Bottom Row (Left to Right): Casey Borgen, Mayra Pinales, Caitlyn Gilbertson

Meet Our Team

Top row (left to right): Luke Ewald, Christine Bullerman, Cecilia Bofah, Amber Hughes, Darlene Dewit, Owar Ojulu Bottom row (left to right): Casey Borgen, Mayra Pinales, Caitlyn Gilbertson

Christine Bullerman – Community Wellness Partners Coordinator

Christine Bullerman has been employed with Nobles County Community Services in Worthington, MN since September 2015 and is the new coordinator for the Community Wellness Grant (a second funding stream for Community Wellness Partners). She is a native of the area, as she grew up in Adrian, MN. Christine received both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Community Health Education through the University of Minnesota, Mankato. After graduating from college, she worked as a telephonic health coach for one year in Denver, CO, and was able to continue working remotely for three more years after moving back to Adrian. Though she enjoyed individualized health coaching, Christine jumped at the opportunity to work with public health, since impacting health on a community level has always been a passion of hers. “When working one on one with health coaching participants, I often heard that system and environmental challenges were barriers for people to reach their health goals. It is exciting to be part of a community effort that works to implement changes to systems and environments to allow people to make the healthy choice the easy choice. It is an added bonus that it is in the area I grew up and care for greatly.”

Cecilia Bofah – Community Wellness Partners Coordinator

Cecilia Bofah is a health educator who began her work with Nobles County Community Services-Public Health in June 2015, and continues to make connections with agency partners to implement projects aimed at improving health. A native of Plainfield, Ill., she earned her undergraduate degrees in biology and chemistry at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. While her original plans were to attend medical school, she changed her focus to public health along the way and earned her master’s in public health, with an emphasis in epidemiology, and master’s in public administration from the University of Illinois at Springfield in May 2015. Bofah interned with the office of the women’s health in Illinois. Bofah has experience working with breast and cervical cancer programs. Since joining the public health staff in Nobles county, Bofah has focused on continuing the three strategy areas of the local SHIP program — active living, healthy eating, and tobacco use and exposure to help implement systematic and evidence based programs that helps make the healthy choice the easy choice among different settings. It is exciting to be working under a new brand and logo now known as the Community Wellness Partners. Although, the name has changed, the program still looks to provide technical assistance to our current and future partners. Bofah said, “I’m excited to be in Worthington and I hope to contribute to the community,” and she looks forward to meeting and working with schools, businesses and organizations.

Casey Borgen – Community Wellness Partners Public Health Nurse

Casey Borgen has been employed with Nobles County as a Public Health Nurse since October of 2015. Casey graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in July 2013 from Minnesota State University, Mankato. During her time as an undergraduate, Casey worked as a Direct Support Professional, caring for adults with varying physical and developmental abilities. After graduation from MNSU, Casey worked as a Registered Nurse in the Medical Specialties unit. Working in the acute care arena of nursing has sparked Casey’s passion for disease prevention and health education. Borgen states, “As a floor nurse I worked with many patients suffering from debilitating, and often multiple chronic illnesses. I am so excited to be a part of the Community Wellness Partners, because I believe that if we start to get the community to embrace health as a civic responsibility, we can help prevent individuals and families from enduring the devastation that a chronic illness brings”. One of the projects Casey is working on includes promoting the National Diabetes Prevention Program and bringing more awareness to prediabetes. Prediabetes means that your blood sugar level is higher than normal but not yet high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. Without intervention, prediabetes is likely to become type 2 diabetes in 10 years or less. Casey is also working to partner with local health systems to link community and clinical resources for patients. One of the ways she plans on doing this is by advocating for the utilization of Community Health Workers, an emerging profession in healthcare. Casey is excited about the newfound partnership and hopes that the new brand, Community Wellness Partners, helps the community better understand the mission of their work. Casey currently lives in Luverne, MN and works out of the Nobles County Community Services office in Worthington, MN.

Darlene Dewitt – Community Wellness Partners/Avera Access Family Medical Registered Dietitian

Darlene Dewitt is employed with Nobles County Public Health and Avera clinic Worthington since November 2015. Darlene has a BS in Exercise Science from the University of South Carolina and a MS in Nutrition from Colorado State University. Darlene has been a Registered Dietitian since 2012. Darlene has worked around the country in various health and wellness settings. Darlene helped develop healthy meeting menus for the employees of the city of Fort Collins, Colorado; facilitated workshops on healthy eating and diabetes prevention as well as assisted in health screenings; provided one-on-one and group education in sports nutrition, prenatal and cardiac nutrition education; and most recently developed nutrition education plans, facilitated Cooking Matters grocery store tours and provided nutrition assessment for maternal/child clients of WIC in Northwest Iowa. Darlene is excited at the opportunity to influence wellness and nutrition in so many different ways for residents of Nobles, Cottonwood and Jackson counties. Darlene currently resides in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

Luke Ewald – Community Wellness Partners Health Educator Luke Ewald has been working with Des Moines Valley Health and Human Services (DVHHS) as a Health Educator since June of 2014. He grew up in Monticello, MN and graduated from St. Cloud State University in May 2013. During his time at St. Cloud State, Luke was involved in a variety of student health promotion events such as autumn health fairs, the annual Earth Day Runs sponsored by CentraCare’s B.L.E.N.D. program, promoting gerontology activities on campus, and disaster relief simulations for the college. In early 2012, Luke interned at CentraCare’s St. Benedict’s Senior Center where he was an Alzheimer and Dementia Therapeutic Activity educator. “Working with individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia was a great experience—I personally got to know the patients and their family members.” In mid-2014, Luke started working at Des Moines Valley Health and Human Services as the Tobacco-Free Communities grant that focused on tobacco cessation, tobacco-free parks, smoke-free apartments, Point of Sale, county grounds, and school education. “Being able to work with youth was the greatest part of this job.” In November 2016, Luke joined Community Wellness Partners to help with tobacco cessation, smoke-free housing in Nobles County, tobacco-free grounds for Jackson and Nobles Counties, and Active Living Plans. “I am very happy to be part of a health-focused team and continue to work where I started from day one!” Luke currently lives in Jackson, MN and works out of the Des Moines Valley Public Health Office in Jackson, MN.

Caitlyn Gilbertson – Community Wellness Partners Health Educator

Caitlyn Gilbertson has been employed as a Health Educator with Des Moines Valley Health and Human Services since June 2016. A native of Estherville, Iowa, Caitlyn received her bachelor’s degree in Family Consumer Science Education from Minnesota State University, Mankato in May 2013. During her time at MSU, Mankato, Caitlyn was actively involved in the student group Colleges Against Cancer, promoting tobacco cessation and educating peers on the negative effects of tobacco usage. After graduation, she taught middle and high school Family Consumer Science and Health classes. The majority of her curriculum focused on an individual’s wellbeing, from nutrition to life skills and taking care of your body. “Having the classroom experience and understanding the process of a school day has really influenced and helped me facilitate working with area schools on increasing healthy eating and physical activity during the school day.” Housed in the Windom Public Health office, she works under the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) grant and focuses on the areas of Schools, Workplace Wellness, and Dementia in the 65+ population. Caitlyn resides in Windom, MN. Amber Hughes – Community Wellness Partners Health Educator Amber Hughes has been working as a Health Educator for Des Moines Valley Health and Human Services since July 2016. She grew up in Lake Crystal, MN and attended the University of Minnesota Duluth where she graduated with a degree in Exercise Science in 2009; as both an Exercise Science undergraduate and a member of the UMD women's basketball team, her eyes were opened to the short and long-term benefits of exercise on preventative health and fitness. Upon graduation, she pursued an internship at the New Ulm Medical Center in the cardiac services department (cardiac rehabilitation and diagnostic stress testing) for certification as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Through this internship and subsequent jobs as a Physical Therapy Aide with Mayo Clinic-Mankato and Activity Director of the Good Samaritan Society campus in Mountain Lake, she realizes that her passion is building relationships with those around her while helping to improve their quality of life. “In the ever-evolving world of health and wellness, it’s important that people feel comfortable and assured reaching out to someone that they know is dedicated to researching the best evidence-based practices to improve their overall wellness; I strive to be that person for as wide of a reach of population as possible. The sheer opportunity to impact the tri-county area (Cottonwood, Jackson, and Nobles counties) is what makes me excited to work with Community Wellness Partners.” Amber’s primary strategies include promoting physical activity in communities, the Employers For Health workplace wellness collaborative, and increasing awareness of pre-diabetes throughout the tri- county region. She is also currently working on additional certification through the ACSM as a Physical Activity in Public Health Specialist and lives in Mountain Lake, MN. Owar Ojulu – Community Wellness Partners Community Health Worker Owar Ojulu was born and grew up in Ethiopia. Owar came to the United Sates in 2008 on a Diversity visa, a lottery visa program. Owar has completed degrees in theology, (Bachelor of theology) from Mekane Yesus Theological Seminary, and Public Administration (BA) from Ethiopian Civil Service College, in Ethiopia. Owar has served as Associate Director of the Office of Mission and Theology for the East Gambella Bethel Synod of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus and also worked for the Gambella District office as Relief and Rehabilitation expert, before moving to the USA. Owar has since completed a Master of Divinity (M.Div) at the University of Dubuque Seminary, has worked as a Youth Director for First Presbyterian Church in Bellevue, Iowa and as a Youth Development Coordinator for the Nobles County Integration Collaborative in Worthington, Minnesota. Owar has been employed with Nobles County Community Services since October 2015. As part of his work, Owar has graduated from Northwest Technical College and is in the process of applying for his Community Health Worker certificate. Community Health Workers (CHWs) are frontline public health workers who have a close understanding of the community they serve. Their trusting relationship with the community enables them to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. As a community leader, Owar has been working with the African community at large and the Ethiopian and Southern Sudanese population, assisting them in every aspect of their needs. Owar speaks multiple languages: Anuak, Amharic, and Nuer, in addition to English. Owar is married with three boys and a girl. As a Community Health Worker, Owar serves as a liaison, resource person, systems navigator, advocate, and health educator for his community.

Mayra Pinales – Community Wellness Partners Community Health Worker

Mayra Pinales was born in Del Rio, Texas, and raised in Acuna, Coahuila, Mexico for approximately six to seven years. She moved up to Worthington, Minnesota in May of 2000 at the age of seven, along with her family, who was seeking better paying jobs and greater opportunities. Mayra graduated from Worthington Senior High School in May of 2012 and continued her education at Minnesota West Community and Technical College. She then transferred to Colorado Technical University online in 2015, and will graduate in 2017 with a Bachelor’s in Healthcare Management degree. At the time she started attending Colorado Technical University she was also working part-time at Worthington Sanford Medical Center as a Certified Nursing Assistant on the Medical/Surgical Unit where she worked for approximately one year. Mayra is attending Northwest Community Technical College located in Bemidji, Minnesota to obtain her Community Health Worker certificate.” I am very passionate about helping others in my community by breaking down any barriers they might have and getting them the help they need.” Mayra has been employed with Nobles County as a Community Health Worker under the Community Wellness Grant since October 2016.