​Dennis Carlson served as superintendent for the Anoka-Hennepin School District, the largest school district in Minnesota, from 2008 to 2014. He also served as Superintendent of Minnesota Transitions Charter School, the largest public charter school in Minnesota, from 2016 to 2018. He currently works as an education consultant in the Carlson Consulting Corporation.
 
He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Minnesota and Master’s Degree in Community Education from Mankato State University. He began his career as an art teacher in Mercer Common School District, Mercer, Wisconsin. He spent a year as recreation supervisor at the Christian Youth Center in Kenosha, Wisconsin and then became a Community Education Director, serving in the Glencoe and Elk River School Districts before accepting a position as community education director for Anoka-Hennepin School District in 1986. He held that position until 2003, when he was named Assistant Superintendent, and became Superintendent in 2008.
 
He has held many leadership positions, serving on the Minnesota Community Education Association board for five years, including a year as president. He was co-chair of the National Council of State Community Education Associations and served on the Board of Directors of the National Community Education Association. He was also co-chair of the membership committee of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) and regional chair of the legislative committee for Schools for Equity in Education. In addition, he served as the president’s appointee on the Minnesota School Public Relations Association Board of Directors and was given that organization’s District Leadership in Communication Award.
 
Dennis earned numerous awards from the Minnesota Community Education Association, including its President’s Award in 1983, Director of the Year Award in 1985, and Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. He also earned the National Community Education Association’s Special Service Award in 1985 as well as the organization’s Outstanding Contribution to State Legislation Award in 2002.
 
Dennis also received the Healthy Mind Healthy Body Award for being a positive agent of change in Anoka County in 2013, and in 2014 he received the Achievement in Education Award from the North Suburban Optimist Club and the Administrator of Excellence Award from MASA.
 
Dennis was active in the community as a member of the Metro North Chamber of Commerce, the Anoka-Ramsey Community College Advisory Council, the Coon Rapids Rotary Club and served a term as their president.  In retirement he has served on the Wallin Education Partners Board of Trustees for four years (September 2015 to present) and also serves as their Governance Committee Chair.

​Mr. Winston Wallin was always the face of the Wallin family’s philanthropy in the Twin Cities, but it was his wife, Maxine Houghton Wallin, who was the impetus that inspired their work in the community. It was through her encouragement that the Wallin Foundation was formed in 1986 with both Win and Maxine acting as collective trustees. Their dedication to the Twin Cities was evident as they helped support numerous organizations. Yet, it was in 1992 when Win and Maxine began giving scholarships to students at South High School in Minneapolis that the community was forever changed. Win and Maxine believed that our community could only sustain itself if there were more citizens with a four-year degree but realized that the cost of higher education was making it difficult for high-potential students to go to college. The funding of scholarships was their way of systemically changing the community and improving lives.

For over 75 years, Maxine has been engaged in the community, giving her time to different organizations and causes. She has served on numerous boards and advisory councils and has been honored with several awards including the 2013 Katharine Phelps Lifetime Achievement Award.  Maxine, a Junior League Sustainer, often says that the Junior League was a lifeline for her when the family moved to Ogden, Utah in the 1950’s. Winston and Maxine together received the Edgar M. Carlson Award in 1997 from Minnesota’s Private Colleges.

Maxine serves on the board of Wallin Education Partners and has since fall of 1992 when the scholarship program was first established.  She also currently serves on the board of the Wallin Foundation and, in more recent years, she has also served on the boards of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, Presbyterian Homes, the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, the Hennepin County Library Foundation, the Edina Community Foundation and the Minnesota Orchestra.
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Maxine was born in Duluth and attended elementary and secondary schools in her hometown.  She attended Macalester College, St. Paul, followed by University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, B.A. Magna cum laude, International Relations (1948) and Library Science, cum laude (1950). She was the recipient of a college scholarship herself and was able to arrange a scholarship program in her hometown of Duluth in conjunction with the Duluth-Superior Foundation, helping to fund still more college educations in Minnesota. 

Jerri brings a wealth of experience working with underserved students to the Advising Team. Upon graduating from Syracuse University in New York, where she majored in Theater and minored in Sociology and Women’s Studies, Jerri served as an Ameri-Corps volunteer in the Chicago Public Schools.

This experience led her to pursue a Master’s of Social Work at the University of Chicago. After receiving her Master’s degree, she worked in Chicago as a coordinator for two statewide youth violence prevention programs. After moving to Minneapolis, Jerri worked at the University of Minnesota as a program coordinator for the Student Parent HELP Center.
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A licensed independent social worker, Jerri volunteers time as a field supervisor for students in the Master’s of Social Work program at the University of Minnesota. She also continues to exercise her love for music, theater, and the arts.

Ellen joined the Wallin Education Partners team in May, 2018. During her career, Ellen has held a variety of leadership roles in Finance, IT and Program Management at companies including Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Baker Tilly and Merck.
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Ellen has an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School and a BS in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University. 

​She is a transplant from New York and the mother of two terrific college-going Minnesotans, Stephanie and David.

Toubee believes in the power of education and the impact it can have on a person’s life, which is why he is happy to be working as a Scholar Advisor. Prior to Wallin EP, Toubee worked at two different universities on opposite coasts; Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, and California State University, Fullerton in Orange County, CA. At both institutions, Toubee primarily advised student organization leaders and Fraternity & Sorority Life members on leadership development, risk management, and values-based recruitment.
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Toubee was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and came to the US with his family when he was 3 months old. He grew up in Michigan and obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from Grand Valley State University as well as his Master’s Degree from Michigan State University. When not working, Toubee likes to get brunch, catch a movie, attend a group exercise class, or spend time with family – he loves it when he can do it all in one day.

As the Development Associate, Celina supports development efforts of our fast-growing organization. She is excited to get the opportunity to help individuals, families, and corporations see how impactful and meaningful philanthropy can be by helping to facilitate joy, passion, and meaning in their lives by making college graduation possible for Minnesota students and their families.
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Celina is a former Wallin Education Partners Scholar. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (GO BADGERS!) where she earned her B.S. in Community & Nonprofit Leadership and Legal Studies. In her free time, Celina loves to scream at the tv screen to cheer on her favorite sports teams, be outdoors with family and friends, and travel.

As a Scholar Advisor, Rachel feels honored to help students process what they’re learning through their college experience by navigating both the details and the big picture goals of their experiences and plans.

Rachel grew up in Colorado and Iowa but came to Minnesota to study at Bethel University for a degree in TESL. Undergrad is where she fell in love with the college experience because it was where she learned the value of curiosity by being around some inspiringly curious people!

After college, Rachel spent some time teaching internationally and then went on to get her MA in Higher Education while working as a Resident Director. Most recently, she has experience helping college students plan and process how their college experience can best transfer to a fulfilling professional life in her role in Bethel’s Career Office. Throughout her time working with college students, Rachel has developed a passion for understanding the nuances around how students develop spaces of belonging within their campus communities.
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Rachel lives in Minneapolis with her family and stays pretty busy exploring the city with them. She also enjoys playing games, reading, gardening, biking, making things, and keeping up with good Netflix shows or podcasts!

As Finance Manager, Duke brings a lot of experience in financial management from the nonprofit world. He has worked for different nonprofit organizations abroad in accounting and financial management. His expertise in financial systems, strategic planning, and policy formulation is instrumental in promoting the mission of Wallin Education Partners.

Born in Kenya, Duke received his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Nairobi and his CPA from the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examination Board (KASNEB). Upon his move to the United States, he pursued his Master of Business Administration (MBA) with emphasis in Finance from Bethel University, Saint Paul, graduating in August 2018.
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In his free time, Duke enjoys watching American football (NFL) and movies, listening to music and cooking.

As the Manager of College to Career Initiatives, Matt works to lead efforts building strong connections with businesses and partners to identify internship opportunities, as well as create and implement programming that will help scholars secure and successfully complete internships.

Matt is also an adjunct faculty member of Carlson School of Management teaching a Social Venturing in Action Course and sits on the Net Impact Twin Cities Professional Chapter Board. Matt previously has six years’ experience leading strategic development as a Program Manager for the 3M Foundation as well as commodity management experience in Global Strategic Sourcing while leading 3M’s New Employee Network. Matt was a member of the 2018 Leadership St. Paul Cohort and considers himself an eternal optimist and life enthusiast. Matt holds an MBA from Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and a B.A. in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University.