Board of Directors

  • Deanie Hatch (she/her)

    Deanie Hatch (she/her)

    Hometown: Brea, CA

    Education: Bemidji State University, B.S.; Mitchell Hamline School of Law, J.D.

    Board position: President + Founding Director

  • Haley-Rose Severson (she/her)

    Haley-Rose Severson (she/her)

    Hometown: Nisswa, MN

    Education: University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, B.A.; University of Minnesota Law School, J.D.

    Board position: Vice President

  • Ashlyn Crawford (she/her)

    Ashlyn Crawford (she/her)

    Hometown: Minneapolis, MN

    Education: Winona State University, B.S.; Mitchell Hamline School of Law, J.D.

    Board position: VP of Marketing + Founding Director

  • Brandy Johnson

    Brandy Johnson (she/her)

    Hometown: New Orleans, LA

    Education: University of Houston -Downtown, B.A. in Accounting; Mitchell Hamline School of Law, J.D.

    Board position: Treasurer

  • Priyanka Shah-Schommer (sher/her)

    Education: University of Minnesota - Twin Cities; University of Maryland, Carey School of Law

    Board Position: Board Member At Large

  • Kysa McDuffie (she/her)

    Education: Georgia State University; Mitchell Hamline School of Law

    Board Position: Board Member At Large

  • Abayah McKenzie (she/her)

    Education: Minneapolis Community & Technical College

    Board Position: Secretary

In 2021, a group of Twin Cities law students—now lawyers—created the Buddy Program to seize the opportunity to pour their collective resources into Minneapolis public high school students and further the legal profession’s goal of creating a more inclusive profession.