STAFF

Jackie Siewert

Program Director

Jackie joined the Live Smoke Free team in 2014 with a background in property management. Her motivation for commercial tobacco prevention work comes from personal experience with smoke-free housing issues and loved ones lost to tobacco. Jackie works with local and national stakeholders, including renters, homeowners, property managers, property owners, and public health advocates, to educate decision-makers and promote smoke-free housing. Jackie’s work involves project planning and management, creating materials, public speaking, and evaluation. She collaborates with the Live Smoke Free team to create new and up-to-date resources and educational tools. Jackie also manages Live Smoke Free communications including the quarterly newsletters, social media, and website content. Inside her office you will find a variety of cacti and vining plants. Outside of the office, Jackie enjoys running, biking, art festivals, and cats.

Kara Skahen

Kara Skahen has almost a decade of experience working on housing, environmental health, and health equity issues. Since 2011 she has worked with the Live Smoke Free team to promote, implement, and sustain smoke-free housing initiatives both locally and nationwide. She was inspired to enter this field after seeing the devastating impact involuntary secondhand smoke exposure had on her family members and clients. Kara brings a social work and policy background to Live Smoke Free, and values partnering with residents, resident service providers, public health professionals, and the housing industry to support positive, health-focused policy change. She is passionate about environmental health equity issues and also serves on the Richfield Advisory Board of Health and Environmental Issues Committee. In her spare time she loves to Irish dance, bike, read, and hike with her dog Mabel.

Jack Ayim

Jack Ayim, MS works with the Live Smoke Free program as a Program & Community Outreach Coordinator. In this role, Jack works in the field of tobacco prevention and as a community outreach coordinator on a variety of projects such as promoting smoke-free multi-unit housing in Minnesota, focus on policy work and youth and young adult tobacco prevention. He also develops and manages databases for ANSRMN, and skilled at coordinating community partners and contractors using strong cross-cultural partnership building skills. He has over 9 years extensive experience working with statewide and local community agencies/coalitions from various ethnic communities and priority populations in Minnesota to advocated for policies that would restrict tobacco point of sale and use of tobacco products. While out of office, Jack likes to watch TED talks and listen to BBC World Service science in action podcast, and BBC World Service Discovery podcast.