Sondra comes to us from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, where she led the creation and significant expansion of member education initiatives for more than a decade.
Hello! I’m Sondra Reis, and I’ve recently taken on the role of Senior Director of Homeownership Programs at the Minnesota Homeownership Center. I’m really excited to be part of the Center’s mission to close Minnesota’s racial homeownership gap and help families of color build wealth.
My journey with the Minnesota Homeownership Center started when my spouse and I took the Home Stretch workshop many mortgage payments ago. Being first-time homeowners, the workshop provided us with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the challenging process of buying a home. Since then, I’ve admired the Center’s dedication to empowering individuals and families through homeownership.
My career has mostly revolved around the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN), where I’ve been involved in creating and expanding programs for MCN’s nonprofit members. I believe in being a strategic, inclusive, and collaborative leader. Some of my most rewarding endeavors have been shaped by the insights and experiences of others, including the development of the Principles and Practices for Nonprofit Excellence, Minnesota Nonprofit Salary and Benefits Survey, and Minnesota Nonprofit Legal Handbook. Now, I’m excited to apply these skills and experiences to the Center’s Homeownership Advisors Network.
Outside of MCN, I’ve been engaged with other capacity-building organizations (like Nonprofits Assistance Fund now Propel Nonprofits, LegalCORPS, and the Minnesota Real Estate Foundation) as a board member, volunteer, and consultant. I’m also on track to become a certified ToP (Technology of Participation) facilitator of participatory planning processes, and I have a master degree in nonprofit management from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
I’m a proud “farm kid” with deep rural roots in northeast Iowa. After getting my undergraduate degree from Iowa State University, I made the move to Minneapolis. These days, you’ll find me, my husband, our teen daughter, and tween son living in Bloomington. These days we’re all about catching Pokemon, enjoying baseball, singing our hearts out, and restoring our long-ignored backyard into a native pollinator habitat.
I can’t wait to collaborate with the Center and network members to make the dream of homeownership a reality for every Minnesotan. Let’s make a difference together!