Matt Traynor
Interim Executive Director
matt@mnhomelesscoalition.org

218-213-2054

Before joining the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless as our full-time director of organizing, Matt completed his degree in Youth and Family Ministry where he took a position as a Youth Director at a church in Red Wing. During his spare time, he was able to do some organizing around equity issues within the community and fell in love with organizing. From 2012 – 2017, Matt worked as the Community Organizer at CHUM in Duluth. After moving to Duluth Matt connected with others working to end homelessness and has been part of multiple successful organizing campaigns. In 2014 he received the Steve O’Neil Outstanding Organizer Award. Outside of organizing, Matt loves hanging with his family (especially his nephew), friends, and spending time doing introverted things like reading, watching movies, and going outside during the non-winter months.

Matt will serve as the Interim Executive Director until further notice. His permanent title is Director of Advocacy.

Rachel Lynett
Director of Operations
rachel@mnhomelesscoalition.org

Rachel Lynett  (she/they) serves as the Director of Operations with the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless. Most recently before joining MCH, Rachel worked as a playwright and theatre artist.  Rachel has now written plays about the homeless communities in Fayetteville, AR, New Haven, CT, Pittsfield, MA and Orlando, FL by directly working with people with lived experiences in an attempt to raise awareness about ongoing gentrification, wealth inequality, and lack of shelter spaces. Rachel worked previously with the Science Museum of Minnesota as a project leader and as an operations manager at various theatre companies. In their free time, Rachel likes to sew, play board games, and hang out with their cats.

Kirsten Rokke
Director of Communications and Events
kirsten@mnhomelesscoalition.org

Kirsten serves as the Director of Communications and Events with the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless. From 2014-2021 Kirsten worked with MCH in various roles, the most recent one being the Director of Communications. Kirsten worked with Goff Public, a public relations firm in Saint Paul, until May of 2023, where she started working with her own clients in communication in a public relations capacity.

One of the most successful efforts in her career was assisting in the creation of a statewide narrative around housing stability and economic security that prioritized person-centered messaging and storytelling. Kirsten draws from a professional background at the intersection of strategic communications and public policy, and she has successfully helped organizations, companies, and nonprofits tell powerful stories that result in positive outcomes.

She is a purpose-driven leader eager to pair her passion for messaging and framing, content for digital campaigns, and communications to the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless communications needs.

Kirsten lives in Saint Paul and enjoys sparkling water, traveling, and Taylor Swift.

Ranee Rock
Policy Fellow
ranee@mnhomelesscoalition.org

My name is Ranee Rock and I am a Policy Fellow with a focus on advocacy, and I am super honored to have been selected to participate in MCH’s fellowship program. I descend from the White Earth Nation and come with 6+ years of homelessness within the Twin Cities Region. I am appreciative to have several different platforms throughout the Twin Cities where my lived experiences can be heard and useful. You may recognize me from and can find me most often in the space and work done at the Twin Cities Regional Kitchen Table alongside my lived experience team, the SHIP Collaborative. I am filled with gratitude that MCH has extended this wonderful opportunity to me and hope that I am able to go above and beyond MCH’s expectations. Thank you so very much MCH.

ranee@mnhomelesscoalition.org  – 612.489. 9849

Laquita Love-Limo
Policy Fellow
laquita@mnhomelesscoalition.org

Laquita Love-Limo (she/her) currently resides in Suburban Metro; she is originally from Mississippi (the Delta Area) and is a mom to a brilliant 13-year-old. In her spare time, she likes to take her daughter on little adventures like zip-lining or touring caves. When she is not adventure-seeking with her daughter, she likes doing things with her church small group. Laquita is a member of SHIP (Stable Housing is Priority) Collaborative, a group whose goal is to create reform within the homeless response system. She has helped to facilitate SHIP’s TC-RKT. In 2022 Laquita was recognized with the 2022 Catalyst Award from Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless. She is passionate about ending homelessness and equity. The communities that support her are the communities that have had experience with homelessness or housing instability and the SMAC community (suburban metro area continuum of care). Laquita is most proud of the fact that she went from being homeless in SMAC to being the CoC coordinator for SMAC.

Claudette McDowall
Administrative Fellow
claudette@mnhomelesscoalition.org

My name is Claudette McDowall. I have always liked to capture the attention of the audience through storytelling and my personal experiences that can create real impact.

I was a member of the Regional Expert Network, for over a year. Through my participation in the REN, I was recognized with an Achievement Award from Project for Pride in Living (PPL) for advocacy work maintaining stable housing for seven years, and completing certifications with honors through Cisco and CompTIA in the Information Technology program. I took great pride and joy in being a part of the Regional Expert Network where I met and worked with amazing individuals, and now I’m excited to be an Administrative Fellow with MCH. I will always display a lot of passion and dedication in everything I do to make real
changes that will impact people’s lives.

Jason Urbanczyk
Community Engagement Fellow
jason@mnhomelesscoalition.org

Tyler Rezabek-Castro
MSW Intern
tyler@mnhomelesscoalition.org

Tyler is finishing his Masters in Social Work (MSW) at Augsburg University. Having always had a passion for helping others, Tyler began his social work career in 2018 after several years of various customer/guest service roles. Tyler has volunteered for the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, supported adults with severe and persistent mental illness in residential treatment, and spent the last 2 years working in state government helping people navigate state agencies or other resources to address barriers they have encountered. Tyler is excited to take part in MCH’s valuable work advocating on behalf of people experiencing homelessness and supports MCH’s mission to eliminate homelessness in Minnesota.