Courtney and her husband, Rodolfo, are parents to a sweet baby girl.

Jennifer L. Simpson

At-Large

Jennifer Simpson is the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for the Mayo Employees Federal Credit Union. In her role as CHRO, Jennifer is responsible for planning, directing, and overseeing all human resources functions of the Credit Union. She is part of the senior leadership team and participates in establishing and implementing strategic goals and objectives of the Credit Union and serves as a resource in all aspects of human resources.

Prior to her experience with the Mayo Employees Federal Credit Union, Jennifer worked at the City of Rochester for nine years where she served as the Assistant Director of Human Resources. In this position, Jennifer worked closely with designated department leaders as a strategic business partner providing expert-level consultative services that contributed to the achievement of citywide and departmental business goals. She also provided expertise in organizational development and change management initiatives designed to support strategic plans and enhance leadership effectiveness. In addition to her public sector work, Jennifer has considerable experience in private sector human resources working with agencies specializing in health care for vulnerable adults. Considering the variety of human resources functions she has performed throughout her career, Jennifer is most passionate about her work in organizational and leadership development.

Jennifer earned a Bachelor’s degree in 2004 from Upper Iowa University where she double majored in Human Resources Management and Human Services. In 2008, she received a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from St. Mary’s University. After beginning her work in the public sector, Jennifer completed a certification program from Metropolitan State University in public sector Human Resource Management in 2011. Most recently, Jennifer was certified as a Myers-Briggs Practitioner in 2016 and continues to use this training to provide formal and team-based education citywide.

Outside of the workplace, Jennifer enjoys reading, cycling, and fashion. She also spends her time away from work painting and decorating her home, which she shares with her husband, Jim, thirteen-year-old son, Kael, and dog, Stewie.

Judy Tollefsrud

Judy Tollefsrud is a long time resident of Houston County with an extensive background in the disability field having worked at ABLE and as a past ABC Board Member. Judy is currently a tax professional with H&R Block. She has recognized the need and importance of having board representation from Houston Co and is excited to be re-joining the ABC team.

Tracy Schramm

Tracy Schramm is a manager in the IBM Global Support Center. Prior to her current role, she was a Resolution Manager in the Power Systems Project Office handling complaints from clients. While at IBM, she has had temporary assignments in development and an international assignment at IBM Mainz in Germany. Tracy holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Southwest Minnesota State University. In addition, she holds a Masters of Information Systems and Management from the University of Phoenix.

Tracy is very passionate about serving the community, and ensuring that people with disabilities live the life that they wish to live. Tracy is very active with the People with Diverse Abilities group within IBM. She is also a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Transit, a member of the Diversity Council Advisory Board. In addition, she and her mobility assistance dog, Gidget, are active volunteers at Assisi Heights and Can Do Canines.

Dennis Davey

Dennis built a career in the medical device industry, where he has worked as a manufacturing representative and VP of Sales and Marketing and Founder with startup medical device companies. He grew up in Rochester and lived in the area until relocating his family to Eden Prairie, where he and his wife raised three boys, the youngest being non-verbal with Cerebral Palsy and hearing loss.

After returning to Rochester in 2010, Dennis became active in the community serving on neighborhood boards, Rochester Civic Music board and Veterans and Emergency Services Museum board. Following his fruitful career in the healthcare industry, Dennis obtained his license in Minnesota and Wisconsin and is currently active in the real estate industry. He enjoys spending time with family, his four grandchildren and frequent trips to Colorado to enjoy the Rocky Mountains.

Brandace Witherspoon

Brandace Witherspoon is an attorney with the Law Office of Brandace A. Witherspoon, P.L.L.C. Her practice focuses on advising and helping individuals and families through the legal process in various areas of the law. Prior to solo practice, Brandace worked as an associate at a law firm in her home state of Mississippi where she represented clients seeking Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income benefits.

Brandace is passionate about advocacy and representation of disabled children and adults. Brandace enjoys serving in her local church and spending time with her son, friends, and family.

Michael O’Brien

After 42 years at Mayo, Michael O’Brien retired in 2019 to spend the summers with his two grandsons in Rochester. At Mayo, Michael worked as a Social Worker for 21 years and the remainder of his career as an Administrator. In both roles, Michael had interactions with ABC Leadership.

At Mayo, Michael also worked along side ABC’s current past president Jeff Smigielski. Michael is from Iowa and has a farming background. In his recreation time, Michael enjoys being outside. Michael is a currently teacher at Augsburg University. Michael has served on a number of Community Agency Boards over the years and looks forward to contributing to ABC’s mission.

Sherry Irvin

Sherry Irvin has been DSP with Cardinal of MN for fifteen years working with individuals with developmental disabilities. Sherry is a native of Rochester and is married and has two grown sons and loves to spend her free time reading, writing, and traveling.

Sherry is an Ambassador with the Rochester Chamber of Commerce, an active member of The Rochester Elks Lodge, The Rochester Exchange Club, and also independently reviews local businesses as well as a published freelance writer.

Sherry holds degrees in A.S. in Law Enforcement and EMT Intermediate. Sherry currently serves on the Board of Directors for ” Music Lessons for All, The Rochester Exchange Club, and Veterans Emergency Services Museum and member of SAG to Governor.

Eric Crockett

Eric Crockett is the Regional Chair – Administration for the Southeast Region of the Mayo Clinic Health System. His role includes oversight of the administrative staff and functions in the region. The sites included in this region include Red Wing, Owatonna/Faribault, and Austin/Albert Lea as well as operations in a number of surrounding communities.

In previous roles at Mayo, Eric served as the vice chair, Midwest Region, for Provider Relations. In this role, he led the administrative structure for the Provider Relations staff and the Mayo Clinic Care Network members in the Midwest. Additionally, he has served as the administrator for the Department of Neurology on the Rochester campus, working on neurology service line development and integration activities. Eric has also served as director of Radiology and has spent the last 20 years of his career in health care administration, primarily in Radiology.

Eric’s undergraduate degree is from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., and his graduate degree in Business is from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minn. He is an Officer for the MGMA-ACMPE National Board of Directors and has also served as an adjunct faculty member with both the University of St. Francis and Augsburg College. Eric lives in Rochester with his wife, Amy, as well as three children.