Todd Connaughty (he/him), MA, LPCC, LADC
Interim CEO/ Director of Clinical Services

Todd Connaughty has worked for Pride Institute for more than 15 years in a number of roles, but has been Director of Clinical Services since 2012 and currently sits on the Board of Directors. Connaughty is passionate about his work with the LGBTQ+ community and has been part of the conference circuit in recent years, presenting at the Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorder, the Finding Freedom Symposium, West Coast Symposium, Minnesota Association of Resources for Recovery and Chemical Health (MARRCH), and the Minnesota Social Services Association (MSSA) to name a few.

Connaughty received his Bachelor of Science degree from Metropolitan State University in Addiction Counseling and his master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from St. Mary’s University. Connaughty is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and is a board-approved supervisor for licensed alcohol and drug counselors.

Ann Leible (she/her)
Director of Utilization Review

Ann Leible has been with Pride Institute since 2001. During this time, she held positions in Pride Institute’s intake department and still provides critical support for the team with her professional counseling and assessment experience. She has spent most of her time at Pride as a member of the leadership team as Director of Utilization Review and Co-Director of Performance Improvement. She is grateful to be part of the process of hope and recovery for community members that struggle with the pain of addiction.

Lucas Miller (he/him)
Director of Marketing and Business Development

Luke Miller joined Pride as the Director of Marketing and Business Development in January 2019. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for Pride Institute and is the Co-Director of Performance Improvement. Miller previously worked for Allina Health, where he led the organization’s Shared Decision Making initiative, and also spent three years as a sports reporter for the Grand Forks Herald in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Miller received his Bachelor’s from the University of North Dakota with degrees in Communications and English, and his Masters in Creative Writing from Augsburg University.

Meaghan Morton (she/her)
Director of Nursing

Morton served as Director of Nursing at the Pride Institute from 1997 to 2000 and rejoined the team in May 2019. Morton has held various positions in healthcare, including Hospice Care Clinical Service Director, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, Clinical Researcher of HIV/AIDS/Cardiology/Oncology and Director of Nursing, Senior Living. She mostly served as Clinical Nurse Manager of the HIV/AIDS unit at the City of Lakes Transitional Care Center.

Morton obtained her Associate of Applied Science degree from North Hennepin Community College, then graduated from the Nursing Program at the College of St. Catherine.

Vivian Nordlund (she/her), LADC
Admissions Supervisor

Before joining the Pride Institute team as the Admissions Supervisor in August 2018, Nordlund worked as a lead counselor at an outpatient treatment program. She has extensive history working in the healthcare field, having held positions in adult foster care as a caregiver and in residential treatment as a chemical dependency technician. She’s gained experience through internships, technician roles and clinical roles in both outpatient and residential facilities.

Nordlund received her Bachelor of Science degree in Alcohol and Drug Counseling from Metropolitan State University in May 2017. She holds her licensure as a alcohol and drug counselor (LADC) through the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT).

Jerri Sandstrom (she/her), SPHR
Director of Human Resources

Sandstrom joined Pride in May 2015. Before her arrival, she served in several HR roles in various industries, including hospitality, manufacturing, commercial real estate, property management and construction. Sandstrom graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a Human Resources Management concentration.

Dr. Patrick Zhao (he/him), MD
Psychiatrist and Medical Director

Dr. Patrick Zhao has served as Pride Institute’s Medical Director since 2014 and sits on the Board of Directors. As the champion behind LGBTQ-affirming, comprehensive psychiatric consultation (ACPC) at Pride, Dr. Zhao has completed more than 1,000 sessions. Zhao emphasizes LGBTQ development history and its interweaving relationship with mental health and substance use disorder, drawing on knowledge and wisdom from psychiatry, psychology, philosophy and spirituality. Dr. Zhao has been a part of SAMHSA’s LGBTQ curriculum project, and he has recommended the broader adoption of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) screening tools and ACPC in clinical settings.