Jim Collins
Board Treasurer
Meet Us
Paul & Lori Strong
Co-founders
Paul and Lori are committed believers with compassionate hearts to minister to families affected by the incarceration of a loved one. Their 30 plus years’ experience of working with people from different cultures and beliefs enables them, together with their faithful staff and volunteers, to address issues facing fathers, mothers, and children in a variety of situations.
Mike Brass
Board Secretary
Mike Brass is the owner of a Real Estate Firm; Titus Commercial Real Estate. Prior to starting his own business, he worked as Vice President in the Brokerage Services Division of Colliers International for 30 years. He has extensive experience in leasing, tenant representation, sales of industrial and office properties, as well as development projects for land. Mike has held a member position on the Parenting With Purpose board of directors since 1996. Mike is also a board member of White Bear Lake Economic Development Corporation, member of Vadnais Heights Economic Development Corporation, and founder and co-chair of the 1990 Winterfest in White Bear Lake.
Jim Collins
Board Treasurer
Jim Collins is the chief banking and revenue officer at Alerus. In this role, he oversees all revenue and product areas of the company and leads teams across Alerus’ footprint to positively impact clients’ financial potential by providing unparalleled personalized service, holistic advice, and engaging
technology. An accomplished executive with nearly 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Jim has extensive expertise in commercial banking, private banking, and treasury management service. Before joining Alerus, he served as the Minnesota regional CEO and president of corporate banking for Old National Bank. Prior to that, he held various leadership roles for Anchor Bank over 13 years, including senior vice president of commercial banking, market president, region president, head of commercial and wealth. He served as director of commercial, community and wealth when the bank was acquired by Old National Bank in 2017. Jim has a strong desire to give back to the community.
Priscilla Roberts
Board Chairman
In 2018, Priscilla retired early from the public sector industry, which
included a successful and thriving career of 25-years at Hennepin
County. Her most recent position was in Human Resources,
Workforce Development Area, as a Youth Program Director. She
represents a mixed-blood heritage of Black and Indigenous, which
creates her robust style to use her organic gift of administration and
leadership. Priscilla is a Racial Justice Facilitator that facilitates,
presents, and trains various groups in Black, Indigenous, People of
Color (BIPOC) communities. She is also a certified Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT)
Facilitator, Coach and Consultant supporting women and youth with their healing journey
from trauma. Priscilla is a professional Voice-Over actor; her work includes
commercials, emceeing programs and events, professional announcements, public
speaking, professional narration of readings such as poems & short stories and most
recently local BIPOC audio books.
Priscilla holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services with a focused content on female
offenders from Metropolitan State University, a Master of Public Administration from
Hamline University and a Mini Masters of Business Administration in Non-profit
Management from St. Thomas University. She has a Human Resources Compliance
Certificate from Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and Leadership Certificates from
Hamline University and the City of Bloomington. Priscilla has been an active member of
Shiloh Temple International Ministries for 24 years and currently serves as the Senior
Executive Assistant to her Bishop, Pastor, and the church leaders. She is the proud
mother of her daughter and a niece she raised as her daughter and has two grandchildren
and a loving family.
Ramon Harris
Board Member
Ramon Harris operates a New Creation clothing business with his wife and has a thriving interior painting business. Ramon is also employed by Robbinsdale School District 281. He has served on the Parenting With Purpose board since 1999. Ramon and his wife are very active in their church in North Minneapolis. Ramon is the pastor over the prison ministry at his church, providing services at Rochester Federal Prison and Plymouth Workhouse for the past 17 years.
Wayne Sharp
Board Member
Wayne Sharp is retired from the computer industry, which includes 13 years with IBM, and later, as owner of P.O.S. Business Systems from 1983 through 2006 which he grew to one of the largest Point of Sale Dealers in the country. During this time, he was active in the Point of Sale Industry, serving on the National Board for the industry association and on manufacturer advisory boards. He has also been on the board of several non-profit and Christian based organizations. Although ‘retired’, he is still active in sailboat charters, real estate buying, remodeling, rental, and sales with his son. As a Coast Guard Captain, Wayne occasionally works as Charter Captain, and does training and delivery of yachts. He is active in his church in Florida, and has been involved with Parenting with Purpose since 1996.