Mark Berger - Team Leader
Financial Advisor
Mark has lived in Rice Lake, Wi for most of his life, where he works as a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones. He was a GSE participant in 1989 which lead him to becoming an active Rotarian for the past 26 years. He’s been involved with many organizations over the years and held many leadership roles. Mark enjoys spending time acting in local theatre along with playing tennis and coaching high school tennis. He loves to hunt, sail, travel and spend time with his son Rob.
Mario A. Hernández
Executive Administration, Nonprofit Sector
Mario A. Hernández resides in St. Paul’s East Side area. For most of his career he has worked in Minnesota’s Latino community to reduce racial, social, and economic inequities. Mario is a single father of two – Marco Antonio and Cristian Tómas Hernandez. He’s an active recreational cyclist, and rides local and state trails throughout Minnesota. Mario is an unofficial foodie, enjoying new food experiences with friends. He also enjoys photography, taking pictures of his city’s landscape and landmarks.Executive Administration, Nonprofit Sector
Lindsey Day
Business Development, Commercial Furniture
Lindsey grew up in WI and moved to the Twin Cities 13 years ago where she loves the great arts, music and nature scene. She’s in Furniture Business Development at Innovative Office Solutions, working with design firms to transform offices into productive workspaces. She also enjoys being active in the community through volunteering for various organizations such as the Junior League and IIDA. In her free time, you can find her at a local hip hop dance class!
Carly Lunden
Copywriter, International Development
Carly grew up near Chicago and moved to Minneapolis three years ago. She works for American Refugee Committee (ARC), an international humanitarian organization. As the Copywriter at ARC, Carly works on projects ranging from the organization's website, to press releases, to speech writing, to email and mail marketing. She's a voracious reader, occasional guitar player, and long distance runner. She loves to backpack through the mountains and spend as much time as possible with her husband, her friends, and family.
Jon Huffmaster
Architectural Designer
Jon is from Shoreview, MN. He enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, and basketball. Jon’s family includes his wife, Sommer, and their dog named Stan. They enjoy all things Sci-Fi (especially Star Wars) and going for walks in the evenings. Sommer studies Parkinson’s disease at the University of Minnesota and Jon is an architectural designer. They hope to own a coffee shop one day, roasting their own Direct Trade beans.
Briana Capra – Alternate Team member
Account Manager, Nonprofit Sector
Briana Capra resides in the south suburb of Prior Lake with her husband Clayton and two teenage sons, Cal and Ben. She works for the Rainforest Alliance, a global environmental nonprofit as a key account manager, auditor and supervisor. Briana also is a board member for Global Water Dances, an organization that uses dance and movement choirs to bring the discussion of water issues to communities around the world. When not working or volunteering, Briana enjoys knitting (Minnesota State Fair Second prize in knitting!), biking with her family and gardening. Briana is excited to be part of the GSE experience as an alternate, and is confident the experience has a lot to offer!
Gayland Bender - Alternate Team Leader
Consultant, Electrical Engineering
Originally from South Dakota, Gayland graduated from South Dakota State University in 1970 with a degree in electrical engineering. Upon graduating, he served two years in the US Army with a tour of Vietnam in Da Nag as a communications officer. After leaving the US Army as a 1st Lieutenant, he pursued his vocation as an electrical engineer for TSP, an architectural engineering firm in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He spent several years in Sioux Falls, managing the electrical engineering department for TSP, an architectural engineering firm. He moved to the Twin Cities in 1985 and continued his career in engineering, becoming an Owner and Principal in the firm. Retiring in 2014, he continues to work as an independent consultant at the same firm. Gayland enjoys performing with his Dixieland band, spending time with his wife and four daughters, and his nine grandchildren, who range from 4 to 8 years old. He also enjoys photography, downhill skiing, snow shoeing, and bicycling.
Consultant, Electrical Engineering
Originally from South Dakota, Gayland graduated from South Dakota State University in 1970 with a degree in electrical engineering. Upon graduating, he served two years in the US Army with a tour of Vietnam in Da Nag as a communications officer. After leaving the US Army as a 1st Lieutenant, he pursued his vocation as an electrical engineer for TSP, an architectural engineering firm in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He spent several years in Sioux Falls, managing the electrical engineering department for TSP, an architectural engineering firm. He moved to the Twin Cities in 1985 and continued his career in engineering, becoming an Owner and Principal in the firm. Retiring in 2014, he continues to work as an independent consultant at the same firm. Gayland enjoys performing with his Dixieland band, spending time with his wife and four daughters, and his nine grandchildren, who range from 4 to 8 years old. He also enjoys photography, downhill skiing, snow shoeing, and bicycling.
