Our Team

Amber Hornsby

Executive Director | Co-Founder
With a degree in Social Work and more than 20 years of experience in human resources and service work, both locally and internationally, Amber brings a unique blend of strategic leadership, operational expertise and compassionate care to the maternity housing field.
amber@estherhomesmn.org
Jess Swanson

Director of Partnerships
Jess brings a wealth of experience from 17 years as a teacher in public education, coupled with both undergraduate and master's degrees in education from Bethel University, Jess possesses a profound understanding of nurturing environments and the crucial role of strong family support.
jess@estherhomesmn.org
Hannah Swason

Program Lead | Respite Staff
Hannah’s commitment to life-on-life community began while serving refugee populations in Turkey, where she supported efforts to build bridges across cultures.
hannah@estherhomesmn.org
Natalie Kramer

Operations Assistant
Natalie has worked with infants, young children, and their families for over 15 years.
natalie@estherhomesmn.org

Board of Directors

Josh Schrock is an entrepreneur and executive coach who works with leaders and organizations committed to redemptive impact. With experience as both a founder and operator, Josh helps organizations clarify their purpose, strengthen leadership, and grow with integrity. His work is grounded in a deep belief in the dignity and infinite worth of every person.

Josh is honored to serve on the board of ESTHER Homes and is deeply passionate about supporting its mission, walking alongside courageous mothers, and helping the organization steward its impact.

PRESIDENT

Luke and his wife Cristal got their start in the maternity home world while helping a pregnant mom in a dire situation, and they said the simple prayer of “If we had one more room God...” Three months later a house was donated and they spent the next 6 years running a maternity home in partnership with YWAM Minneapolis.
After serving 16 years with the missions organization Youth With A Mission, Luke is currently the Adult Ministry Pastor at The Highlands Church in Delano. He spends most of his free time running after his 4 crazy kiddos and thanking God for his amazing wife.

VICE PRESIDENT

As co-founder, Rachel is passionate about the programming, education and services offered within ESTHER Homes. Rachel is a midwife at the Minnesota Birth Center and is a volunteer within the organization.

SECRETARY

Jill lives with her husband, Vern, in Cedar Falls, IA. She is a retired from her job with John Deere where she was a global engineering manager. Her knowledge in business and networking bring direction and structure as the Treasurer of ESTHER Homes.

TREASURE

As the owner of KPT Mortgage Advisors, Kim understands the importance of providing safe and stable homes, and how challenging that can be in today’s environment. With her experience and dedication, she is excited to contribute to the growth and success of ESTHER Homes, creating even more opportunities for moms and babies in the program. Kim is thrilled to bring her expertise in spreadsheets and budgeting to the board—after all, who knew that balancing budgets could be so exhilarating?
Beyond her professional life, Kim finds joy in her family. She cherishes spending time with her teenage kids, her husband, and their beloved pets, Lucky and Tittles. When the weather is nice, you'll often find her playing pickleball, taking nature walks, and enjoying the outdoors.

BOARD MEMBER

Courtney Nuness is the Chief of Staff at Luminate Bank, where she serves as a strategic partner to executive leadership by helping translate vision into execution while supporting governance and enterprise-wide initiatives. Her career spans leadership roles in operations, employee experience, and business development, with a consistent focus on building strong cultures, aligning teams, and driving meaningful impact. She also brings a meaningful foundation in nonprofit work, which continues to shape her commitment to community-centered leadership.
Raised on Minnesota’s North Shore and now living in Plymouth, Courtney values connection to people, to community, and to place, which is why the opportunity to serve on the board is especially meaningful to her. She is honored to serve on the board of ESTHER Homes, supporting its mission to provide safe, supportive housing and pathways to independence. Outside of her professional and board work, she enjoys playing pickleball, spending time outdoors, collecting plants, and being with those closest to her.

BOARD MEMBER

Rebecca Olson is a passionate advocate for infant health and development. As a pediatric nurse practitioner specializing in the care of hospitalized newborns, particularly those facing prematurity or other medical complexities, she brings extensive experience and a deep commitment to optimizing newborn outcomes. Her dedication to this vulnerable population spans her entire career, from early experiences in childcare settings to her current practice. Becca is particularly enthusiastic about supporting mothers as they embark on the transformative journey of motherhood.

BOARD MEMBER

Elise is passionate about women and children's health and wellbeing in her personal and professional life. She currently works at the University of Minnesota in public health and infectious diseases. She has a background working at the state and global level ensuring that all new families have a healthy start. She and her husband (plus dog and cat) are transplants from Illinois, but are very happy to call Minnesota home.

BOARD MEMBER

Alison brings a wealth of experience in the fields of clinical social work and healthcare and has a genuine passion for driving impact on a system level. Alison thrives on breaking down barriers to connect individuals and groups to resources in their local communities and beyond. In her current role with M Health Fairview, she has led initiatives around assessing Social Drivers of Health (SDOH) and developed processes for connecting patients to community resources.
Alison is drawn to the ESTHER Homes mission of supporting women during a crucial time in their lives to provide stability, and as Amber says ‘life on life - do live together’. Alison has witnessed the impact caused by lack of housing support for pregnant women, and ESTHER Homes helps to fill that void.
Outside of her professional life, Alison and her husband are busy parents to two children with active sports and extra-curricular schedules. Alison enjoys travel, yoga, lake life and being outdoors.

BOARD MEMBER

Eric Prosser was raised in Stillwater Minnesota and graduated from Stillwater High School. He attended Century College received a 2 year Automotive Technician certificate and was immediately hired by Audi of Maplewood and began working as an apprentice auto tech. After a year moved into the Parts Department working in this Department ever since (40 years). Eric is the proud father of three children, two sons and a daughter. He spends his free time reading, biking and camping. Eric is also a co-leader of a Bible Study group. Eric brings the Father’s heart into his position as Chaplain as he leads us in devotions and monthly prayer meetings for ESTHER Homes.

CHAPLAIN