Meet Our Executive Director
Tara is a Sexual Risk Avoidance Specialist, Certified FEMM Instructor, and RN Sonographer.
When she was just five years old, Tara told her Grandma Gertie she wanted to be a doctor so she could, “Give shots in the butt.” She found out later it’s nurses, not doctors, who are mainly tasked with giving injections and so she’s been a nurse for over 20 years. The past ten years have been dedicated to the area of sexual health (where she administers antibiotic injections to those positive for gonorrhea and is thus living the dream!).
Beyond a response to a childhood aspiration, Tara realized she is passionate about serving sexually active, at-risk men and women. She joined Connect Medical Clinic in the summer of 2018 and became Executive Director in January 2021.
“I am always impressed with the bravery of our patients. It takes guts to make an appointment to talk about the most personal aspects of one’s life: their sexual health. I am committed to ensuring Connect is a non-judgmental and safe place and a trusted partner in the community for sexually active men and women dealing with the consequences of their choices surrounding their sexual health.”
Tara has lived in Dickinson since 2008 along with her husband, three children, and fur baby LilliPup.
Meet Our Advancement Manager
A native of Illinois, Mark Billings joined CMC this past summer as the first advancement manager.
He has worked with six nonprofits during the past 20 years in a variety of roles, and has initiated and led numerous community projects in Illinois and Dickinson, where he worked with more than 100 volunteers from the local African immigrant community in creating the city’s first cultural mural.
Mark’s father was born to a teen mother who gave him up for adoption at around 8 months. He waited 10 months in a Boston orphanage for adoptive parents, and these stories Mark heard growing up gave him a passion for the disenfranchised and forgotten. Married for 27 years with three young adult children, Mark is an elder and congregational chair at Living Word Fellowship in Dickinson.
Meet Our Office Manager
Ann Marie has been with the Connect non-profit since the doors first opened in November, 2015. With a heart for the mission to serve and educate those in need, especially for unplanned pregnancies, Ann Marie has seen many changes and growth over the years and is honored to continue serving the mission.
A native of Dickinson, Ann Marie returned to Dickinson in 2009 after living in MN and CT for several years. She and her husband, John, have six amazing adult children on Earth, and one in Heaven.
Meet Our Nurse Manager
Chelsey joined the Connect Medical Clinic team in December 2021 as our Nurse Manager.
Chelsey is a Registered Nurse with a background in Labor and Delivery and Behavioral Health nursing. She is excited to bring her experience from previous roles in her nursing career to Connect. While working in both of these fields was very rewarding, she has always known that working with at-risk men and pregnant women has been a calling on her life.
Her passion to serve in a non-judgmental, safe place for patients to come and be supported stems from her own personal experience. Chelsey was a teenage mother, faced with an unplanned pregnancy. Instead of feeling alone and afraid, like she did during this time, her hope is that Connect patients will feel supported and empowered.
Chelsey and her husband Jesse have been married 15 years and have two daughters. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling and spending quality time with her family.
Meet our Nurse Practitioner
Rachael is a Dickinson native and a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner who graduated from Walden University. Rachael earned her bachelor degree in nursing from Dickinson State University in 2009 and worked as a registered nurse at the hospital for 12 years.
Rachael is excited to be able to expand the services provided by the Connect Medical Clinic and is passionate about providing care to patients regarding their reproductive sexual health. She is in training to be a fertility awareness instructor with an ultimate goal to provide help for women with any problems or irregularities regarding her period.
In her free time, Rachael enjoys staying active, traveling, and spending time with her husband and three girls.
Meet our Nurse Educator
Morgan was born and raised in Dickinson. She attended Dickinson Public Schools, graduating from Dickinson High. Morgan went on to attend NDSU School of Nursing at Sanford, and graduated with her bachelor degree in nursing May 2021.
She is now a member of the Connect Medical team serving our community as a nurse educator and sexual risk avoidance specialist. Morgan is excited to work with area schools, create Connect’s first blog, and champion fertility awareness education for young women.
Morgan’s free time is spent raising her daughter and spending quality time with her friends and family.
Meet our Staff Nurse
Amy has been a nurse for 15 years with hospital experience on Medical/Surgical, Pediatric and Labor and Delivery units. She has also been a float nurse, a travel nurse, camp nurse and prison nurse.
But, when she heard about Connect Medical Clinic, she knew this is where she wanted to be long-term. She began as a volunteer at the clinic when it was just getting started over 6 years ago. Amy loves the opportunity to really talk to people about their needs and not just hurry them out the door. She is also an ultrasound sonographer at Connect.
In her leisure time, Amy enjoys spending time with her family, reading and raising chickens.
Meet our Clinic Assistant
A native of Dickinson, Alexis joined Connect in the summer of 2021 as the first Clinic Assistant. Originally stepping in as a volunteer, her experience in customer service and business operations plus eagerness to learn and desire to make a difference in the lives of others essentially inspired management to create this position for her.
As a Clinic Assistant, Lexi is involved with patient care, administration and even outreach into the community. She easily connects with others and makes them feel welcome, comfortable and valued while ensuring smooth clinic operations.
She is a wife and a mother to a sweet little girl. In her free time you can find her making crafts with her Cricut.