Riverwood Healthcare Center and APT Presents
Keynote Speaker
Kristi Huber
Kristi Huber, MBA is a seasoned executive leader, advisor, and the founder of Perspective Shift Consulting. She brings over 20 years of experience leading mission-driven organizations and high-performing teams, including serving as a non-profit President & CEO and EVP & Chief Marketing Officer. With a track record of navigating complex change, Kristi is known for her ability to build trust, inspire alignment, and drive strategic transformation. A compelling voice in executive leadership, Kristi partners with companies, teams, and emerging leaders to unlock clarity, elevate culture, and reignite performance. Kristi is known for her unique blend of executive credibility and stage presence that moves both hearts and strategy.
Reclaiming Your Confidence: From Quiet Drift to Radical Clarity.
On paper, you are thriving. In real life, something feels off.
Many high-achieving women leaders find themselves quietly drifting. They appear successful by every external measure, yet internally question their purpose, fulfillment, and direction. The constant pressure to perform and persevere can slowly pull leaders away from their authentic voice, values, and vision long before burnout ever appears.
In this powerful keynote turned workshop, executive coach and former C-suite leader Kristi Huber invites women to pause, reflect, and reclaim what matters most. Through vulnerable storytelling, warmth, and hard-won insight, Kristi introduces Radical Clarity, a transformative practice that helps leaders realign who they are with how they lead, even in demanding seasons. Drawing from decades of executive experience, current burnout research, and her proprietary Radical Clarity Compass, Kristi delivers more than inspiration. She offers a practical and grounded roadmap for sustainable leadership.
Participants will learn how to recognize the early signs of Leadership Drift, reconnect to their authentic voice and values without leaving their current role, and lead with greater conviction, presence, and energy from the inside out. Attendees leave feeling seen, equipped, and reconnected to the leader they were always meant to be.
PANELISTS
Jill Casper
Jill Casper - Director of Marketing and Community Engagement at CTC
After spending 17 years in the Credit Union space, Jill was excited to join CTC in May of 2023. With an undergrad in Organizational Behavior and a Master’s in Management and Leadership, Jill recognizes the importance of developing people, self, and systems for a cohesive and FUN environment.
She is involved in many non-profit organizations, with a focus on the leadership development of women. Jill lives in Nisswa, MN with her lab Millie, and has five adult children and a grandson.
Deb Gruber
Deb Gruber – Director of Human Resources, Riverwood Healthcare Center
Deb Gruber is an accomplished executive with over 20 years of leadership experience in both public and private sectors. She currently serves as Director of Human Resources at Riverwood Healthcare Center, where she leads strategic initiatives to strengthen organizational culture, enhance employee engagement, and drive operational excellence. Deb’s career includes serving as County Administrator and HR Director for Morrison County for over a decade, where she managed a $55 million organization and spearheaded major projects, including a multi-phase government center remodel.
Deb holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from St. Cloud State University and has earned multiple professional certifications, including Public Sector Human Resource Management and Certified Labor Relations Professional. She is passionate about creating workplaces where employees thrive, believing that strong employee satisfaction translates into exceptional service, successful organizations and healthier communities.
Deb is grateful for the opportunity to help others grow into the best versions of themselves. She is passionate about developing leaders and ensuring that every individual recognizes their unique value as a vital member of the team. For her, success means creating workplaces where people thrive personally and professionally.
Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, golfing, biking, hiking, boating, and spending time with family at her home in Pierz or cabin in the Brainerd Lakes Area. She and her husband, Jason, are proud parents of two sons, Simon and Louis, who are graduates of Bemidji State University and active in the family construction business.
Emily Kyllonen
Emily Kyllonen (MSE, LSC, LPCC )
Emily has worked in the field of counseling for the past 15 years. She worked as a licensed K-12 School Counselor previously and after relocating to Aitkin has worked with various ages as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in the Aitkin and surrounding community since 2017. Emily also works as an adjunct instructor for the Department of Counselor Education at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. She has a passion for mental health prevention and early intervention for children, teens, and young adults. In addition to her counselor and educator roles, she enjoys coaching in the Youth Fastpitch Softball and Youth Volleyball communities. Her approach with others is rooted in positive regard and empathy while promoting agency, self-efficacy, and empowerment.
Jamie Westerman
Jamie Westerman - Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner
Jamie works at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center, where she has been caring for patients since 2018. With a background in family medicine and a passion for empowering people to take charge of their health, Jamie brings both expertise and heart to everything she does.
Before joining CRMC, Jamie practiced at Essentia Health and worked as a Registered Nurse at Fairview Range Medical Center in Hibbing and Unity Hospital in Fridley. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner degree from the University of North Dakota–Grand Forks and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Minnesota State University–Mankato. She is also certified in Obesity Medicine, a reflection of her commitment to helping patients live healthier, more confident lives.
Jamie believes that healthcare is most powerful when it’s collaborative. As she puts it, “Helping my patients reach their health goals—whether it’s discontinuing a medication they no longer need, improving their labs, or achieving their goal weight—is the most rewarding part of my day. I love partnering with my patients toward a common goal.”
Our Event Emcee
Kristen Vake
After many requests - Kristen Vake is back for the second year as our event emcee!
Kristen Vake is the Executive Director of the Iron Mining Association of Minnesota. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Superior and a master’s degree from Northwestern University in Chicago.
As a former TV news anchor and journalist, Kristen brings vast storytelling experience to her role at the IMA, sparking meaningful conversations about iron mining and its critical role in our future.
Kristen grew up in the charming town of Chisholm, MN.
A proud Iron Ranger, she is driven to influence positive growth and change across the region and beyond.