Staff & Board
Board Members
Ambrose R. Russell
Founder & Executive Director
- Founder & President, The Inner Hero
- arussell@theinnerhero.com
MY BIO AND A PROFILE IN COURAGE
Ambrose R. Russell is a visionary leader committed to empowering youth, bridging community and civic leadership gaps, and creating safer environments. With a transformative journey from war-torn Liberia to catalyzing change in the Twin Cities, he exemplifies the power of mentorship, resilience, and education. Ambrose’s credentials include completing courses with the ATF Citizens Academy and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Professional Experience:
- Founder & Executive Director, The Inner Hero Organization (2010—Present)
- Established a 501 (c)(3) community-based organization serving over 3000 youth and young adults.
- Forged partnerships with 35 police departments, the U.S. Army, and the Minneapolis Fire Department.
- Initiated after-school and summer clubs in collaboration with the YMCA.
Achievements:
- Community Leadership Award, Positive Image
- Nonprofit Award, 2017
- Pioneer of the Community Award, 2019
- Education Award, Plenty People Growing Justice, 2020
- US Army, North Carolina Community Recognition
- Mr. Russell is the recipient of the 2024 Minnesota Ethical Leadership Award, which commends his leadership and character.
Education:
- Graduate from Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education
- B.A., Engineering, Hennepin Technical College
Organizations/Affiliations:
- Board member, Hennepin Technical College Law Enforcement
- Board member, Chairman, True Vine Family Christian Center
- Sound Engineer, Speak the Word Church (17+ years)
- Board member, MN Character, Council 2022
Professional Skills:
- Community Leadership
- Strategic Planning and Communication
- Vision Sharing
- People. Budget and Resource Management
- Relationship Building
“My passion lies in transforming and inspiring lives. Working with youth and parents, I aim to build better family relationships and homes for current and future generations. Consistent parental guidance leads to safer homes and communities. I foster a positive obsession to lead with the love that drives you to reaching your fullest potential.”
Ambrose R. Russell is a husband of fifteen years, devoted father, and grandfather of seven.
Thandeka Chiinze
- Chairperson of the Board & Education Committee Chairperson
- Counseling Psychology/School Counseling
- thandeka@theinnerhero.com
My name is Thandeka Chiinze and I am excited to be a part of the Inner Hero Organization. I have worked in K-12 education for the last nine years. However, I have been an equity educator and youth advocate for the past twelve years. My various experiences in mental health and education inspire my passion to see youth succeed.
I hold a bachelor’s in community psychology and intercultural communications from St. Cloud State University, a master’s in counseling psychology from the University of St. Thomas, and a second master’s in school counseling from Adler Graduate School. Much of what I do is centered on building sustainable and fair systems for marginalized students and families. My mission is to help my colleagues and our stakeholders reimagine education through the lens of equity. I am grateful for the opportunity, and I look forward to working with you all.
Dr. S. Miata Getaweh
- Vice Chairperson of the Board & Program Committee Chairperson
- Vice President of Human Resources, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota
- miata@theinnerhero.com
Dr. S. Miata Getaweh is a Vice President of Human Resources at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and Executive Director of the African Immigrant Professional Development Conference. Dr. Getaweh has worked in the human resources field for over a decade, providing strategic human resources planning and support to organizations. Before joining Lutheran Social Service, she worked as the Director of Human Resources at AccessAbility. Dr. Getaweh is one of the founders and lead organizers of the African Immigrant Professional Development Conference which brings together African immigrants and employers to create networking and employment opportunities. In addition, she serves in a leadership role on the Pan African Employee Resource Group within Lutheran Social Service. Dr. Getaweh earned her Doctor of Business Administration degree and her Master of Business Administration degree from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business from Bethel University in Roseville.
She and her family live in Coon Rapids.
Gregory O. W. Coleman
Staff member
- Consultant & Board Member
- Inspector General Liberia National Police
- gregoryc@theinnerhero.com
Greg is a renowned security executive, public policy manager, an administrator with risk mitigation and analytics capabilities, and community relations expert with extensive experience orchestrating security enforcement activities and developing outreach plans while devising sensitive strategies and tactics. He enjoys diverse expertise on the international stage by managing robust government compliance for multinational companies and increasing investors’ confidence by deploying innovative security strategies.
In 2016, Colonel Greg became the youngest-ever Inspector General of the Liberia National Police and Chairman of the West African Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCO). As a result of the successes achieved during his tenure in the LNP, Liberians have enjoyed police-community relations stability. His tenure as Inspector-General was characterized by the professionalism that translated into a high level of confidence by the Liberian political leadership and international partners, thus expanding support to the LNP and the Liberian people.
In 2018 Greg moved from hard to soft security, serving as Director-General of the National Bureau of Concessions working with all Foreign Direct Investors holding concessions in Liberia. His roles and responsibilities included technical assistance to ministries, agencies, and commissions responsible for granting concessions.
After a year of working with the concessionaires and gaining insight into the impact of their investments on the local communities, Greg’s interest shifted to the investment-affected communities. He began working with the local communities to create alternative sustainable livelihoods as a conflict-prevention tool and a means of increasing happiness. In November 2019, Greg honorably resigned from his post in the government and established Sustainable Initiatives International (SII) to address community concerns. These communities’ concerns range from natural resource governance issues, food security, transparency, and accountability to limited access to justice and overall safety.
SII is a nonprofit sustainability organization collaborating and working with communities affected by investments, investors, companies, and government, to build synergies, thus creating a safe and sustainable environment. Through intelligent and secure initiatives, including advocacy, economic empowerment, early warning, preventative diplomacy, education, and primarily gender mainstreaming, SII tackles obstacles affecting the Sustainable Development Goals’ achievement at the local community level.
In 2020, Greg Moved to the US, where he joined The Inner, a community-based 501©(3), registered in Minnesota, volunteering as Program-Director. The Inner Hero consistently works with youth providing counseling and mentoring. Serving as a bridge, The Inner Hero works towards building trust and legitimacy between the communities and the police. Through sports, round-table dialogues, and community outreach, The Inner Hero creates a platform where law enforcement officers and the community can meet and interact without any barriers. Greg holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Wynfred Russell
- Committee Chairman of Public Health & Board Member
- Founder and Director of Health Equity, ACER
- wynfred@theinnerhero.com
Wynfred Russell is a global health and public policy professional with over 15 years of experience. He is the Founder and Director of Health Equity at ACER and coordinates the State of Minnesota COVID-19 response project.
During the Ebola outbreak, Wynfred traveled abroad to fight the disease in Liberia, where he led a $7.9 million USAID-funded Ebola response. After two months, he returned to Minnesota and was called up to lead a global polio eradication initiative in northern Nigeria. He managed a multi-million-dollar Global Polio Eradication Program, serving 2.2 million children (about the population of New Mexico) under five and 1.6 million parents. He distributed over 24 million vaccinations and 8 million medicines and dried goods.
Even though he works in the public health space, he has the experience and a deep passion for education; and taught for six years and served two years as a public health researcher at the University of Minnesota. He has also taught at Century College and North Hennepin Community College.
Wynfred has served on various advisory committees on good governance, educational access, and the elimination of health disparities. He is a recipient of Minnesota’s Human Rights Award, which praised him for his service to the State. And in 2018, he received the Virginia McKnight Binger Unsung Hero Award for his work to improve the lives of people around the world.
His academic training includes public policy, community health, education, and communication studies.
Douglas E. Nepp
- Fund Development Committee Chairman & Board Member
- Attorney at Law, Nepp & Hackert, LLC
- douglas@theinnerhero.com
Douglas Nepp grew up in Austin, Minnesota, the son of a pharmacist/drug store owner. He graduated with honors from Austin High in 1981. During high school, he was a letter-winner in baseball, basketball, and football. He attended Macalester College in St. Paul, where he was the captain of the football team. He had two majors at Macalester College; Economics and Political Science. Doug graduated Summa Cum Laude from Macalester College in 1985.
Macalester College is also where Doug met Barbara Ann Crist during the very first week of their freshmen year. Barbara and Doug were married after graduating from Macalester in 1985.
After graduating from Macalester College, Doug attended the University of Minnesota Law School. During law school, he clerked at IBM in New York. In 1988, he received his Juris Doctor degree graduating cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School. He began practicing law in Duluth, Minnesota. While in Duluth, Doug represented insurance companies and businesses.
After five years in Duluth, Doug returned to the Twin Cities to be closer to family. His practice shifted to represent individuals and small businesses in many areas of the law, including criminal, family, immigration, personal injury, worker’s compensation and commercial law. Doug has practiced law for over thirty-four years. He has represented thousands of clients from all over the world and from all walks of life. He serves as an arbitrator in disputed cases. He is currently a shareholder in the law firm of Nepp & Hackert, LLC in Minneapolis. He has dedicated his time and resources to The Inner Hero since 2013.
He and his beautiful wife, Barbara Crist-Nepp, have celebrated 37 years of marriage. They live in Stillwater and have raised three children. They have two grandchildren. Doug enjoys golf, boating, and cooking for friends and family. He and his family are avid fans and frequent attendees of Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, and Gopher’s games. He also enjoys teaching cooking to teenagers with his wife, Barbara.
Britni Austin
- Board Member
- 14 years of Criminal Justice experience.
- britni@theinnerhero.com
Britni is a board member of The Inner Hero. She has been a licensed peace officer for 10 years and previously worked in non-sworn and volunteer positions within metro police agencies. Britni has worked assignments as an investigator, SWAT negotiator, field training officer, mental health liaison officer, police explorer advisor, and Mobile Field Force, and is a peer support, and team coordinator. She also has been a member of the Metro Critical Incident Stress Management Team since 2015. Britni has been recognized by the New Hope Police Department with a Lifesaving Award and three Chief’s Commendations. Britni holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice and a B.S. in Law Enforcement from Metropolitan State University.
Keith Deanes
- Advisor to the Board & Board Member
- Executive Vice President Client Services, Strategic Source
- kdeanes@theinnerhero.com
Executive Vice President, COO
Role: Lead and develop the Operations team in delivering an exceptional customer experience that fulfills the vision and mission of StrategicSource, Inc. Continuously identify and implement solutions and process improvements that exceed our client’s current/future service needs, drive operational efficiency and profitability, customer loyalty and new customer acquisition.
Biography: Keith is a graduate of LeMoyne Owen College with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He spent fourteen years with Lifetouch as a Sr. Director and led sales and operations functions for Target Portrait Studios. Keith transitioned to Verified Credentials where he worked 12 years as V.P. of Client Services and led efforts focused on optimizing the communication and workflow with clients to deliver a” remarkable” customer experience.
Operations: Lead and develop a team culture that focuses on improving the client experience and operational excellence profitability while achieving both external and internal customer and company objectives.
Interests: I’ve been married for over 30 years and I’m a father of two daughters. I enjoy traveling, spending time with family, and volunteering. I’m also an avid golfer, and one of my bucket list items is to play golf in all 50 states of the U.S.
Quote: An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. – Proverbs 18:15
Isaac Elliott
- Board Secretary & Board Member
- Anoka County Human Services Corrections
- isaac@theinnerhero.com
Biography
- Born December 17, 1974, in Bong Mines lower Bong County Liberia unto the union of Mr. Roosevelt S. Elliott and Cynthia Diggs., the 3rd of four children. Attended the Bong Educational Center school system, and later attended the Protestant Methodist Resource Center School system in Ivory Coast as a refugee.
- Attended and graduated from the Haywood Mission School Liberia.
- 2002 University of Liberia and migrated to the USA and attended the Thomas Edison State University in NJ and graduated with a BA degree in Economics with the Anorld Fisher award.
- Work- Virginia Department of Corrections 2018- 2020
- Anoka County Human Services
- Corrections 2020-current.
Volunteer Organizations
- 2003-2005 Assistant Recording Secretary Liberia Baptist Youth Assembly
- 2005 2006 Youth Director First Baptist Church oldest Congo Town
- 2006-2007 President Music Department FBC
- 2006 -2008 Secretary Haywood Alumni Asso.
- 2010_2015 Financial Secretary African United Methodist Church Trenton NJ
- 2016 United Service Organizations USO, Virginia Fort Lee
- 2019 Election Judge Anoka County MN
- 2020 -2023 Financial Secretary True Vine Family Christian Center MN
- 2022- Election Judge Anoka County MN
- 2022 Feed My Starving Children Coon Rapids MN
Certificate
- BA degree in Economics and Management Thomas Edison State University NJ
- Certificate in Fraud Detection Motor Vehicle Operations NJ
- Basic Correctional Officer Training
- AA degree in Economics, the Institute of Management and Technology Liberia
Darryl Ford Jr.
- Staff & Young Adult Board Member
- Mental Health Professional Sports Coach – Physical Trainer
- darryl@theinnerhero.com
Darryl was born in Gary Indiana. He now works as a Mental Health Professional after having studied psychology and sociology at the University of MN Twin Cities. His focus is on high-performance enhancement as a Sports Coach/Physical Trainer/Youth advocate.
Philip Shields
- IT Manager & Board Member
- Web Developer, Creative Cliff, LLC
- philip@theinnerhero.com
Philip has spent over ten years as a freelance web developer. He has been a part of The Inner Hero website and digital management since the beginning of the organization. Philip graduated from Hennepin Technical College in 2012 with two degrees, one in interactive design and the other in web design.
Elshaddai T. Russell
- Program Coordinator
- Child Nutrition Manager, Robbinsdale School District
- erussell@theinnerhero.com
Elshaddai T. Russell serves as the program coordinator at The Inner Hero and the Child Nutrition Manager for the Robbinsdale School District. As a devoted mother of seven and a woman of profound faith, she is widely admired for her compassion and unwavering dedication to her family, work, and community. A high school graduate with specialized studies in child nutrition and phlebotomy technology, Elshaddai brings over 20 years of experience in childcare and education. Her passion for service and community empowerment led to the founding of The Inner Hero, an organization she co-created with her husband, Ambrose, and their five sons to inspire and uplift everyday Heroes in their community.
Dr. James Bardon
- Program Committee & Board Member
- 30 years of Criminal Justice experience
- james@theinnerhero.com
Dr. Bardon is a board member of The Inner Hero who also provides research and program evaluation support for the organization. James believes that the programs that The Inner Hero provides should be designed to produce positive results and strives to provide the organization with the information needed to achieve this goal. He has been a licensed peace officer working with the New Hope Police Department since 2004 and has worked assignments as an investigator, drug task force detective, SWAT negotiator, field training officer, and firearms instructor. Since 2021, he has been assigned to Cooper High School as one of the School Resource Officers and a juvenile investigator. He has been recognized by two New Hope Police Chiefs, the Saint Paul Police, Plymouth Police, Crystal Police, and the Minnesota State Patrol, and awarded the Medal of Merit, Lifesaving Award, and four Chief’s Commendations. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and Minnesota Army and Air National Guards and has taught Juvenile Justice courses as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota, Duluth campus. James holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Minnesota, an M.S. in Criminal Justice Administration from St. Cloud State University, and a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Behavioral Science from Nova Southeastern University.
Maxwell Tahija
- Content Creator & Board Member
- Video Marketer
- maxwell@theinnerhero.com
Maxwell Tahija is a director, audio engineer, wellness specialist & artist who has been working in media for nearly a decade. With a myriad of experiences in both music & and enterprise, he possesses a breadth of knowledge on content strategy and an understanding of the landscape of technologies.
He grew up in Minneapolis, MN, and soon emerged as an up-and-coming music videographer who worked internationally in over a dozen different markets from Seattle to Toronto & more.
His experiences and passion led him to co-host alongside the African Cultural Liaison for MN United FC Ali Abdirahman, where they showcased various cuisines across different cultures with a global audience.
Eventually, he ended up in Los Angeles, where he worked with brands, businesses, and artists—directing content, marketing & and music videos for many artists.
While his passions lie in Media & Wellness, he also has a deep love for service, working with The Inner Hero’s Founder, Ambrose R Russell, since 2020 as a Board Member, Content Creator & Mentor in the Minneapolis area. He takes pride in being a relatable role model to young people with his music and videography. He enjoys connecting different ages and cultural backgrounds with a shared art appreciation.
David Harper
- Treasurer & Board Member
- Retired Owner of Lexington Hair Shop, Inc.
- david@theinnerhero.com
David Harper is a husband, devoted father of five, and grandfather of five. He grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, the eldest of 12 siblings. He is the retired owner and operator of Lexington Hair Shop, Inc.
David has served as a board member for Mississippi Market. He has also volunteered on various neighborhood-related projects. Additionally, he was a long-time member of Speak the Word Church International, where he served in the usher and security ministry.
Motivating and inspiring others to reach their fullest potential is most important to me. I am also very passionate about helping youth, and adults realize the importance of honesty, integrity, responsibility, and character.