Our Staff at BrightStar Care® South Minneapolis Metro

Ashley started her journey with BrightStar Care in Human Resources in 2016. Her passion for hiring the right people allowed her to learn more about the Home Care industry's needs and become a leader in the company. Becoming Co-Owner and Branch Manager was the next step in helping more people in the Twin Cities' Communities. Ashley is passionate about people and loves hearing the stories of our valued customers. In Ashley's words, "It is so empowering and gratifying to see and hear how we are making their lives more comfortable and easier." She now acts as Director of Operations and works on growing home care services overall so BrightStar can reach even more community members.

She graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Platteville in 2011 with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources Management and a Bachelor's in Spanish. Her professional career began in Human Resources for a 1200-employee Hospital and Clinic in Monroe, WI. Remaining there for three years, she then went back to help expand the family business as General Manager and Human Resources Representative for two hometown grocery stores in Southern Wisconsin before moving to the Twin Cities and joining Brightstar Care.

Taylor started her journey with BrightStar Care as a Customer Care Manager, gaining experience in homecare and medical staffing while working her way into the Branch Manager role. Now, Taylor leads operations for all of our branches. She brings over 10 years of management experience and is passionate about sustaining a supportive and positive team environment at the St. Paul Office. Over her years in the healthcare industry, Taylor has maintained excellent care and advocacy for those who need it most. Client satisfaction and communication are her priority! She attended Century College for medical coding and office technology degrees and Metropolitan State University for a Bachelor’s degree of Business Administration.

Outside of work, Taylor enjoys exploring the great outdoors, traveling, baking, reading, and spending time with her husband and her cat named Jerry.

Lisa has been in healthcare in different roles for the past 7 years. Prior to healthcare, she was in the wine business and worked with 85 different restaurants at the same time in the twin cities. Before that, she owned her own wine shop and self published a wine book in 2004. Lisa is very passionate about quality care for seniors. In her words, "I am a huge advocate for seniors and believe that BrightStar offers the best of the best care available in the Twin Cities. I believe we are truly privileged to walk this part of the journey with our clients and families. I know I am in the right place."
Lisa loves dogs and has raised 3 golden retrievers over the past 26 years. She belives in having fun and always giving her best every day. She loves the Twin Cities and was born and raised here, and raised two daughters. She looks forward to her new chapter with BrightStar, and so do we!

Debra started at BrightStar in 2019 as our Senior Director of Nursing. She has worked in healthcare for over 20 years, from humble beginnings as a nursing assistant in long term and memory care units, to Director of Nursing for a large Health and Human Services provider in the Twin Cities metropolitan region. Having cared for her own parents after graduating from nursing school, home health care is extremely close to her heart. She is most passionate about helping individuals maintain their health in the comfort of their home, which aligns perfectly with the values of BrightStar Care. She truly leads by example for the entire Clinical Team.

Renee joined the BrightStar team in 2019 with prior experience in Long term care, transitional care and mental health.  She has always had a passion for helping others and working for BrightStar has allowed her a pathway to continue that passion.  She takes pride in being able to provide personalized one on one care in a home setting and continues to grow and develop as an RN. Renee is originally from Nebraska and moved here in 2008.  “I grew up with Nebraska football - Go Big Red!”  When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her wonderful husband and three amazing children.

Laura Saba comes to Brightstar Care as an RN Health Educator.  She spent 15 years in Health and Wellness Education and Communications.  She received her BA in Mass Communications from the University of MN, Twin Cities, and her RN from St. Catherine University.  She is particularly interested in integrative medicine and holds various certifications in the field.

Laura enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially if it’s outside!

Rebecca received her Communications Degree from Inver Hills Community College and became an LPN through St. Paul College prior to finding her passion for Human Resources. She joined our team as a recruiter and is excited to work for BrightStar Care as she continues her education in HR Management.

Jeremy has practiced in various settings throughout his career, including outpatient orthopedics, transition care, and home health. He brings extensive knowledge relating to the geriatric population, including fall prevention and home evaluation/safety. He has worked with patients who have had various disease processes and conditions, including dementia, s/p lung and heart disorders, head trauma, and post-ops with musculoskeletal impairments, among other pathologies.

He is an excellent addition to the BrightStar team because of his passion for his work. In his words, "I enjoy having the opportunity of working with my patient/clients to increase their abilities to be as functional and independent as possible in efforts to improve their quality of living."

He was born and raised in Southern California but has now been living in Minnesota for ten years! He spends his free time outdoors, enjoying every season of the year. His driving force to pursue Physical Therapy was an opportunity to volunteer at Courage Kenny in Golden Valley in their ABLE program (Activity Based Locomotor Exercise).  This encounter led him to where he is today.

Akqwana enjoys the journey and experiences her career in nursing is providing. Meeting wonderful people and learning from their experiences is fulfilling. Her educational background as a LPN for about nine years provided her great experience and the foundation in my current position as a Case Manager at BrightStar. She loves that at BrightStar we provide care to help clients remain in the comfort of their homes.

When Akqwana is not working, traveling is her passion. She also enjoys spending time with nature and biking.

Laura has many years of experience in various clinical settings including cardiac/renal, home care, and as a nursing educator.  She received her BSN and Master’s through University of Phoenix.  Laura tells us, “I have always wanted to help people and give them the same opportunities for healthcare we all deserve.”

She grew up in Wisconsin, but lived in MN most of her adult life, except for a hiatus in New Mexico for 2 years. We are happy she came back to the Twin Cities!

Ashlynn joined BrightStar Care in May of 2021 as a CNA and quickly grew to be a favorite of our clients when providing home care services. After a promotion to Office Assistant in our Burnsville location, Ashlynn flourished and found a new passion helping other field staff succeed and grow while learning the inner workings of scheduling. She then accepted another new position as HR Administrative Assistant, working with our recruiting team to attract and hire quality caregivers such as herself. Now she proudly serves our South Metro office as our Customer Care Manager. We are grateful for her wonderful skills and quick learning!

Outside of work, Ashlynn spends time with her son who keeps her very busy!

Krissy joined BrightStar in May 2021. She has a BS in Applied Psychology and Biblical Studies from a tiny college in Northern MN that even some locals don’t know exists. This has come in handy when communicating with clients, families, and caregivers. Krissy is a self-proclaimed craft nerd, though right now, she mostly focuses on crochet and paper crafting.

Kristi gained a deep appreciation for caring for sick and dying loved ones in their home when, as a teenager, her family graciously and compassionately cared for her mother while she was on hospice.  She felt a calling to care for others and earned her Nursing Assistant Certification, then started to gain direct care experience working in various healthcare settings including Memory Care and LTC facilities, hospitals, medical offices and home care, while also becoming a professional Massage Practitioner.  Kristi has supported many organizations administratively in various health care settings, including behavioral health, chiropractic and memory care.  She spent 11 years at a Memory Care Assisted Living Community, where she was a mentor and trainer in standards of best practices and procedures.

Outside of work, Kristi likes to spend time with her three daughters and their dog Maddie.  She stays active physically and creatively, and is also continuing her formal education in Healthcare Administration.  In Kristi’s words, “I am proud to work for a company that aligns with my values like BrightStar Care.  I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow personally and professionally, in such an encouraging environment, where we all can shine!”