George leads FreedomWorks as an example of a life transformed by Christ. Having served three prison sentences, he knows the struggles of reentry firsthand. George’s call to serve men comes from Isaiah 42:22 “These are my people hidden away in caves, dungeons and prisons with no one to speak for them.” George was raised in St. Paul and currently lives in Blaine with his wife Ana and their children.

Brad leads the Program, Property, and Technology teams. Most of Brad’s professional life has been spent in nonprofit leadership—first with a conservation association and a veteran medical organization. Brad is a lifelong Minnesotan who loves the outdoors and is married to Stephanie. Together they have four grown kids, one in Minnesota, one in North Dakota, and two in the Denver area. His favorite bible passage: Psalm 23 (1-4).

Ron manages all aspects of the organizations finances and accounting. He was employed by Phelps Dodge Magnet Wire Company for 34 years where he served as their Chief Financial Officer responsible for finance, accounting, and information technology. He retired in 2000 as Senior Vice President of Operations overseeing all manufacturing operations for the company. Ron attends Eagle Brook Church where he first learned about FreedomWorks.

Barry provides direct leadership to the program team. He comes to FreedomWorks with more than 15 years of experience leading program teams. Barry also works directly with youth that have had an encounter with law enforcement through a local juvenile diversion program.

Ben came to FreedomWorks because he was able to see the participants experiencing freedom in Christ here. He serves at our Lyndale campus where he oversees program, encourages and provides direction for participants.

Thaddeus does many things at FreedomWorks, but his main goal is to be able to help men navigate through spiritual/emotional barriers that have held them back from being the men God created them to be. He came to FreedomWorks through an answered prayer of guidance from God while incarcerated in the Minnesota Department of Corrections. In his freetime Thaddeus is a musician

Mark works through the Partners in Behavioral Health and NuWay partnerships to conduct intakes, partner tours, and counsel guys on the floor so they can begin to believe in themselves. Mark is relatable to the guys he serves, and they see that recovery is possible. He came to FreedomWorks to prevent from going to prison when knew that he needed to change his ways and use his strengths in a good way. God opened doors and put people in his life that truly invested in him which validated those strengths and provided a sense of fulfillment.

Pedro’s role is to help men grow in their faith to become disciples. He believes he was brought to FreedomWorks through God’s willful intervention and a series of chance meetings. Through his journey here, he has learned a lot about himself and God and feels blessed to have the opportunity to work here and see people grow in their faith and their desire to better themselves.

God brought Andrew to FreedomWorks with the purpose of helping other men while engaging in the recovery community. His role is to help men in their sobriety to make healthier choices in life while bringing them closer to God. Andrew is a football fan, not Minnesota football though, but rather Texas football!

Mike came to FreedomWorks to live a sober and changed life, and to be around sober friends. He currently works overnights and helps participants with questions or issues that come up in off hours. Ask Mike about his surgery experience after a mishap playing basketball when he was younger!

Pastor Jerry grew up in Oklahoma where at the age of twelve he gave his life to Jesus. He graduated from Eastern Oklahoma State College, with an Associate’s Degree in Sociology and Psychology. He went back to school and graduated from North Central Bible College with a diploma in Music Evangelism. Jerry struggled with addiction off and on throughout his schooling, and it was only after finding himself in a jail cell that he truly stopped and heard the voice of God say to him, “Now that I have your attention, are you going to listen to me?” He chose to listen, and rededicated his life to Jesus Christ.

Ann has brought her years of experience in food service and hospitality to the JailBreakers kitchen! She is excited to teach others how to prepare healthy and flavorful meals while meeting the demands of a busy kitchen.

Luke serves as Assistant Chef and is creative and thoughtful in using whatever ingredients come his way. He came to FreedomWorks for a fresh start and found a new way of life through Christ our Lord. Luke is grateful to get to work with salt of the earth people. Every day here is a blessing.

Cooper came to FreedomWorks because of a lot of bad decisions and addiction. He now serves in the Bread of Life food shelf by keeping the food shelf in good condition and well stocked to feed his fellow participants and the community. Cooper never thought he would be at peace with himself, but he’s making great progress and doing great work in this community.

Troy came to FreedomWorks because he wanted to be involved in a faith-based recovery program. He looks cool and coordinates stock in the Bread of Life food shelf while encouraging other participants to help. Troy is proud of having hazel eyes and lots of tattoos!

Joe is our full-time Property Manager. He has an Associates degree in Commercial HVAC, is working on a bachelor’s degree, and has over 15 years of experience in HVAC and related businesses. He was looking for a place to maintain his sobriety and work on his faith.  During his time at FreedomWorks, Joe has also served as mentor and volunteer.

Larry is the Jack of all trades when it comes to maintaining the FreedomWorks properties. He came to FreedomWorks as a resident in November 2017 and also gives back by providing assistance to our program staff.

Hanna’s role is to support the financial pieces of the organization. She chose FreedomWorks because of the strong recovery community mission. In her free time, Hanna likes to hang out with her daughter and help other women in recovery.