Your Mission Is Our Mission

As good stewards, we provide direction and counsel to Catholic institutions, guiding them to an improved position of financial strength and security so that they may freely and faithfully fulfill their mission through their various ministries.

Welcome to Emmaus Partners

Let's walk this road together.

The people who form the heart and soul of Emmaus Partners

Meet the team

  • Jim joined Emmaus Partners in 2021, bringing a wealth of practical and strategic acumen, experience, and strong ties to the community. His 13 years in accounting, financial management, and operations and five years at a board governance consulting firm honed his expertise. He focused on nonprofits and Catholic schools, demonstrating his comprehensive understanding of the sector.

    For four years, Jim served as a business administrator at the Church of the Annunciation in South Minneapolis and then two years at St. John the Baptist in Savage, both parishes with schools. During his tenure, he partnered with Emmaus Partners to help parish leadership gain clarity on the current reality to make strategic decisions and support parish financial stability.

    He has served as a finance council member, and currently a parish council member at Saints Joachim and Anne, Shakopee. Jim enjoys spending time with his wife, Julie, and their three children, taking trips, making memories, and playing pickleball. 

  • We are delighted that Erin Ethier has joined Emmaus Partners as our newest Mission Strategy Consultant.

    Erin brings a unique blend of financial and accounting expertise, operational leadership, and mission-driven consulting and strategy experience. From 2013 to 2025, she served as Director of Finance and Operations at Transfiguration Catholic Church and School in Oakdale after serving as a Parish Trustee. Before her parish work, she provided accounting and strategic consulting to small businesses, helping leaders connect daily decisions to long-term mission and vision.

    At Emmaus Partners, Erin will work closely with clients to strengthen strategic planning, organizational health, financial and operational clarity, and data-informed decision-making. Her background as a CPA and finance and operations leader at a parish has equipped her to be a valuable asset to the leaders and organizations we serve.

    Erin enjoys spending time with her husband, Craig, two sons, daughters-in-law and grandson, Vinny. She likes to garden, golf, travel and read.

  • We welcomed Joe Mickelson on June 16, 2025 to our team! As a mission strategy consultant for Emmaus Partners, Joe's impressive background significantly enhances the value we provide to our clients.

    With a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Princeton University, an MBA in Finance from the University of St. Thomas, and his designation as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Joe embodies excellence in finance.

    Joe made a remarkable impact with his 35 years of experience in the industry as a Portfolio Manager at Catholic United Financial, overseeing a $1 billion life and fixed annuity portfolio.

    Joe is happily married to his wife, Carrin, and they are blessed to have three adult children who live in the Twin Cities. Joe most treasures the moments spent with friends and family.

  • Thad joins us as a consultant, bringing an impressive background of more than 30 years of experience in the financial industry along with a strong commitment to serving the Church. His leadership, particularly in recent years as Chancellor for the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, reflects a vocational calling rooted in faith and service. In that role, Thad led efforts in organizational transformation, strategic planning, resource stewardship, and the development of mission-aligned financial partnerships.

    Thad holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and Music from South Dakota State University, which is a blend of disciplines that mirrors his thoughtful and well-rounded approach to his work.

    Thad deeply values time with family and friends. He is married to Georgine, and together, they are blessed with seven wonderful children.

Rich Swanson

  • Rich serves as a Senior Analyst at Emmaus Partners, bringing nearly two decades of executive research and data modeling expertise to the team. For the past 17 years, Rich directed the research and analysis department for a Twin Cities-based private consulting firm, where he developed advanced systems for demographic, economic, and projection modeling. Through his extensive work with Emmaus, Rich gained a deep understanding of the unique data landscapes within Catholic organizations and dioceses. His expansive professional career spans strategic roles across private business, the military, government agencies, non-profits, and both K-12 and post-secondary education. Rich holds a B.S. in geology from Winona State University and a Master of Science in Technical Geography from Hunter College of the City University of New York.

    Outside the office, Rich is a true waterman who enjoys sailing and fishing. He also loves traveling, woodworking, and spending quality time with his friends, family, and his beloved four-legged companions.

  • Dorfha, our lead financial analyst, joined Emmaus Partners in 2007. With her analytic and solutions-oriented aptitudes, Dorfha is critical to serving our partners. This includes analyzing copious amounts of client data into meaningful patterns to enable clients to make data-informed decisions, managing our loan portfolio, and creating and maintaining clients’ financial models. Dorfha's professional journey brought her to us from a major financial advisory firm where she was a project manager and financial analyst for six years. Prior to that, Dorfha spent seven years in customer service for a large insurance firm. Dorfha holds a BA in Business Management from Bethel University.

  • Mary has been a key member of the Emmaus Partners team since 2013. Her primary role involves crucial support to the financial analyst lead and the mission strategy consultants.  She is particularly skilled in creating and maintaining the necessary financial models that are crucial for Emmaus Partners to effectively serve its clients.  Before joining Emmaus Partners, Mary spent 11 years at CenturyLink, where she served as an analyst. Mary holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in management and a master’s degree in business administration from Concordia University. In her free time, Mary enjoys cooking and spending quality time with her friends and family.

  • Kindra, our resourceful and interdisciplinary administrative colleague, joined us in early 2023. She takes on projects of all sizes to enhance our client service capabilities. With 21 years of experience in the insurance industry, including three years as a sales performance manager, Kindra has successfully transitioned her skills to the nonprofit sector. Notably, she holds active property/casualty and life/accident/health insurance licenses, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to professional development. A resident of Inver Grove Heights, she enjoys cooking, gardening, and camping with her husband and two adult children.

  • Since 2018, Lisa has been a leading contributor to our communications, bolstering dialogues with our partners and making resources available for our clients’ success. Her background in advertising as a broadcast production manager for BBDO Advertising/Minneapolis and her degree in communications and journalism from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, have equipped her with the skills to make a significant contribution.

    In addition to thriving on the written word, Lisa enjoys entertaining guests and time with her family.  She is also active in a local Catholic lay community.