Staff

Kate joined LISC in 2005 and effectively implements LISC’s project-related financing and technical assistance efforts. Kate works with LISC staff, non-profit and for-profit community developers, and public partners to build relationships and effectively guide projects through the development process from feasibility to completion.  Kate has been a program lead for several higher profile lending activities, including the Corridors of Opportunity loan fund. She brings a wealth of experience having previously worked for City Pages and has a BA from Washington University in St. Louis, MO.

Amy joined LISC in 2013 with primary responsibility for real estate lending and in 2015, she became Deputy Director, helping lead TC LISC’s programmatic initiatives. Amy works with LISC staff, community, and public partners to build relationships and align LISC investments to maximize benefits for both neighborhoods and individuals. Amy brings 20 years of community development experience to LISC, including more than ten years at Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF) where she was Vice President, Programs. Prior to GMHF, Amy was at the Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency for nine years, where she held the position of Senior Housing Finance Analyst.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oregon, is certified as an Economic Development Finance Professional by the National Development Council.

Gretchen focuses on our suburban and regional work, transit-oriented development, and manages the Corridor Development Initiative (CDI). CDI is a national award winning interactive planning process that engages community members in guiding redevelopment along transit corridors and opportunity sites. Gretchen is working region-wide to support important equitable redevelopment opportunities through CDI, the Accelerator, and Big Picture Project projects, in coordination with local governments and community partners. She also supports peer-to-peer learning and collaboration in our Central Corridor and Hopkins/Blake Road focus areas.

Gretchen formerly led the CDI as the Executive Director of the Center for Neighborhoods, a nonprofit that served the region as an incubator of innovation at the neighborhood level. Gretchen also teaches an urban studies course at the University of Minnesota on community-based organizations and has served on the boards of numerous neighborhood organizations and community development organizations. She holds a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota.

Jamie Schumacher is LISC Twin Cities’ Program Officer for Creative Placemaking. She joins LISC from the West Bank Business Association (WBBA), a nonprofit organization that serves the West Bank / Cedar-Riverside community of Minneapolis. The area is one of Minneapolis’ key Cultural Districts, and Jamie has been an active participant in the LISC’s Creative Placemaking program for nearing a decade. Her role at LISC is to oversee the Twin Cities’ creative placemaking program and cultural districts.

Originally from Southern California, Jamie moved to Minnesota in 2003 to join the Twin Cities creative community. She served as an organizer in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District and as a consultant to a variety of nonprofits, developing a specialty in helping organizations and communities going through transitions. Jamie is also a writer and an artist, and her work and passion lay at the intersection of art, culture, and economic development. More about Jamie’s creative placemaking and written work can be found on her site at www.jamie-schumacher.com and an article was published in the Minnesota Daily about her work in Cedar-Riverside and transition to Twin Cities LISC, read more here.

Koa Mirai is a cultural anthropologist, lender, and financial consultant. For two decades, they have worked closely with culturally diverse nonprofits and grassroots organizations mobilizing for social justice, both in the Twin Cities and back home in India. As an educator, researcher, and activist, Koa has tackled persistent social inequities and now at LISC Twin Cities, they bring the lens of capital justice, equity and intersectionality, and community-driven/resiliency-based transformation to their work.

As Senior Program Officer, Lending, Koa’s primary responsibilities are in real estate lending and managing the Developers of Color Capacity Building Initiative to advance LISC Twin Cities’ strategic priorities. Before starting at LISC, Koa spent over four years at Propel Nonprofits, providing access to capital and building capacities around financial sustainability for nonprofit community leaders.

Koa serves on the board of Family Tree Clinic and nurtures a mindfulness-based artistic and healing practice.

Orissa Ramnarine is an Assistant Program Officer with LISC Twin Cities. Orissa works on the real estate financing team where she manages the 0% project investments portfolio and feasibility grants. She also works closely with the Executive Director on operational budget management for the office

Orissa joins LISC from the Center for Victims of Torture, an NGO headquartered in St. Paul, MN. She worked as a Grants Accountant, a role where she gained experience in financial grants management. Orissa has managed federal U.S State Department grants, USAID grants, UN grants, EU grants, and various foundation grants. She also volunteers every tax season with the local non-profit Prepare + Prosper, where she serves as an Intake Specialist helping to guide clients through the intake forms and documentation they need to get their taxes prepared.

A Twin Cities native, Orissa is originally from Bloomington, MN. She holds a BBA in Accounting from Hamline University, and a MS in Accountancy from St. Mary’s University of MN. from When Orissa isn’t working, she enjoys traveling, reading, trying new restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.

Laani Xiong joins LISC Twin Cities as a Financial Opportunity Center® Program Officer. Before joining LISC, Laani was at the Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM) where she assisted with fundraising and partnership development efforts to expand culturally tailored programs and services for refugees and immigrants in Minnesota. Prior to KOM, Laani was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines where she supported the Department of Social Welfare and Development as a Youth Development Facilitator

Laani is committed to advancing social and racial equity and will be actively supporting Financial Opportunity Center® partners in their mission to enhance their capacity to offer comprehensive services to residents. Her focus is on equipping these centers with the necessary tools and resources to empower community members to achieve financial stability and prosperity.

A Minnesota native, Laani graduated from Saint Cloud State University with a BA in Political Science and BS in Field Biology & Ecology. She spent a year studying at the University of Cape Coast in Cape Coast, Ghana before graduating. Laani serves as the Board of Directors Vice Chair at MORE Community Services, ensuring new Americans have access to basic needs and language education support. 

Felicia brings more than 25 years of experience as an administrative professional, mostly in nonprofit health care organizations. Prior to joining LISC, she was the Executive Assistant to the CEO at Open Cities Health Center, a St. Paul FQHC. Earlier in her career, Felicia worked at West Side Community Health Services, Stratis Health and the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. In all these roles, Felicia honed her skills supporting leadership teams with business operations across departments, including organizing executive and Board meetings, staff trainings and special events, processing payments and donations, and many special projects. Her community volunteer work includes organizing Back to School Backpack and Hat, Mitten, Scarf & Glove giveaway events. Felicia is motivated by learning new things and challenging work, saying, “I am extremely excited about this new adventure and truly hope that I can bring a great deal to this position and the LISC team”.

Felicia grew up and raised her family in the historic Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul. She enjoys gardening, thrift shopping, Ancestry.com, home improvement projects, traveling, great music and food, and spending time with her four grown children, outgoing and adventurous husband, twin cats and extended family and friends. Purple is her all-time favorite color with a strong touch of sparkle that brings the additional glimmer to her style.