Meet the Staff

Contact our main office at 952-988-3755 or learningworks@blakeschool.org.

Tricia Crossman, Executive Director
Office Phone: 952-988-3706
Email: tcrossman@blakeschool.org

Tricia Crossman (she/her/hers) became the Breakthrough Minneapolis at Blake's Executive Director June 2020 following over 25 years of experience working with and on behalf of young people. Her career began in service to youth and their families in diverse settings such as schools, community based organizations and mental health facilities. In addition to direct service, Tricia’s experience includes developing and managing strategic initiatives, programs and operations for local and national non-profit organizations. She earned a Masters of Social Work degree from New York University. She is very excited that her role with Breakthrough Minneapolis at Blake allowed her to return to her home city of Minneapolis, along with her son Cruz.

Malcolm Wells, Student Services Director
Office Phone: 952-988-3755
Email: mwells@blakeschool.org

Malcolm Wells (he/him/his) joined Breakthrough Minneapolis at Blake in the summer of 2023 as the Student Services Director. He comes from Minneapolis Public Schools where he worked in a variety roles for nine years ranging from school support-staff to district administrative personnel. He has substantial experience in youth development, grassroots organizing, and community engagement. Malcolm is excited to bring his experience to the program to support students and families in their journeys. He attained his Associates Degree from Normandale Community College.

Lauren Melzer, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Office Phone: 952-988-3878
Email: lmelzer@blakeschool.org

Lauren Melzer (she/her/hers) joined the Breakthrough Minneapolis at Blake team in April 2021 with nearly a decade of experience working with youth in a variety of educational settings ranging from teaching elementary special education to developing social justice-oriented programming for college students. Through these experiences, she has grown to love finding ways to intertwine seemingly disparate subjects with the understanding that at the root, everything and everyone is connected. With this mindset, Lauren is excited to build community with both students and adults and share in collective knowledge. Lauren brings with her a bachelor of arts degree in education equity.

Tyler Libert, AmeriCorps Promise Fellow
Office Phone: 952-988-3892
Email: tlibert@blakeschool.org

Tyler Libert (he/him/his) is the Americorp Promise Fellow for the 2023-24 school year and a Blake alum. He joins us after being a Breakthrough teaching fellow for the past two summers where he taught 7th grade science. This past spring, he received a bachelors degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Puget Sound. He is excited to help everyone feel like they have a place they belong.