Our Story

---

Richard Gardell is recognized at the National, Regional, and Local level as an effective and experienced leader with over forty years of success in his career. 

He has demonstrated a wide range of leadership skills in the areas of Human Resources, Finance, Payroll, Facilities, Technology, Fleet, Project Management, Entrepreneurial Success, Mergers and Acquisitions, Organizational Work Culture Integrations, Communications,  Strategic Planning, and Training. 

Richard took over a failing nonprofit organization with a $900,000.00 operating budget. Over the course of nine years, working with the Board of Directors, he facilitated the growth of this organization to an operating budget of over seven million dollars, adding three group homes, two behavioral health clinics, a shelter for sex trafficked young women, and other programs. While leading this organization as CEO, he continued to directly supervise the human resources, facilities, IT, and finance units.

Richard has led many teams and organizations to achieve their strategic objectives and along the way he facilitates an excellent work environment for all.

Time to Thrive is an innovative, dynamic, and essential management consulting group helping non profit organizations,  health practices and social service organizations achieve their missions.

Building on historic strengths and competencies, Time to Thrive successfully grows and expands its services and partnerships to achieve positive outcomes for providers and patients. 

Time to Thrive excels in the areas of:

• Supporting healthcare operations through strategic planning and growth and effective management of finances, workflow, regulatory compliance, and human resources.
• Promoting Evidence-based practices that demonstrate positive outcomes including telehealth, remote patient monitoring, case management and care coordination, 
• Providing culturally competent resources and consultation for provider support and patient outreach.
• Attaining Financial Health and sustainability for our customer healthcare organizations through sound financial practices, solid revenue cycle management and billing processes, supportive banking relations, bookkeeping and tax planning, succession planning and quality leadership at all levels of the organization.

Rebecca Brubaker

Rebecca Brubaker is a personable and pragmatic Healthcare Operations Leader with over 20 years of experience who has worked with a variety of medical and mental health organizations in planning, directing, and evaluating all activities within the organization. 

Rebecca works with the goal of boosting economical and efficient performance an organizations team while delivering high-quality client services. 

As a “Black Belt” in Lean/Six Sigma process improvement for healthcare. She has deep experience with workflow analysis, revenue cycle management, regulatory compliance, and reporting. 

She also possesses a solid understanding of compliance and professional ethics, including HIPAA and OSHA requirements.

If you are just getting started, Rebecca   has in depth practice management and medical practice startup experience to include financial pro formas, business and marketing plans, medical real estate, EMR/ EHR selection, revenue cycle management, and practice improvement strategies. 

Tech savvy, she with hands-on software application knowledge including multiple EMRs as well as a variety of software applications in accounting, human resource, project management, & communication and is proficient Microsoft Office applications and Google G Suite. 

Mark Groves, M.S.Ed., CCE, LADC

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Certified Corrections Executive (CCE) – Commission on Correctional Certification and American Corrections Association. Minnesota Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADC). Certified Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF). National Institute of Corrections Offender Workforce Development Facilitator (OWDS) Master Trainer.Developed Interagency Agreement between DOC and DEED to provide workforce development programs in the Minnesota Correctional Facilities. Motivational Interviewing Master Trainer. Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Scale (MITI) – trained. Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) trained. Integrated Conflict Management System (ICMS) and Conflict Response Initiative (CRI) facilitator. Created, developed and implemented statewide inhalant abuse prevention education and training project for the State of Minnesota. Created, developed and implemented statewide children’s chemical use prevention, intervention and treatment project for the State of Minnesota. Created, developed and implemented statewide Hispanic, Chicano, Latino Resource Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Information for the State of Minnesota. Created, developed and implemented Eden Family Counseling Program for RS Eden Programs. Created, developed and implemented ReKNEW Relapse Prevention Program for African American men on work release from Minnesota Correctional Facilities. Authored inhalant abuse prevention curriculum. Developed and authored numerous children, parent, and professional substance abuse prevention, inhalant abuse prevention, and children’s issues informational brochures, media written articles, television, radio and film segments. Hosted National Native American Inhalant Abuse Prevention Conference. Presented at State, National, and International conferences. Traveled to Canada and Central America to develop inhalant abuse prevention programming and task forces. Demonstrated extensive media experience. Successful grant proposal writer.

EDUCATION

➢ Master of Science in Education, (Graduated with 4.0 G.P.A.)o University of Wisconsin – Superior​1996▪ Major: Counseling and Guidance▪ Minor: Marriage and Family Therapy 

➢ Bachelor of Arts, o University of Minnesota​1990▪ Major: Child Development / Psychology▪ Minor: Human Services

➢ Offender Workforce Development Specialist Training o National Institute of Corrections, 

​Center of Credentialing and Education​2005

Steve Lepinski

An experienced nonprofit leader with 43 years as a nonprofit CEO/Executive Director.  Strong skills and experience in leadership, management, strategy, finance, fund raising, governance, human resources and external relations.  

• Developed a tool (CORA) for assessing the organizational readiness of a nonprofit for a capital campaign and provided training on this tool.• Assisted the board and ED of a $13M community mental health center in developing a plan to manage the retirement of the ED and two other key executives.  Helped identify an appropriate search firm.• Serving as the capital campaign consultant for a $12M campaign of a nonprofit with a $3.5M annual budget.  Providing counsel on all aspects of the campaign as it seeks public and private financial support.• Conducted an assessment and made recommendations regarding enhancing the effectiveness of the board for a $110M nonprofit that had experienced a challenging leadership transition.  Now working with board and new CEO on implementation of recommendations. • Engaged by an $8M non-profit health organization to help them get ready for a $10M capital campaign.

Washburn Center for Children:  CEO/Executive Director 1987-2017

Led Washburn for 30 years as it grew from a $1.5M agency to a $16M agency.  Key accomplishments included:

• Built a center of excellence in children’s mental health around a model using evidence based practices, promising practices and new research• Led the development (with Dr. Anne Gearity) of a unique treatment model, Developmental Repair, for children who experienced chronic trauma; the model gained local and national recognition as thousands of professionals were trained in this model• Led the development and implementation of a clinical training program that grew to training 80 undergraduate and graduate interns a year and included a doctoral level clinical internship which received accreditation from the American Psychological Association (the highest standard for such programs)• Led the growth of the agency annual fund from $300,000 to $1.5M • Led a $3.5M campaign focused on adding $2M to the agency endowment from 1996-1999• Led a campaign (2011 – 2014) which raised $27M to design and build a unique children’s mental health facility and create a child clinical training institute at Washburn Center for Children; the facility received numerous awards • Participated actively on numerous local, state and national organizations and associations and task forces/committees working on children’s mental health issues• Served for 20 years as one of 7 trustees for the Unemployment Services Trust (UST) a national organization that worked with more than 2000 nonprofits to save millions of dollars annually on unemployment costs which could then be used to support the mission of the nonprofits

Storefront/Youth Action (Now Headway):  Executive Director 1974-1987

Led the growth of the agency after its initial startup from a $100,000 agency to a $1.5M agency as it merged with another children’s agency and developed new programs and models in the South Hennepin Area.  Key accomplishments included:

• Led the development of several new programs including Project Charlie, a drug abuse prevention program that was implemented in thousands of schools nationally; Delta Place, the first suburban day treatment program for adolescents in the metro area; an adolescent victim counseling program for victims of abuse; an outpatient juvenile sex offender program; and a juvenile shoplifting program that became a model for other communities• Managed the merger of The Storefront and Edina Youth Action• Served on the Minnesota Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (JJAC) and chaired JJAC for a number of years as it awarded millions of dollars to state and local projects

Significant Awards and Recognition:

• 2008 – Washburn received the Nonprofit Excellence Award from the MN Council of Nonprofits and MAP for Nonprofits• 2010 through 2015 – Washburn was recognized as a Top Workplace in the Star Tribune annual awards• 2012 – Steve was awarded the Transformational Leadership Award by the MN Council of Nonprofits and became a Senior Fellow at the Center for Integrated Leadership at the University of MN• 2013 – Washburn was the recipient of the first annual Bold Award and the Boldest of the Bold Award presented by the Association for Corporate Growth• 2014 Steve was selected as one of The (Real) Power 50 by Minnesota Business Magazine• 2015 Steve was awarded the Heroes for Children Award by the Children’s Law Center• Washburn received the Mission Award from the MN Council of Nonprofits recognizing the new facility and Training Institute• 2016 Steve received the Outstanding Service Award from the MN Assoc of Children’s Mental Health• 2017 Steve received a Visionary Leader Award from the National Council of Behavior Health

Education:

A bachelors’ degree from St. John’s University and a master’s degree in Hospital Administration (emphasis in mental health administration) from the University of Minnesota and extensive training and education through classes, workshops, seminars and conferences