Our Staff

Ann Crews Melton

Executive Director

 

Ann joined Consensus Council in 2020 as the organization’s third executive director. She previously served as an editor at the State Historical Society of North Dakota, Be Magazine, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, and as a reporter and columnist at the Bismarck Tribune.

 

Ann first used the consensus model of decision-making as co-moderator of the National Network of Presbyterian College Women. She staffed national committees for Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Women’s Ministries and later served as communications manager at Temple Israel Boston. A Texas native, she holds a bachelor’s degree from Austin College and a master’s degree from Emerson College. Ann presented a TEDx talk, “Building Consensus Across Differences,” at Austin College in fall 2021.

 

A 2015 graduate of the Women’s Leadership Program at the Center for Technology and Business, Ann is a member of the Bismarck-Mandan League of Women Voters, Bismarck Interfaith, and a council member at Heart River Lutheran Church. She is a former Centurion Toastmaster and former board officer of Humanities North Dakota. She lives in Bismarck with her husband and two daughters.

 

701.224.0588 ext 1

amelton@agree.org

Elizabeth Hilt

Program Director – Restorative Justice

 

Elizabeth “Elle” Hilt was first introduced to Restorative Justice as a criminal justice student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead in 2006. She immediately connected with the philosophy and practices and over the course of 15 years has implemented Restorative Justice values in a variety of professional roles. In 2011, she received a master’s degree in criminal justice emphasizing restorative practices for youth from St. Cloud State University (MN), and has worked with justice-involved youth and families in residential treatment facilities, probation services, and in programs offered as an alternative to court. Additionally, Elle has worked with victims in advocacy and through pre-sentencing procedures in the Minnesota adult court system. 

 

Since 2018, Elle has proudly led North Dakota’s statewide Restorative Justice program in partnership with the ND Juvenile Court system. She believes that restorative practices are important strategies to engage people in building and repairing relationships, and to provide people who have experienced harm a meaningful voice in the justice process. Elle lives in Fargo with her partner, Mark, and five children. 

 

701.224.0588 ext 4

ehilt@agree.org

Karla Buzick

Business Manager

 

Karla joined Consensus Council in January 2013. She has a degree in Information Processing from Bismarck State College and is MOS certified in Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

 

Karla is a 2011 graduate of the Bismarck-Mandan Leadership Program. She has been involved with a number of nonprofits over the years, including Dakota OutRight from 2011-2017, the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition from 2011-2017, and the Bismarck Human Relations Committee from 2011-2012. She was a grant reviewer with the PFund Social Change grant committee and also has been a member of the statewide LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee through the ND Department of Health & the ND Women’s Network.

 

701.224.0588 ext 3

kbuzick@agree.org

Caitlin McDonald

Communications Manager

 

Caitlin joined Consensus Council as the newly minted Communications Manager in 2022. She previously spent five years union organizing with North Dakota United, the state’s union for public employees and educators. Before her time at NDU, she worked with a variety of nonprofits, including the ND Women’s Network and the Abused Adult Resource Center.

 

Aside from work, Caitlin enjoys music and art, both as a performer and as an audience member, and she loves laughing and making others laugh. But most of all, whether it’s at work or at play, she loves connecting with people as they are, and building authentic connection. Caitlin lives in Bismarck with her partner, Andy.

 

701.224.0588 ext 5

cmcdonald@agree.org

Logan Ellingson

Victim Empathy Specialist – Restorative Justice

 

Logan joined Consensus Council’s Restorative Justice team in May 2022. Logan has been working with at-risk youth communities since 2012. Logan worked for the public school system aiding children with special needs in the Fargo area for many years. Logan lives in Fargo and spends much of his spare time training dogs and horses.

 

701.799.3795 (mobile)

lellingson@agree.org

Sonia Ostlund

Program Assistant

 

Sonia has served as the program assistant for North Dakota’s statewide Restorative Justice program since 2020. She worked as a surgical technologist in both obstetrics/gynecology and oral surgery before changing careers to join the Restorative Justice team. Sonia enjoys running and being outdoors, and lives in West Fargo with her husband and two sons.

 

701.224.0588 ext 2

sostlund@agree.org

Leah Carmical Hargrove

Facilitator, International Legislators’ Forum

 

Leah was born and raised in North Carolina, where she majored in International Studies and French at the University of North Carolina–Asheville. She moved to North Dakota with her husband in 2012, and they have three Dakota-born children. Leah founded Global Neighbors in 2015 and served as executive director for six years. Leah was chosen as the City of Bismarck’s Humanitarian of the Year for 2018, is a Change Network alumna, and a former Hello Neighbor Fellow. She is passionate about communities, productive conversations, and social growth that benefits the entire ecosystem.

 

901.374.7255 (mobile)

ilf@agree.org

Lynette Galow

Facilitator
Bisbee, ND

 

lgalow@agree.org

Mark Tobin

Facilitator
Grand Forks, ND

 

mtobin@agree.org

Peggy Weber

Facilitator
Selfridge, ND

 

pweber@agree.org

Johnna Westby

Facilitator
Stanley, ND

 

jwestby@agree.org

Rose Stoller Legacy Scholarship

 

Rose served as Executive Director of Consensus Council from 2003 to 2019, when she unexpectedly passed away. Rose devoted her life to making the world a better place for those who were disadvantaged in any way. To honor her lifelong commitment to bettering the lives of others, an annual scholarship fund has been established through the Bismarck Public Schools Foundation.

 

For more information on how to donate or apply for a scholarship, please check out the following link: BPS Foundation