Dalton named interim director at Neighbors, Inc.

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

Donna Dalton, who has more than 20 years’ experience in nonprofit management, has been named interim executive director at Neighbors, Inc. She was placed in that role in midFebruary by Mighty Consulting, the St. Paul-based search firm that Neighbors, Inc. has retained to help its board of directors find their next executive director. After six years with the organization, executive director

Charlie Thompson resigned from Neighbors, Inc. in January to lead a nonprofit in the state of Washington.

Dalton has a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in public administration from Hamline University. After working as a grant writer, she joined the St. Paul Foundation, and for a decade advised families and businesses on their charitable contributions. She then served 13 years as executive director at the Mortenson Family Foundation, where she approved grant funding

Get to Know Neighbors

By Heidi Satre

In this month’s “Get to Know Neighbors” series, we will highlight our newest program: financial empowerment, which offers services to help improve financial well-being and security.

The program offers free, one-on-one personal financial counseling and educa- to communities across the state.

As interim director, Dalton will work to ensure things continue to run smoothly at Neighbors.

“I’m just here to be the bridge to ensure that it continues fully functioning until the new executive director is named,” she said. “It’s a competitive market right now so we’re uncertain how long we’ll keep the job posting open, but we’re aiming to name the new executive director by June or July.”

Neighbors is seeking an experienced professional tion to help participants achieve a personalized goal, such as achieving control of debt, building savings, monitoring and improving credit, making major purchases, protecting resources and planning for the future. Our Financial Empowerment Center features computer kiosks, printers, scanners and a fax machine and is staffed 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Participants are assisted on a first-come, first-served basis. Appointments can be who understands the organization’s values – respect, generosity and inclusion –and can manage a team of employees and volunteers to deliver its services. The director is also responsible for budgeting and maintaining the financial well-being of the organization. requested with a certified financial counselor. We have two counselors on staff, and services are offered in both Spanish and English. We also offer free notary services.

“The staff team [at Neighbors, Inc.] is really strong,” said Dalton. “They know the work really well and know the community really well, but the amazing volunteers are probably what have struck me the most about the organization….

Since its inception, the Financial Empowerment Program has aided many participants. One family began visiting Neighbors last fall to address the rising cost of food. With the help of a counselor, they created a spending plan that included paying for food as well as saving for a future emer - gency. Six months later, the primary vehicle they used to get to and from work broke down. They used the money they had set aside for emergencies to fix the car. The mother reported it was the first time they had been able to pay for a car repair without borrowing money. For more information about our Financial Empowerment Program or to request an appointment, visit: www.neighborsmn. org/financial-empowerment.

The identity of community is really woven throughout this entire organization.” Neighbor’s, Inc. provides food, clothing, financial assistance and more to residents in northern Dakota County. It relies on dozens of volunteers to operate its food shelf, Clothes Closet thrift store and other programs. This isn’t Dalton’s first foray into South St. Paul. She has faint memories from her childhood of riding in her father’s truck to the Stockyards to sell cattle. She recalls it was a loud, busy and smelly place.