Estelle Brouwer joined MAD in 2025, bringing a range of skills and experience gained through more than 20 years in leadership roles in Minnesota government and nonprofit organizations. This includes serving as executive director of Women’s Advocates, a St. Paul-based domestic violence shelter and advocacy organization, senior vice president at Stratis Health, vice president at Children’s HeartLink, and director of Minnesota’s Office of Rural Health and Primary Care. Earlier in her career, she worked for both the Minnesota Senate, as a writer and researcher, and the Minnesota House of Representatives, as a fiscal analyst. She also served in a unique role supporting collaboration between the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and Extension at the University of Minnesota.
Estelle brings to her consulting practice an abiding curiosity about people, culture, and policy, and a commitment to supporting public and nonprofit organizations to do their best work on behalf of the people they serve. Estelle approaches her work as a generalist, applying a variety of tools and approaches to best meet her clients’ needs. This can include organization assessment, design, and development, culture change, planning, teambuilding, leadership and transition coaching, and policy and program development.
Estelle’s early work with MAD has included facilitation of a statewide advisory council and teambuilding efforts within two state agencies, as well as development of research and engagement strategies to support policy affecting older Minnesotans.
Estelle has a Master of Public Policy degree from the Goldman School at the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Minnesota. As a lifelong learner, she has enjoyed additional postgraduate coursework in international development, anthropology, and theology.
