Our Team

Nicole Mills

Nicole Mills joined One Heartland in April of 2023, serving as our third executive director. Nicole has worked with youth experiencing homelessness in the Twin Cities since 2000.  Nicole is committed to embracing positive youth development, trauma-informed care, and harm reduction practices and truly believes in the strength and ability of young people.  Nicole is also a firm believer in advocacy work and has been working towards strengthening the State’s safety net for youth since 2005, by advocating for the Homeless Youth Act and Safe Harbor legislation. 

Before joining One Heartland, Nicole was the founding Executive Director of Oasis for Youth, 2015-2023, serving unhoused youth in Bloomington, Richfield, and Edina. Prior to Oasis, she served as the Program Director for The Salvation Army, Booth Brown House, overseeing emergency shelter, Transitional Living Program, and Permanent Supportive Housing Programs and she worked as a Program Manager for Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota’s emergency youth shelter and street-based outreach program. She started her career at District 202, a drop-in center for LGBTQ+ youth in downtown Minneapolis. Nicole worked there from 1999-2005, giving her the foundation for her steadfast commitment to social and racial justice and building authentic youth and adult-led programming.

Nicole holds a B.S. in Urban Studies with a Minor in Youth Studies from the University of Minnesota and a Master in Public Policy with a focus on public and non-profit management from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.  

Most importantly she is a mom of twin toddlers, a wife to Hadija, a friend to many, and a true believer in finding joy. Nicole is honored to be part of the One Heartland family.

Patrick

Patrick has been with One Heartland since May of 2006—and has served as the Executive Director since January, 2011. In his tenure as Executive Director, he has strengthened and grown our camps and programs by creating a culture of financial transparency and ensuring that we have the resources necessary to send as many kids to camp as possible. A camp and outdoor enthusiast, he enjoys spending time at his cabin in northern Minnesota.

Katie

Katie has been with One Heartland since December of 2010 and manages the One Heartland head office. She is a master juggler—handling accounts receivable, accounts payable, human resources and the donor database—among other tasks. When not working she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and gardening.

Stefanie

Stefanie has been with One Heartland since November 2007. She started as the registration and travel manager before moving to her new role as development director. Stefanie oversees the development initiatives of the organization including donor relationships, events, mailings, corporate relationships, volunteers and grants. When she’s not at work, Stefanie can be found with her nose in a book. 

Kadien

Kadien joined One Heartland in December 2019 after 9 years as a camp and youth program professional with other organizations.  As Program Director, they oversee our program department and all our camp programs. Kadien lives with their partner Kayla and three cats and in their free time enjoys spending time with family, hiking, and exploring new places. Kadien’s favorite camp activity is canoeing.

Carson

Carson joined One Heartland in January 2020, coming on board as the Summer Camp Coordinator. His background lies deeply rooted in the benefits of Outdoor Education, utilizing debriefing and processing techniques to teach others empathy, resiliency, and self-awareness. He works alongside the Program Director to ensure successful camp programs. After previously working with multiple residential camps around the country, he lives with his bearded dragon Chip (6 year old rescue he adopted in 2019). In his free time, he enjoys board games, hiking & camping, rock climbing, paddle boarding, and snowboarding. 

Rachael

Rachael joined One Heartland in April 2021. She comes from a background in event planning and recreational sports organization. In her free time she tends to her vegetable and pollinator gardens and enjoys cooking, barbecuing, bonfires, watching and playing sports, and being out on the water.