OUR TEAM
Amber Melby - FOUNDER/PRESIDENT - Health Care Administration
Amber has enjoyed a career as a Registered Nurse for over 20 years, practicing in a variety of areas, including Intensive Care, Liver Transplant and Recovery Room services. More recently, she worked for Allina Health’s Hospice program as a Hospice nurse. After years at the bedside, she became the Manager of the New Ulm branch where she led the Home Care and Hospice team. She also worked for Allina’s Hospice Compliance department.
In 2015, Amber was able to combine her passion for quality end-of-life care with her leadership skills when she and her husband, Jason purchased South View Living Center. South View is a 12-room, high-level assisted living facility in rural Minnesota, providing specialized services such as Hospice and memory care to the elderly. Together, Amber and her husband manage the day-to-day operations of the business. Amber specializes in the nursing oversight of the resident’s cares, staff development, marketing, and manages the activities at South View.
Amber has facilitated extensive fundraising for different organizations, most recently the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, in honor of her best friend’s son, Cole, who battled leukemia at age 3. She was the 2014 Woman of the Year for fundraising for the organization.
In her free time, you will find her in the bleachers watching one of her 3 kids’ activities. She loves to travel, read, bike, drink coffee and spend time with friends and family.
Julie McDonough - BOARD MEMBER - Director of Private Wealth Professional
Julie leads the Private Wealth team for Bremer Bank. Bremer is a privately-held, $13 billion regional financial services company jointly owned by the Otto Bremer Trust and Bremer employees. The Bremer Wealth team takes a comprehensive, client-centered approach to wealth planning for high net worth individuals and their families, and Julie has been an integral part of developing the strategy and team. Julie has spent 20 years working in financial services. Prior to her current role, Julie was a Commercial Banker for M&I Bank as well as Bremer.
She began her banking career with Citibank in San Francisco and held the following roles: Personal Banker, Citibank at Work Relationship Manager and Financial Center Manager which required her to obtain and hold the Series 6, 63, 26 and CA Life & Health licenses. Julie is a passionate advocate for creating equality in the workplace. In support of these efforts
Julie started an internal women’s networking group at Bremer and is a founding member of Bremer’s Diversity & Inclusion initiative. Julie also speaks to outside groups about her efforts. She was a guest speaker at the Twin Cities Lean In Conference in 2015 and currently co-hosts the Good Leadership Breakfast Series which entails 8 leadership sessions annually on helping good leaders create great results.
Julie is a graduate of Iowa State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication. She attended ISU on a full athletic scholarship and was a 4 year letter winner on the women’s basketball team. As a senior Julie helped lead her team to its first ever NCAA tournament bid.
Julie is a wife, mom, sports fan, wine taster, fiction reader, golfer, youth basketball coach and enjoys traveling with her husband. She is a community volunteer with passions around early childhood education for low-income families and cancer research. She was a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Lifeblood Award Winner in 2014 and the LLS 2018 Woman of the Year for her volunteer work and fundraising in honor of her son, Cole, a leukemia survivor.
Nate graduated summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota with BS and MS degrees in Geophysics, then from the University of Minnesota Medical School, publishing peer-reviewed research in the fields of planetary physics and developmental biology. He completed an internship at the Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, Wisconsin, and then Diagnostic Radiology Residency at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, where he received the Radiological Society of North America’s Trainee Research Award for research in PET/CT imaging of early stage lung cancer.
In addition to spending time with his wife, children, and extended family, Nate’s hobbies include hiking, running, computer programming, and mathematics. He is currently working on applying machine learning methods to medicine and seismology.
Nate Groebner, MD, MS – BOARD MEMBER – Physician
Nate is a general radiologist, partner, and member of the board of directors with Consulting Radiologists Limited, a physician-led radiology practice serving over 60 healthcare facilities in the Upper Midwest. Nate’s main practice is at New Ulm Medical Center, a part of Allina Health, where he is medical director for radiology and Chief of the Medical Staff, and was previously Director of Medical Affairs. He is also lead radiologist for River’s Edge Hospital in St. Peter, MN and Sleepy Eye Medical Center, Sleepy Eye, MN. A considerable portion of Nate’s medical practice is cancer imaging and intervention, particularly breast cancer. In his tenure at New Ulm Medical Center, he and his team have significantly expanded the diagnostic capabilities of the radiology department, adding digital tomosynthesis mammography, stereotactic biopsy, breast MRI, and lung cancer screening CT. Nate also has interests in population health, preventative medicine, and data analytics. He is a member of the leadership team for the Heart of New Ulm – a nationally recognized community health program focused on improving healthy lifestyles throughout New Ulm and the surrounding area; and develops algorithms for identifying personalized cancer risk from the electronic medical record.
Beth Sletta - BOARD MEMBER - Elementary Teacher
Beth recently completed her 34th year of work as an elementary school teacher, most of those years in New Ulm, MN. She spent the last four years developing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) program, including a schoolyard garden, for Jefferson Elementary School. Beth has extensive grant writing experience and was successful in receiving grants totaling over $50,000 to support the STEM lab and outdoor learning space at Jefferson School. She received the National Agriculture in the Classroom Excellence in Teaching Award in 2019.
Beth earned a BA in Elementary Education from Central College (Pella, Iowa) and received a MA in Curriculum and Instruction from Mankato State University. Beth believes education does not end after college and is a firm believer in lifelong learning. She enjoys expanding her horizons by taking classes in just about anything from welding or woodworking to knitting or glass blowing. She is also finishing up her Master Gardener certification. When not enjoying a good cup of coffee, Beth can be found volunteering, practicing yoga, working in multiple gardens around the New Ulm area, golfing, enjoying museums and theater productions, or experimenting in the kitchen.
Beth ended her formal teaching career in June of 2020, but her work with children will not end. She will continue educating young people in the schoolyard garden and will lead camps at the Grand Center for the Arts. Retirement will also include a great deal of travel around the world and time spent with her husband, Laine, and three adult children.
Dr. Corinne Jordan - BOARD MEMBER - MD
Dr. Corinne (Cori) Jordan is a board certified surgeon who specializes in general surgery and breast surgery and practices at the New Ulm Medical Center in New Ulm, MN. Dr. Jordan earned her medical degree at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, N.Y. and completed her residency at St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center, New York, N.Y.
Dr. Jordan previously served as Vice Chair Department of Surgery at Maple Grove Hospital, Vice Chief of Staff at Buffalo Hospital, and Medical Advisor on Breast Disease at Buffalo Hospital. In addition, she practiced at North Memorial Health, Mercy Hospital — Unity Campus, Abbott Northwestern — West Health, and Centra Care Health — Monticello.
Dr. Jordan was named to the Minneapolis. St. Paul Magazine Top Doctors list for five consecutive years, 2013-2017. “I like surgery because it’s a nice combination of science, art, creativity and technology. Specifically, I like that it allows me to engage with my patients and really look at them from an overall holistic and wellness perspective,” said Dr. Jordan.
Dr. Jordan says she believes it’s important to treat the person, not the disease. “It’s not just about doing surgery but making sure a patient is well-supported at home; that they’re eating well, taking care of themselves and getting regular exercise. The things that we all know we’re supposed to do are actually really important to ensure good outcomes and quality of life.”
Dr. Jordan looks forward to sharing her passion for women’s health, breast health and overall wellness with her patients. She previously taught survivorship yoga for breast cancer survivors to help manage symptoms without medications and improve their quality of life.
Outside of her practice, Dr. Jordan enjoys CrossFit, reading, working out, spending time with her family, and yoga. She and her husband, Matt, have a son, Emory, and daughter, Charlotte.
Chiloe was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and is a survivor. Chiloe and Amber met during treatment; cancer gave the two a gift of a lifetime friendship and unbreakable bond.
Chiloe is a wife, mother of 4 girls, avid Vikings fan, and when she’s not working, an expert thrifter and thrill-seeking traveler.
Chiloe Kottke - BOARD MEMBER - RN - IBCLC
Chiloe has a passion for people. This unmistakable passion is the guiding force behind her work, aspirations, and way of life. Throughout her nursing career, she’s had the privilege of meeting and working with many wonderful people in different areas, including ER, OB, Emergency Preparedness and Infection Prevention. Most recently, she’s taken on the leadership role of Director of Nursing at Sleepy Eye Medical Center.
Inspired to make a difference in the world, Chiloe is a philanthropist at heart. She has been involved in many fundraising efforts, both locally and internationally. In 2006, Chiloe co-founded the organization Destination Education, working for 6 years to enrich lives through education in our inner-city schools as well as globally in Kenya, providing scholarships, building latrines and clean water systems, and working closely with an all-women’s tribe in Umoja village. In 2018, Chiloe and a team of coworkers raised funds to bring 3D mammography technology to patients at Sleepy Eye Medical center, and was named employee of the year