About Devon:

Devon Charlier is a dedicated leader, communicator, and evaluator committed to fostering healthy communities. For the last eight years, she has facilitated positive change through strategic, evidence-based approaches to offer everyone the information they need to make decisions about their health and well-being - from teaching yoga to educating about sexual health to promoting agricultural safety. Devon cares deeply about rural communities, young people, and reproductive justice. She believes that a foundation of consent, respect, autonomy, and identity is crucial for navigating the challenges we grapple with in our interpersonal relationships and broader society.

 

The Brainerd Lakes Area has been home to Devon since 2016 when she was a student at Central Lakes College. From 2017-2019, Devon served as the Community Impact Coordinator at our local United Way, sparking an enduring passion for nonprofit organizations, strategic communications, grant writing, and fundraising. While in this role, she met Becky and was inspired by WeARE’s mission toward comprehensive reproductive healthcare and education. As an intern at WeARE during her final year at Minnesota State University, Mankato - pursuing a degree in Community Health Education - Devon played an integral role in standardizing education programming, event planning, and advising the youth advisory council (YAC). In the years following, Devon has worked in various capacities at WeARE, including:

• planning, implementing, and evaluating sexual health education for CLC Upward Bound students in person and online,

• managing communication channels to increase WeARE’s visibility and reach,

• coordinating clinic operations and financial management during a brief period as Office Manager,

• collaborating with the YAC to gather, understand, and communicate data to inform WeARE’s strategic plan, and

• building capacity through data management process improvement, grant writing, material development, and more!

 

In 2021, she earned her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree, furthering her expertise in Community Health Promotion, focusing on epidemiology, evaluation, and organizational development. She began working as a research assistant at the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health (UMASH) Center during this time. She stayed on post-graduation as the Evaluation and Communications Manager to understand, enhance, and share the impact of the Center on safe and healthy agricultural communities. Across all of her work, Devon applies data-informed decision-making, community engagement, justice frameworks, and her lived experiences navigating rural health care as a disabled and chronically ill woman. These perspectives have allowed her to make meaningful differences at local and regional levels. Outside of work, Devon is probably baking, reading, birdwatching with her husband, Matt, or hanging out with their very cute cat.

 

As the new Executive Director of WeARE, Devon’s professional and personal journeys will come full circle. With unwavering support from Becky, the Board of Directors, the staff, and our valued donors and community members, Devon is ready to lead the organization into its next chapter with strategic vision, a collaborative spirit, and a deep connection to reproductive justice. Devon is truly honored to serve WeARE and the Brainerd Lakes Area in this way and looks forward to connecting with each of you!