I am the Director and co-owner alongside my friend Dietrich Winter. I am also a proud father of two wonderful kids, Llewyn and August, and have the privilege of working alongside my spouse, Angela. I started working in disability services in 2008, gaining experience in multiple areas including residential services, day program, crisis intervention and job coaching. In 2014 I accepted a job to work with Dietrich at his adult foster care homes in Brookston. It was there that we were presented with a unique opportunity to provide a new resident with employment services. The success the individual had with their employment venture sparked the interest of more folks from the area. We decided to start ACE in 2018 and since then we’ve seen that same success in over 40 other individuals.

ACE Role:
My role at ACE revolves around administration. Although I often work behind a screen, filing documentation, scheduling appointments, and delegating tasks, I also get the opportunity to connect with service recipients and their Direct Care Person throughout the months of the year to continue to to remain up to date on how their services are going and to remain person centered and provide the support and care each individual deserves.

Background:
I grew up in the Twin Cities, but have resided in Duluth for the past decade alongside my partner and our two kids, Llewyn (8) and August (6). I have spent most of those years being a stay-at-home-mom until the summer of 2021 when the opportunity to work alongside my husband at ACE came about, which has led me to where I am today.

ACE Culture:
I think what I love most about our culture at ACE is everyone's flexibility. No matter the reason, everyone is willing to shift their schedules around without hesitation to help one another out.

My name is Nathan Holte, and I’m the Director of VRS here at Arrowhead Community Employment. My role within the company is to provide Job Seekers referred to ACE by Vocational Rehabilitation Services, which is a federal/state program, with job seeking services. These services range from On-The-Job Evaluations, Discovery, Pre-ETS, Job Placement, etc. It’s my job to facilitate meet and greets, intake meetings, and progress meetings with the help of VRS counselors to ensure that a job seeker receives person-centered services that put their needs and wants first. As the Director of our VRS branch, it’s also my job to consistently provide monthly progress reports to VRS, ensuring that we are attending to the job seekers' needs in a precise and personal way. Here at ACE, it’s our mission to open as many doors as we can for an individual seeking employment, allowing them the autonomy to make their own vocational decisions, making sure that the opportunities we present to them match the individual's vocational themes, interests and ideal conditions.  

Working with others and establishing meaningful and professional relationships has always been a passion of mine. I have a history of working as a Job Coach for other agencies, as well as fifteen years of Customer Service experience. Being able to empower and support others brings me the utmost satisfaction, and working for ACE has only bolstered my passion for others within the community. 

Arrowhead Community Employment has provided me with the tools and wherewithal to help as many Job Seekers as I can, making sure that each Job Seeker receives the support they deserve. It has also provided me with a community of like-minded leaders who share the same goals and passions. Our team couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come! 

ACE Role:
My role at ACE consists of; recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training new ACE team members, communicating with and supporting ACE’s job coaches, and administrative tasks such as; payroll, benefits, and scheduling. Additionally, I strive to ensure our culture at ACE is aligned with our purpose and values.

Background:
I grew up in Anoka, Minnesota. I attended Anoka Ramsey Community College my junior and senior year of high school. I received my AA in the Spring of 2019.  I went on to further my education and pursue my bachelor’s degrees from the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD), in the fall of 2019. I graduated from UMD in the Spring of 2021, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Public Health. I began job coaching at ACE, working one-on-one with an individual, the summer before my senior year. I fell in love with the culture and ACE’s vision. I grew up knowing that I wanted to pursue a career in which I was able to help people, and ACE has given me that opportunity and opened my eyes to what that looks like for me. I found a passion for human resources management, while working at ACE, and am currently enrolled in the HRM program to receive my masters through Concordia St. Paul University. 

ACE Culture:
What I love most about ACE is the passion, purpose, and community. I always tell my friends and family that I work for an organization that has managed to find the most empathetic, passionate, hard-working individuals in Duluth. The ACE community is so selfless and willing to go above and beyond their service recipients and for each other. The empathy and passion that runs through this company is infectious and I truly feel like a better person after working at ACE for the past two years.

ACE Role:
My name is Ashley Deschampe, and I am the Individualized Home Supports Supervisor at Arrowhead Community Employment. My role at ACE revolves around supporting service recipients based out of and in their homes. Each service recipient’s support plan is individualized to their needs. I help manage their staff, medical records, appointments, complete documentation and reviews, and am in close communication with their social workers/guardians. 

Background:
I grew up in Grand Marais and Grand Portage, MN. I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Applied Science in 2016 and moved to Duluth in 2019. I am currently back in school for my Associates in Paralegal Studies. After graduation in 2016, I moved back to Grand Marais where I worked in the Special Education Department at my former high school. I coached basketball there as well until I eventually made the move to Duluth. I found a job in Duluth working with clients who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. I then moved on to ACE where I found a passion for supporting adults with different disabilities in their everyday lives.

ACE CULTURE:
What I love most about the ACE culture is everyone’s compassion and willingness to support our service recipients based on their own individualized needs. Our director, Steve Hamlin, is a great leader who exemplifies how to have fun, show empathy, and become leaders in our own way. 

My name is Andrew Larson, I have been with Arrowhead Community Employment (ACE) since March of 2021. I started at ACE as a job coach, working with one individual on getting out into the community and working on employment skills development. As I became familiar with my role, I grew hungry for more. I eventually worked my way into our Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) branch where I now serve as a specialist for those services. I am learning a lot about my role and getting to meet so many amazing people! I am now a practitioner of VR Services, and strive to reach as many people as we can to provide services and empower them through employment and provide job development skills to all of those who wish to get into the workforce!

Prior to ACE, I was a youth corrections counselor at The Hills Family Services, in hopes to gain experience and eventually work in Law Enforcement. I have my AA in Law Enforcement, and B.A. in Criminology and a minor in Sociology. I hope to go back to school for my Master's in Social Work. 

When I am not at work, I enjoy my passion for music and occasionally play with my band, I love to golf, play with dogs, and enjoy being outside playing recreational sports