About Us

Trish Thacker, Chief Executive Officer. She/Her/Hers.

“Simply stated, Mental health is part of who we are. It’s not separate. If we value people, and we value health, then we must value mental health.”

Prior to joining Guild, Trish worked with the Hennepin County as Senior Department Administrator, Wellbeing where she worked across the Human Services Department to develop systemic strategies that promoted education, employment, and economic stability for Hennepin County families. With areas of focus including childcare assistance, youth education, employment support and workforce development, family stabilization services, and family shelter.     

Trish also served as the Executive Director of the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, one of the largest single adult shelters in the 5-state area.  In this role, she strategically led the Harbor Light Multi-Service Center, which provides 24/7 emergency housing, emergency shelter, transitional housing, case management, and spiritual care to 300+ single adults per night.  

In addition, as an MSW, and LICSW, Trish has been a therapist for over 25 years, with specialized training in: Interpersonal Neurobiology, attachment, trauma treatment (EMDR, Narrative Exposure Therapy) and trauma informed care, anxiety/anxiety disorders, leadership and leader development, resilience and grit, addictions, family systems, eating disorders and more.

Beth Scheetz, LICSW, Chief Clinical Officer. She/Her/Hers.

“I thrive on innovation, collaboration, and progress and I see these values in action at Guild. I look forward to the opportunity to grow and develop with an organization whose mission aligns with mine; recognizing strengths, meeting needs, and positively impacting lives.”

Beth Scheetz joined Guild in 2019 as the Director of Residential Services and transitioned to Guild’s Chief Clinical Officer in 2020. As an innovative and dedicated leader in community mental health, she brings 20 years of experience in social services, mental health, and healthcare. Prior to Guild, Beth oversaw the operations, development, and programming of three community-based teams serving over 1,200 adults living with mental illness as Director of Community Mental Health at Touchstone. Evaluating program performance, implementing program and process improvements, increasing quality and continuity of care, and achieving positive individual outcomes have benchmarked her professional performance. Beth holds a master’s degree from the University of St. Thomas. She enjoys traveling, gardening, and spending time with her family and cats.

Dawn Marie Nelmark, Chief Advancement Officer. She/Her/Hers.

“I appreciate that Guild takes a comprehensive approach and works alongside clients, taking the time to understand their unique and individual needs.”

Dawn Marie joined Guild in 2021 as our Director of Advancement. She brings 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, with strengths in creating high-value partnerships, launching fundraising programs through every stage of the giving lifecycle, and increasing operational effectiveness. Dawn Marie is an empathetic, results-driven leader who has a passion for unlocking human potential and marshaling resources to maximize community impact.

Prior to Guild, Dawn Marie served as the Senior Director of Development and Marketing and Communications at Second Harvest Heartland. While there, she delivered five-fold revenue growth, led efforts to inform public opinion on hunger, and helped establish the organization as a highly visible and trusted brand in the community. She holds a BA from Hamline University, a Mini-MBA from the University of St. Thomas, and an Active Leader Certification from PDI Ninth House. Dawn Marie enjoys being a mentor to others, scrapbooking, and spending time on the lake up north with family and friends.

Heather Besonen, SHRM-SCP, Vice President of People, Space, and Technology. She/Her/Hers.

 “At Guild, we’re asking our staff to empower people. Every day, our clinical teams serve some of the most vulnerable in our communities; they show up when others don’t. As an organization, Guild can’t just talk the talk. We need to take visible action to lift up our own people.”.

Heather comes to Guild with 20 years of working for culture-focused for-profit and nonprofit organizations including time in the patient advocacy and affordable housing sectors. Heather’s recent professional experience includes serving as Human Resources Director for Minnesota Community Care, Minnesota’s largest federally qualified health center, and as the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota’s Associate Executive Director, Mission & Strategy.

She volunteers as a racial justice facilitator for the YWCA Minneapolis and is dedicated to facilitating meaningful conversations about race and racism. Heather received an Advanced Equity and Diversity Certificate and her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Minnesota and is a Society for Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional. In her free time, Heather reads voraciously and enjoys camping and seeing live music.

Paul Bloomer, Vice President of Finance. He/Him/His.

“I am excited about Guild’s future growth and the opportunity to make an impact on back-end systems that create efficiency and ultimately improve service to clients.” 

Paul Bloomer joined Guild as the Interim Director of Operations in 2019 and transitioned to Director of Finance in 2020. In 2022, Paul was promoted to Vice President of Finance. Prior to joining Guild, Paul worked as Director of Operations for Think Small, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing quality care and education of children. Highlights of this work included the creation of data modeling best practices for decision-making and using data to tell a story to key stakeholders. Prior to the operations role, he was promoted to Co-Director of Redleaf Press (a division of Think Small) where he led Operations, Sales, and Marketing divisions. Paul holds a Master of Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch University and a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management and Communications from Concordia University. He enjoys spending time with family, fishing in local tournaments, and volunteering with the Band Parents Association.

Ali Butchko, Quality and Compliance Officer. She/Her/Hers.

“My job at Guild is meaningful because this organization provides purpose, encouragement, and opportunity to not only the staff, but also to the clients we serve. It is a privilege to help shape Guild’s story and be part of future growth and change.”

Ali Butchko joined Guild in 2022 as the Quality and Compliance Officer. Ali is a responsive, analytical leader with over 10 years in compliance, regulatory management, client services and process improvement. Passionate for creating and increasing efficiencies by incorporating best practices in data management, training and documentation control, Ali serves Guild with collaboration, engagement, and innovation. Ali is dedicated to telling Guild’s story with impactful and significant data, as well as uncovering gaps, inconsistencies and streamlining workflows to best support the clinical and operational growth of the organization.

Ali has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Minnesota Duluth. She lives with her husband and their two beautiful sons and daughter in the northern metro. Ali enjoys hockey (go Bulldogs!), traveling, baseball, volunteering, being outdoors, iced coffee, The Office, and theater.

Diana Harris, MHA, Director of Clinical Services. She/Her/Hers.

Diana has been with Guild since September 2022 as program manager in our TCM department. She comes to Guild with vast experience in human and social services with the aptitude to lead cross-functional teams. With a background in program and project management, Diana is invested in improving systems and processes to serve our staff and clients. Diana holds a Master of Health Administration from Louisiana State University.

Diana enjoys mentoring youth through coaching sports, and volunteering with animal rescues. She also enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and playing flag football.

Board Members