Expert Article Authors

Craig P. Goldman is an associate in the Minneapolis office of Messerli & Kramer, P.A., and practices in the Elder Law/Estate Planning Division of the Business Services Department.  Craig has dedicated his practice to serving the unique needs of the elderly, of persons with disabilities, and of their families.Craig received his law degree, with distinction, from the University of Iowa in 1992.  He is also a 1989 graduate of the University of Minnesota’s School of Management, with B.A. degrees in both Finance and Marketing.

The focus of Craig’s practice is in the areas of Elder Law, Estate and Disability Planning, Medical Assistance and nursing home planning, asset protection planning, Probate and Trust Administration, and Conservatorships and Guardianships.  For the past seven years, Craig has also been an adjunct professor at Hamline Law School, teaching classes in Estates and Trusts.  Prior to that, Craig spent seven years teaching Legal Writing at William Mitchell College of Law.  Additionally, Craig has presented numerous seminars on various topics for attorneys, financial advisors, insurance agents, physicians, social workers and the general public.  He has also served on various state legislative committees focusing on the elderly and persons with disabilities, and served for two years on the Board of Directors of, and as the Chair of the Legislative Committee for, the Minnesota Association of Guardianship and Conservatorship.

Craig was a member of the Law Review while at the University of Iowa, and has published an article in the Iowa Law Review on the benefits of Living Wills, as well as an article in the William Mitchell Law Review on the issues surrounding Supplemental Needs Trusts.  He is licensed to practice law in the States of Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as in the Federal District Court and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Craig is also a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, the Wisconsin State Bar Association, the Hennepin County Bar Association, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

Craig lives in St. Paul with his wife and two young boys, and in his free time enjoys all varieties of outdoor activities.

Kathy Green is founder and President of A Little Help, Inc., a daily money management service helping seniors and their families in the Twin Cities metro area.   Kathy is a native of Minnesota and a graduate of Edina High School, Minnesota School of Business and Metropolitan State University.  She has a bachelor’s degree in Small Business Management.

After 25+ years of working for others as an office manager and legal secretary, Kathy decided to start up her own business where she would have an opportunity to work with seniors and their families.

Kathleen McGonagle, with her sister Margaret, is the co-owner and co-founder of Rose’s Daughters, Inc., a business that helps people move by providing the full range of services that daughters give their parents:  from planning the new space with scale drawings and furniture arrangements, through sorting and downsizing, to packing, unpacking, hanging the pictures and shopping for the new microwave.  After the move, they will assist in the staging of the home for sale by clearing it out through a combination of charitable donations, dumpster or trash hauling; doing minor repairs and coordinating contractors; and cleaning the home until it sparkles.

Since 2002 Rose’s Daughters has assisted over 1000 clients in their moves to new homes, and they are experts at easing the pain, discomfort and stress of moving.

Kathleen has a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision from the University of Wisconsin, 10 years of teaching experience, and 15 years of coaching and managing work groups.

Lisa Dunn, the founder of The Senior Housing Search.com is a REALTOR with Edina Realty who specializes in working with seniors. While she works with clients of all ages, her focus and passion is working with seniors and their families. Prior to becoming a real estate agent Lisa worked as a licensed graduate social worker (LGSW) and health care consultant. Her past work experiences give her unique insight into the maze of senior services. Today Lisa consults and teaches courses for real estate agents to help them make their businesses senior friendly. Lisa also authors the blog Real Sage Advice which discusses senior housing and aging issues, and is a featured contributor on senior real estate issues on The Gilbert Guide.

A Minnesota native, Lisa earned her Bachelor of Science from Minnesota State University Mankato, and Master of Arts degree from St. Mary’s University. She’s earned the Certified Senior Advisor designation from the Society of Senior Advisors, the Senior Real Estate Specialist designation from the National Association of Realtors, and the Realtor Senior Advisor designation from the Minneapolis Realtor Association.

Lisa is very happily married to her new husband, Scott. They were married in 2004 on New Year’s Eve. They have two lovely pets, Bitsy the Senegal Parrot and Gizmo the bichon/cavalier puppy. When not working, you’ll find Lisa enjoying Lake Nokomis, cycling, knitting, volunteering, playing with the newest technology gadget she acquired, or enjoying her friends and family.

Gail Wempner, a Reverse Mortgage Specialist for several years, is skilled at making the complex subject of reverse mortgages easy to understand.  Because she is a senior herself, she has a comfortable rapport with those eligible for this retirement planning tool —senior homeowners, aged 62 and older, with substantial home equity.

Gail’s previous professional experience includes work as a financial planner and a registered nurse.  This varied background has served her well in her role as a specialist in reverse mortgages. Gail’s intent is to assist her clients in deciding whether this innovative financial approach is right for them.  She states that one of her primary purposes is “ to empower seniors and their families with objective information and education so they can make optimal financial choices.”

In addition, she has a powerful interest in promoting a positive view of aging.  “It’s a time to become more comfortable with who we are, find our purpose, and let our core shine through.”

Gail has been quoted in the press as an expert resource on reverse mortgage trends.  Venues include the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Minnetonka and Hopkins Sun Sailors, the Lakeshore Weekly News, the Edina Sun Current and the Minnesota Senior Federation’s Carpe Diem Magazine.   She is a speaker on topics important to seniors and their families, such as the basic and broader financial planning uses and potential misuses of reverse mortgages, the impact of current legislation, and the challenge of talking across generations about financial issues.

Gail is a member of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA), Financial Planning Association (FPA), Minnesota Senior Federation, Minneapolis Area Senior Workers Association (MASWA) and other community-based organizations.

Carla Sutter MSW/LISW is the Program Director at Care Management and Coordination, A Program of Fairview that is dedicated to helping people care for themselves and family members whose needs are changing due to age or illness.  She has worked in the Geriatric Field for over 20 years and has provided training to Companies and individuals throughout the United States and Canada.

Carla’s professional background outside her work as a Geriatric Care Manager includes providing end of life counseling through Fairview Hospice Program and as the Director of Internet Services for a Long Term Care Trade Association which developed an online assessment tool to access housing resources for seniors throughout the State of MN.

Kristin Kopp, CSA, has been an advocate for many Twin Cities social service agencies for over 20 years. At Home Solutions, LLC was founded by Ms. Kopp in 2006 with the purposeful intent to create a personalized, custom built agency providing professional home based services to seniors, people with disabilities and families in crisis.

While having lived in the Twin Cities most of her life, Ms. Kopp has had the opportunity to volunteer in Kentucky, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Guatemala. Her passion for volunteering and being involved in non-profit organizations began when she was in grade school – volunteering for her church’s nursery and local animal humane society. She began her work with seniors volunteering at Heritage of Edina Senior Living when she was in Junior High for a service project.

Her parents have always been strong advocates in giving back to others and have personally demonstrated how fulfilling “service to others” can be. Whether it is working with seniors in transition, families in crisis or people with disabilities, Ms. Kopp has formed a solid, diverse and compassionate foundation from which she serves her clients and their families. Her professional level of service is paired with a personal, empathetic approach when working with clients.

Ms. Kopp is an active member of several cutting edge organizations including the Society of Certified Senior Advisors, Minneapolis Area Senior Workers Association, Care Options Network and Minnesota Association of Guardianship and Conservatorship. She serves on the National Association of Women Business Owners Membership Committee and the Southdale YMCA Community Board.

Allison Bakke, along with Michelle Clawson-Stokes, own and operate Above & Beyond Senior Services, LLC, a company whose mission is to help seniors and their families ensure their environment and lifestyle are as safe and comfortable as possible. To accomplish this goal, they strive to work preventively and provide proactive services in an effort to address potentially avoidable crisis situations.  Allison is a licensed occupational therapist and Michelle is a licensed physical therapist; both with extensive experience serving the Twin Cities senior community.

With their clinical background and expertise in both occupational and physical therapy, Above & Beyond Senior Services, LLC is well qualified to provide a variety of services, including:

• fall & balance assessments
• cognitive assessments
• dementia consultation
• expert home safety consultation
• safe senior relocation services.

Allison has a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota and has spent over seven years working with seniors in long-term care as well as transitional care rehabilitation settings. She has specialized in dementia management and cognitive assessment and has completed extensive training in the administration and analysis of all major cognitive assessments.