People Who Care is made up of community leaders who devote their energy and time into what they love to do, help Neighbors. Our staff and board are committed to making what can be difficult tasks, easy. We appreciate all our volunteers and board members who take time out of their own lives to make the lives of others better, happier and meaningful.
Meet Our Staff
Cj Meldahl Executive Director
Debbie Scherer Administrator, Prescott Program Manager
Lynn Bernardo Chino Valley Program and Loan Closet Manager
Peggy Ricker Volunteer Coordinator, Program Assistant
Andrea Myers Prescott Valley Program Coordinator
Judy Verri Administrative Assistant, Project Safe Home Manager
Julie McCurdy Accountant
Lisa McKinney Development Director
Sam DeKemper Technology Coordinator
About Our Executive Director
Cj Meldahl joined People Who Care in May of 2019 as Development Director and was promoted to Executive Director on January 1, 2020. Cj embraced the mission of People Who Care and is devoted to both our volunteers and the client “Neighbors” we assist. An advocate of healthy and vital aging, Cj served as a volunteer on the committee that created Minnesota’s 2010 and 2013 plans to address transportation and smart homes to enable people to age in place, and community shopping to address food deserts.
Cj retired from the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health Division of Epidemiology where she worked in Clinical Research for eleven years. Two of the larger studies she was involved in were the Minnesota Heart Study and the ARIC Study, which was an atherosclerosis longitudinal study lasting more than 30 years. The ARIC Study expanded into vision, hearing, and cognitive studies in which Cj was closely involved.
Cj majored in communications and psychology at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She received her graduate degree in aging and gerontology from the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health.
