Board of Directors

Standpoint's board of directors work in many different fields, ranging from legal to finance and communications to women’s advocacy. This adds a diverse pool of skills, knowledge, and expertise to the organization.

Sarah Ripa

MEMBER

Wells Fargo

BOARD MEMBER BIOGRAPHIES

Veronica Hardaway– Chair is the Program Manager at Hart House.  Veronica started her non-profit career serving as a Ministry assistant at ICCM LifeCenter. She later on worked as an advocate for survivors of intimate partner violence. With her lived personal experience as a victim survivor, it is the fuel that drives her passion to do the work that she does. Veronica is also part owner of Women Empowered MN, which is a group of women with similar backgrounds, whose mission is to empower other women. In 2023 Veronica was promoted to Program Manager at Hart House. Here she helps women who have been impacted by substance use disorder. Veronica’s life is dedicated to service work and making the lives of others better. Veronica’s area of emphasis is providing trauma informed care for those at the intersection of domestic violence and substance abuse. Veronica is dedicated to promoting awareness and providing the tools that are needed for recovery. Veronica also has extensive experience working with people that have been impacted by domestic violence, mental health diagnosis and substance use disorders. Veronica collaborates within several ministries for community outreach & education. Veronica is culturally competent and uses those skills to assist people that have been impacted by any of these issues. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering at her church, writing books and spending time with family.

Joe Van Thomme – Co - Chair joined Eckberg Lammers in March, 2014 and is an attorney in our Municipal practice area and serves as one of our lead criminal prosecutors. He specializes in criminal prosecution for the Cities of East Bethel, Woodbury, Oak Park Heights and several other suburban and exurban communities. From charges and arraignment to trial, verdict and sentencing, along with contested evidentiary hearings and probation violations, he regularly handles all facets of misdemeanor prosecution for the cities we serve. Joe’s passion for practicing law stems from his unique ability to find ways to resolve the messiest of situations. Never one to shy away from difficult conversations or contentious litigation, he combines his candid advice and communication style with expert legal strategy to achieve the best possible case results for his municipal clients. He was selected as an “Up and Coming Attorney” by Minnesota Lawyer in 2013. Joe is an adjunct faculty member of the Advocacy and Competitions program at Mitchell Hamline School of Law as well as an adjunct instructor in the University of Minnesota’s Kinesiology Department. A true sports enthusiast, Joe enjoys playing handball, hockey and softball. He coaches handball for the University of Minnesota handball club team and is a season ticket holder for the University of Minnesota Men’s Hockey Team and Minnesota Twins. Joe is a voracious reader and avid music fan. 

Alexis McKim – Secretary is an attorney in the Municipal Law Group at Eckberg Lammers who focuses her practice on criminal prosecution. Alexis has varied history working in the criminal justice system, including work as a pre-trial services agent, a correctional officer, and a probation and parole intern. These broad and comprehensive first-hand experiences have deeply diversified her work, helping to shape her perspective on crime and inspire her approach as an advocate in criminal court proceedings. 

Beginning her formal education in criminal law through her undergraduate course work, Alexis obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison where she majored in Legal Studies with Certificates in Criminal Justice and Gender and Women’s Studies. Alexis is a cum laude graduate from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. As a law student, she worked on immigration cases as an intern at the Office of Principal Legal Advisor before becoming a certified student attorney at the Anoka County Attorney’s Office. While in school, she completed volunteer work through the Minnesota Justice Foundation, for which she was a recipient of a ‘Public Service Certificate’ in recognition of her hours of service. She also spent two years on the Mitchell Hamline Law Review. Prior to joining Eckberg Lammers, she worked as a Assistant County Attorney, handling juvenile delinquency matters of all levels and offense types. 

Alexis grew up in Stillwater and still resides in the east metro area. She is committed to animal welfare and volunteers in local rescue efforts. The outdoors was a large part of her upbringing, and she remains enthusiastic about nature, conservation, and related pursuits. Her free time is most often spent going on outdoor adventures with her dog, Kenna. She also likes reading, spending time with family, kayaking, paddle boarding, and enjoying all that the St. Croix River Valley has to offer. 

Jacob Simmons – Treasurer

Anneliese McCahery – Member is an attorney at Eckberg Lammers in their Municipal Law Group who focuses on criminal prosecution and civil municipal representation for the Cities we serve. Annie’s knowledge and experience in municipal areas includes code enforcement issues, ordinance review and drafting, land use violations, land use agreements, civil municipal litigation, municipal prosecution, data practices, and law enforcement trainings. 

McKenzie Dockter – Member is an associate director of marketing for clinical marketing efforts within Medicare and Retirement at UnitedHealthcare. She helps coordinate various projects to help members close star gaps and complete important health screenings. McKenzie is a graduate from Hamline University, with a major in marketing, and minors in Spanish and Nonprofit management. While in college, she studied abroad and interned at a home for victims/survivors of domestic abuse. That experience and her minor in nonprofit management guided her decision to learn more about Standpoint. When she isn’t working or volunteering, she loves to travel to anywhere with an ocean view.  

Monica Delgado – Member is a Labor and Employment associate at Dorsey & Whitney, where she maintains a comprehensive advice and litigation practice.  In addition to her day-to-day practice, she provides pro bono services to victims of domestic violence and is passionate about not only defending and advocating for those who have experienced such violence, but also disrupting the cycle and its ripple effects on social and policy levels.  In her free time, Monica can be found rollerblading, exercising, reading, baking, traveling, practicing her foreign-language skills, spending time with friends and family, and competing as a lumberjack in the great Midwestern sport of logrolling. 

Sarah Ripa – Member is a Senior Counsel with Wells Fargo’s Cards and Merchant Services Group in the bank’s Consumer Lending Division.  She also serves as the Pro Bono Coordinator for the Minneapolis Office. Sarah previously spent nearly a decade practicing in the litigation groups of large law firms, most recently serving as Of Counsel at Jones Day’s Business and Tort Litigation Group.  

Sarah has maintained an active pro bono practice, partnering with the Wisconsin Innocence Project and the D.C. Children’s Law Center to work on wrongful conviction matters and provide special education advocacy. Sarah had also worked on pro bono matters relating to human trafficking and immigration issues.  

Sarah received her J.D., with high honors, from The George Washington University Law School, where she was part of the Family Justice Litigation Clinic and provided direct legal representation to survivors of domestic violence.  Sarah received her B.A., summa cum laude, in Sociology and Political Science from St. Norbert College.