As an established evaluation professional, Chris brings a combination of mental health and evaluation expertise to her work with partner organizations. Chris joined Wilder in 2020 as clinical lead on Minnesota’s System of Care grant evaluation before expanding her role to conduct research and evaluation on a variety of projects.
Previously, she served as associate director of the Institute for Translational Research in Children’s Mental Health at the University of Minnesota. Prior to working at the University, Chris worked with justice-involved youth at the county and state level, retiring from the Minnesota Department of Corrections as the acting commissioner. She retired from clinical practice as a licensed psychologist in good standing (license held in MN from 1995-2025).
She has a doctorate in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota, a master’s degree in counseling psychology from St. Thomas University, and a bachelor’s degree in social welfare from the University of Minnesota. Chris serves on the board of NAMI Minnesota.