Meet Our Team
Founder &
Executive Director
She/Her
Dr. Meg Bartlett-Chase is a proud Minnesotan who is committed to supporting sex education efforts across the state. She earned her PhD in Education Policy from the University of Iowa where she focused on sex education policy, practice, and potential controversy. Her research and outreach centers the role of students, teachers, and
families in sex ed policymaking and implementation. In her early career, she was as a sex educator and crisis counselor in many Twin Cities Metro Area schools, and currently serves on several state and national coalitions for sex education movement work. Meg is an experienced program director and leader in equity-centered skill and leadership development. She believes in community-engaged advocacy that centers those most affected. In her free time, she loves visiting bookstores, canoeing or hiking with her partner Austin, and cuddling with her dog and cat.
Associate Executive Director
She/They
Christina DeVries, is a writer, artist, and pro-people-power kind of person. She earned a Masters in Advocacy and Political Leadership from Metropolitan State University. Professionally she builds grassroots development programs with a Community-Centric Fundraising lens, people-centered training to increase personal growth,
organization equity and personal growth, international public health work and grant writing. Her background includes international public health work that focused on local initiatives for high risk youth, sex ed curriculum development, and after school programming. She served on the Fair State Brewing Cooperative Board and spent many years with the Headwaters Foundation for Justice. Outside of their 9-5 life, she surrounds herself with deep friendships and family, a couple book clubs, two cats from the Cat Distribution System, and adventures with her partner Reed.
Meet Our Board
 Jill Farris, MPH | Board ChairJill is a trainer, data nerd, and sex educator who believes young people deserve honest information and supportive adults. She leads training and education at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Healthy Youth Development and has been lead author of the MN Adolescent Sexual Health Report for over 20 years. Outside work, Jill leads a Girl Scout troop, facilitates Our Whole Lives sex ed, and loves planning trips around great food, strong coffee, and a figure skating competition. |  Kara Cowell, MPH | Vice ChairKara is a passionate advocate for menstrual and reproductive health as a crucial part of public health. She works as the Advocacy and Organizing Manager at Gender Justice advocating for policy changes that advance gender equity and reproductive justice. Kara also leads Minnesota menstrual health advocacy, and led the Minnesota Menstrual Products in Schools Toolkit project. In her free time, Kara enjoys spending time doing triathlons, drinking coffee, and hanging out with family and friends. |  Bob Breck | TreasurerBob is a consultant for non-profits specializing in fundraising, technology, and sustainability. Before striking out on his own, he worked as the Director of Membership at MPR and at the Science Museum of Minnesota. He holds a masters degree in Human Sexuality from the Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health with a focus on lifelong sexuality education. Bob lives with his partner in Saint Paul with their cat, Uhoh, and enjoys brewery 5Ks, roller derby, women’s sports, and board games. |
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 Tipheret Peña | SecretaryTipheret studied English and journalism as well as gender, women, and sexuality studies at the University of Minnesota. She is a state-certified sexual assault crisis counselor and worked closely with students at the university's sexual violence center and in the department of housing and residential life. She works in development at the Normandale Community College Foundation. In her free time she enjoys reading and writing, trying out new bars and restaurants, and playing with her cat. |  Stephen ChapinSteve is a health and physical education teacher in St. James, MN. In 2023, he was named the MNSHAPE Health Teacher of the Year and received national recognition from SHAPE America as the 2026 Health Teacher of the Year. Chapin uses a skills-based and data-driven approach to health education for his students. He creates a community-wide approach to support positive teen decision-making and health. In his free time, he is an MSHSL official and loves to travel with his wife Michele and two kids. |  Logan SandLogan is the program manager for the Seeing and Exploring Life’s Future program. They hold a BA in neuroscience and psychology from Macalester College and an M.Ed. in human sexuality from Widener University. They are AASECT certified, published in the American Journal of Sexuality Education, and often speak on inclusive sex ed at community and university spaces across the country. In their free time you might find them rewatching 90’s era Star Trek episodes or winning bar trivia with their team. |
 Sonja Fernandez, JDSonja is a Puerto Rico–born restorative justice practitioner, mediator, educator, and writer based in the Twin Cities. Raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico, Sonja earned their Political Science degree and JD from the University of Puerto Rico. Sonja moved to Minnesota in 2017 and continued their justice and healing work. They founded Punto Medio Restorative Services and hosts Spanglish podcast, El RestBreak. Sonja finds joy in music, coffee, time with chosen and biological family, and their dog Benito. |  Ashley Thompson, PhDAshley is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota Duluth and holds a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of New Brunswick. She directs the Sexuality and Relationship Science Lab and collaborates with researchers around the globe to study sexuality, intimacy, relationship diversity, stigma, and how people gain and use sexual knowledge. Ashley loves traveling, hanging out with her daughter, and directing her dance studio 218 Dance Project. |  Lauren RobertsonLauren is a fundraiser at a legal nonprofit focused on pregnancy, birth, and abortion. Her career focuses on supporting better systems, policies, and support for families, spanning local and national nonprofits, health care, and local government. Lauren has an M.A. in Applied Adolescent and Child Development from the University of Minnesota. Lauren enjoys spending time with her husband and pets, tending to their greenhouse, hiking, playing cribbage, and babysitting for her friends and neighbors. |