Meet our Board of Directors

Tiffany Goodchild, President

Originally from small-town Iowa, I graduated from Simpson College (Indianola, IA) with a BA in Psychology. From there, I moved to Cedar Falls, IA and obtained my Masters in Education as well as my Education Specialist Degree through the School Psychology program at the University of Northern Iowa. After 3 years of working as a school psychologist, I met my husband and moved to Minnesota. Eventually my career transitioned to educational leadership roles within the special education realm. Right before Karter was born I completed by K-12 Principal and Special Education Director license. Throughout this time I continued to enjoy playing volleyball, teaching kickboxing, and became a mother to our beautiful daughter, Maddie. When I wasn’t working, I was enjoying all of those aspects of my life. Everything was going exactly as I had always hoped. Until it didn’t. Ironically the career path that I so clearly saw for myself ended shortly after it began.

Karter’s birth forever changed me in so many ways. Truly, I didn’t know what to do or how to get out from the dark trenches I found myself buried in. I feared for his life, my marriage, my daughter, and our family‘s future. I felt lost. Grief-stricken. Anxiety ridden. It was incredibly difficult. Slowly but surely, I began to pick up the pieces. I found my footing. Yes- my life took a hard, unforeseen turn. But eventually, I started moving again. It just was on a completely different road than I envisioned for my life.

I still don’t always know where I’m going, or if it’s the right direction. And it’s a rocky road. But as a former special education professional turned stay-at-home-medical-mom, I have realized I have a unique perspective, experiences, and skill-set. There are so many gaps in the medical, educational, and state programs people like me rely upon to do this life. I want to put my skills and experiences to use, and create bridges to make it easier for families like ours. The only way I know how to accomplish this is to share what I’ve learned.

My hope is that sharing our journey will not only be therapeutic for myself, but can help others in the process. I am humbled and grateful you would take the time out of your life to learn from mine.

Kole Goodchild, Treasurer

Originally from West Bend, Iowa, Kole played football at Concordia University in St. Paul while working in his accounting and finance degrees.
After graduating, Kole worked in numerous finance roles including public accounting, internal audit, and currently works as a finance director for a medical device company.
Kole is a very hands-on father, and is a great partner and teammate when it comes to our family. Although time is limited, he enjoys ice fishing during the winter.
Kole is passionate about supporting me, his wife, in our endeavor to help medically complex kids and the people who love them. He is excited to use his financial expertise in his role as treasurer for the Kourageous Karter Foundation.

Heather Haider

Heather has been an Occupational Therapist for 21 years. She has primarily worked in outpatient pediatrics, but has also worked in in-patient Adult Mental Health. She is currently working in the school setting focusing on Assistive Technology.

Heather lives on a hobby farm in Columbus, MN with her husband, two kids, dog, chickens, pigs and honeybees. She loves spending time outside with the family and animals no matter the weather.

Heather has worked with medically complex kids and their families in her role as a PCA and Occupational Therapist. It is eye opening to move from the therapist to PCA role and see all that really goes into the day to day cares of having a child with complex medical needs. All medical providers should spend a “day in the life” of a medically complex family.

Heather is most excited about looking at the child and family as a whole and helping make everyone’s life a little bit easier with the assistance of the Kourageous Karter Foundation.

Nicole Woodward

Nicole Woodward has an Educational Specialist degree in the area of school psychology and is a licensed school administrator. She has worked with children with disabilities for 18 years as a behavioral therapist, school psychologist, and currently as a Director of Special Education. A helper at heart, she has a deep rooted passion for creating learning environments in which all children can learn, succeed, and make meaningful connections to their community, regardless of their differences. Nicole leverages her speaking and advocacy skills at the state and local level to support systems in creating safe and inclusive schools.

Nicole and her husband Joe have two living daughters, Haddie and Hazel, and a son, Abel, who died shortly after his birth in 2016, due to complications from a chromosomal condition. While she’s always believed in the incredible power of human connection, Nicole realized the healing capacity of community in a whole new way following the death of her son. It was through that experience that Nicole found the true power of sharing your story, and how beautifully people can come together to heal through the most devastating circumstances, when given a forum to do so. Nicole has been using her son’s story to bring light, awareness, and community to infant loss and grief ever since.

Professionally speaking, I have worked in special education since 2011 and have supported students with medical complexities through indirect services and program planning. On a personal level, I have known Karter since he was born and have been showing love and care to Tiff and their families in the ways I have been able to ever since. My own son was medically complex, and would have needed extensive care, but he succumbed to his complexities shortly after his birth.

I am most excited to collaborate with other professionals and people who come from different backgrounds and have different experiences than me. There is always so much to learn and I believe fully that we are better together! I hope to shed some light on the educational system and how partnerships between schools and parents can be strengthened. More than anything, I’m excited to support Karter and the Goodchild family in this meaningful way - I’d do anything to help! This opportunity gives me another chance to carry on my own son’s legacy and serve in his spirit.

Jamie Nord, Secretary

After obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Superior in 2004, I continued my graduate education at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, studying both School Psychology and School Counseling. Following the completion of a Master Degree in 2007, I was hired as a school psychologist through the St. Croix River Education District (SCRED), where I supported early childhood and high school programming in the Chisago Lakes School District. After a one-year internship, I earned an Education Specialist Degree in 2008 and continued to serve in this role for two years. During this time, I completed a Director of Special Education and K-12 Principal licensure program at St. Cloud State University. I later returned to complete the requirements for my Superintendent license. Since 2010, I have served in several different administrative positions at SCRED including Unique Learners’ Manager, Director of Special Education, and Executive Director.

As a school psychologist and special education administrator, I have served on teams with other professionals and parents to support students with complex medical needs. In this work, I have experienced barriers while trying to support families in navigating our complicated system and have witnessed the challenges our families face in accessing the support they need. On a personal note, I have had the opportunity to be a part of Karter’s journey since the day he was born. As one of Tiffany’s former colleagues and a family friend, the Goodchild’s story has given me a new understanding and appreciation of the word courage. The Goodchilds have demonstrated such amazing ‘kourage,’ strength in the face of grief or pain, as they have learned to not only fiercely advocate for Karter, but for other children with complex medical needs and their families.

I am excited to have an opportunity to share my leadership skills to support an organization I really believe in both personally and professionally. My purpose in life is to see the unseen potential in people and systems; to nurture others in realizing that potential, and to strategically improve the health of systems for the benefit of all. This fits perfectly with the mission of the Kourageous Karter foundation to make life better for medically complex kids and people who love them.

Rachel Stover-Haney

Rachel is a seasoned NICU social worker for Masonic's Children's Hospital of Minnesota. Nicole and I both had the privilege of working with her during the births of our sons with medical complexities. More info about Rachel coming soon!

Dana Frase

Dana Frase comes to KFF as both a passionate pediatric/NICU nurse and an experienced foster parent that has cared for medically complex infants for over 16 years in her home.

She has walked alongside hundreds of families during her 29-year nursing career as they care for and advocate for their children, wherever they are on the health continuum.

At different times during her career, she has served families in different ways. She has spent time in various Minnesota NICU’s, worked with different pediatric homecare agencies, and also did hospice with kids at the end of their life here on Earth. She is very proud to say that she was the Nurse Manager that was instrumental in opening the first pediatric hospice facility in the Midwest, Crescent Cove. There is a special “soft spot” that she has in her heart surrounding helping kids and families to reach their highest potential with quality of life always being in the forefront of her mind as she advocates! She also has the unique experience having cared for children with extraordinary health needs as a parent and can closely identify with the challenges and beauty those circumstances bring to all members of the family.

She is so very excited to serve with us on this journey and will most certainly bring these two unique perspectives as well as her love for families into the work she does with our KFF family!

Jim Rodberg

Jim is a gifted finance professional, who has extensive leadership experience in the business realm. He is currently serving as interim CFO at Sight Sciences. Kole and Jim used to work together at St. Jude Medical. Jim and his wife, Jill, have been active supporters of KKF from the beginning. They have philanthropic experience, and giving hearts. More to come on Jim!