Meet our Team
Our Staff
Heartland PCA is a leading home care company serving all of northern Minnesota and specializing in personal care assistance, homemaking services and respite care. The administrative staff of Heartland PCA, listed here, are responsible for overseeing care to over 400 clients throughout the region. Each location is professionally staffed with registered nurses overseeing qualified direct care staff.
Leadership
Anna Buchanan
Administrator
She became part owner-manager of her family’s meat market and then, when she decided it was time to expand her management skills, invested in multiple rental properties. Anna also entered the home care field in ’93 and never left. She had discovered her true passion and helped grow a company from eleven clients to hundreds. The everyday caregiving and personal relationships is what she enjoys the most.
Having a passion for travel, Anna, and her family of four kids, were fortunate to have the opportunity visit many places, anywhere from Canada to Costa Rica. However, her favorite adventure was the time she traveled to Ireland while studying abroad in college. Although a world traveler, Anna still enjoys sitting out in the sun with an iced tea during the short summers of MN.
Determined and excited for the continued growth of this company, she believes, “To be successful, you have to use each day as an opportunity to improve, to be better, to get a little bit closer to your goals. The best part is, the more you accomplish, the more you’ll want to do and the higher you’ll want to reach. So, as long as you have the hunger for success, you will always have the power to achieve it.”
Ronald Brooks
Owner
Heartland PCA’s owner, Ron Brooks, is an Air Force / Army veteran. He served his country for 25 years before retiring in ’21. Ron is originally from Hermantown, MN. He received a BS in Business Administration & Management, and Associate Degrees in Maintenance Production Management and Human Resource Management.
Ron has experience as an Aircraft Fuels Systems Specialist (USAF), an M1 Abrams Crewman (US Army), a Maintenance Systems Analyst (USAF), and a First Sergeant (USAF). In his final eight years, he served as a First Sargeant with the motto: “People are my business.”
Outside of work, Ron loves being outside, traveling, and spending time with his family.
Lynnette Hischer
Assistant Administrator
Lynnette became Heartland PCA’s Assistant Administrator in ’21. She has been with the company since ’13 when she started as a Branch Manager. She attended Pine Technical College where she obtained diplomas in both Accounting and Accounting Microcomputer Specialist. She is currently enrolled at Aspen University where she is working on a Bachelors in Healthcare Administration. Before joining the home care field, Lynnette owned a bookkeeping business for 16 years. She has also served as the City Clerk for Rutledge since ’06.
When not at Heartland, you can find Lynnette running her outfitting business that specializes in recreational activities for disabled, veterans, and youth hunters. During her free time, she enjoys the outdoors (camping, hunting, fishing, etc), riding motorcycles, traveling, reading, crafting, playing the piano, and spending time with family. “I love working for Heartland and the challenges it provides — but I especially love caring for the people in our community.”
Alyssa Bonner
Compliance Officer
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, fishing, camping, playing card games, lake days, and reading. Alyssa has a heart for traveling and has been to several places over the years, she thoroughly enjoys the breathtaking view and happiness the mountains bring her. She hopes to visit Banff and Glacier National Park in the upcoming years. She believes that having a well-balanced life brings opportunities for growth in both personal and business life. Alyssa is overjoyed and excited to see what her years at Heartland PCA will bring to both her and her community.
Hannah Taylor-Hischer
Regional Medical Coordinator
Hannah has been a part of the Heartland PCA team since 2017. In 2022, she became an Office Coordinator, and most recently she was named a Regional Medical Coordinator for the company. When she’s not at work, she enjoys spending time with family, cooking, baking, and exploring the outdoors.
Andrea Brooks, MSN
Director of Nursing
BIO COMING SOON!
Duluth Branch
Wendy Koski
Branch Manager, Duluth
Pamela Franklin, RN
Qualified Professional / Nurse Supervisor, Duluth
Amy Achman
Financial Advisor, Duluth
Amy graduated from the University of Minnesota – Duluth with her Bachelors in Accounting in 2019, Amy started with Heartland as the Branch Manager in April of 2021. Prior to Heartland, she worked as an accountant and an assistant manager. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her significant other and their “fur-baby”, hiking, playing board and video games, and crafting.
Lexxy Napper
Administrative Support Worker, Duluth
Lexxy has been a part of the Heartland team since July of ’21 as an Office Assistant/Coordinator and is currently an Admin Support Worker. The Duluth area has been Lexxy’s home for her entire life. She graduated from Lake Superior College with an Associate of the Arts degree in ’22. Currently, she is pursuing her Bachelors in Management at The University of Minnesota Duluth. When at home, she enjoys spending time with her family’s two Doberman Pinchers, relaxing by the water, perusing new trails, and being with friends.
Gwen Stafne
Office Assistant, Duluth
Born and raised in Duluth, Gwendolyn started with Heartland in April 2022. Having previously worked in childcare for 4 years, she was excited to continue working in yet another rewarding profession. In the spring of ’23, she obtained an Associates of Arts degree from Lake Superior College. In her free time enjoys hiking, biking, and ballroom dancing. She is a huge food lover, enjoying cooking and baking just as much as eating out and trying any and all new foods.
Sarah Lindberg
Designated Coordinator, Duluth
Sarah joined the Heartland PCA team as a Designated Coordinator in September of ’24. She received her Bachelor’s in Community Health Promotion from the University of Wisconsin in Superior in ’14. After her education, she worked with individuals with intellectual disabilities to assist them in gaining meaningful employment; she also worked as an Activities Specialist to help aid in community involvement for individuals with disabilities. She has experience in the social work field (WI) as well, working alongside individuals with their care plans and has also been in PCA type work for over 10 years.
She is passionate about being an advocate for those encountering challenges, and feels most rewarded when she knows she is making a difference in their lives. She loves bringing a smile to those in need of joy and a hand to those who are in need of care. She’s very excited about bringing this level of attention to Heartland clients! In her free time she likes to play/listen to music, be around family/friends, and learn new things — whether it be gardening or trying out new recipes in the kitchen!
Hibbing Branch
Lisa Olson, RN
Qualified Professional, Hibbing
Lisa joined Heartland in ’24 as an RN QP (Registered Nurse Qualified Professional). She holds an Associate of Science in Nursing from Hibbing Community College (’06) and a Bachelor of Social Work from The College of St. Scholastica (’90).
With a background in home care, long-term care, and experience as a QP at Access North, Lisa brings a wealth of experience to her role. She is able to blend her nursing expertise with her knowledge of social services.
Outside of work, Lisa enjoys spending time with her four grown children (three daughters and one son), playing with her cats, and relaxing outdoors by the lake or feeding ducks.
Sam Grovenburg
Office Coordinator, Hibbing
Sam has two young girls that she adores more than life. She appreciates the time she is able to spend with her family and likes to do so as often as she can. In her free time, she likes to watch movies with her girls, play counsel games, and relax on her couch. She also enjoys the flow of an excellent pen. She is familiar with PCA work and medical terms as she used to be a PCA for her mother, who unfortunately passed away in 2016.
Marrissa Foss-Kluck
Office Coordinator, Hibbing
Marrissa has lived on the Iron Range since birth. Born to help others, she has a long history in fields of caring. She is a loving wife and a mother to 2 sweet boys & 1 sassy little lady. Spending time with family is her favorite past time. You can usually find her jammin’ to a good tune, barefoot in the garden, or if time permits, getting lost in a good book.
J'olae Loehrer
Branch Manager, Hibbing
J’olae joined Heartland PCA in March ’23 as an Office Coordinator in Hibbing. Before that, she worked in elementary K-6 special education. J’olae is originally from the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, but has called Minnesota home for the past 20 years. Her greatest joys in life are her two children and her husband. In her free time, she can be found either in the kitchen trying out a new recipe, in her garden mothering her plants, or making some new craft she found on Pinterest.
Chad Wentz
Employment Counselor, Hibbing & Duluth
Chad joined Heartland PCA as an employment counselor in 2024. He graduated from Cloquet High School, and furthered his education at the University of Wisconsin Superior. He has worked in a group home as a direct support professional, and also worked as a PCA. He has always found fulfillment in the caregiving field.
In his free time, Chad enjoys spending time with friends, family, fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, and staying active.
Sandstone Branch
Lynn McKinny
Branch Manager, Sandstone
Lynn started with Heartland PCA in December of ’22 after moving from The Cities and buying a home in Sandstone. Before working for Heartland, she owned a cleaning company — helping clean and organize clients’ homes and workplaces. She also worked as an auto body paint technician. Lynn went to DCTC in ’05 (Dakota County Technical College) for Auto Body. She has worked on vehicles throughout the years, and has owned 35 vehicles in her life. She recently married her best friend.
In her free time, she loves anything outdoors — camping, fishing, hiking, swimming, cooking, having BBQs and bonfires, riding anything with an engine, playing games and sports with her husband and two daughters, spending time in the sun, going to her cabin, road tripping, traveling… “walking mountains and beaches with my family is the best thing ever.”
Cat Pittman
Office Assistant, Sandstone
Cat started with Heartland in February of ’25 after moving to Sandstone from Zimmerman. She has 1 daughter and 2 grandsons she adores. She also loves to dress up for any and all holidays just to put a smile on someone’s face.
Lindsey Pappas
Qualified Professional / Designated Coordinator, Sandstone
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