Mentor North Hires New Executive Director

Mentor North announced Beth Burt (Olson) as the Executive Director to lead the nonprofit dedicated to matching youth with positive adults for quality community-based mentoring relationships.

Beth Burt (Olson) brings years of nonprofit leadership experience that will help continue to provide excellent mentoring programming in Duluth and Superior. She was the Executive Director of First Witness Child Advocacy Center (2011-2018) creating successful new education, training and advocacy programs to help families heal from abuse. She served as a St. Louis County Commissioner, focusing on collaboration, transparency and ensuring the safety and health of our community. Burt succeeds Erin Moldowski, who held the director position for four years and helped transition the program from the Mentor Duluth Collaborative to be Mentor North, a 501c3 nonprofit in 2019. 

“I am thrilled to be the Director of Mentor North and will work diligently to create better community support for all of our kids,” Burt said. "Mentoring is an essential part of how we as a community can support our youth. After such a hard time of social isolation, youth need mentors now more than ever.”

Burt’s hiring comes as the nonprofit implements new programming with the Five Points and Mutual Mentoring Programs this fall. Five Points is an academic-focused mentoring program supporting middle-school aged youth, and Mutual Mentoring is an intergenerational program in partnership with the College of St Scholastica and Duluth Aging Support connecting younger and older adults together for a mentoring relationship. Mentor North continues to have a significant need of volunteer mentors for the Mentor Duluth and Mentor Superior programs; the current waitlist is 185 youth waiting to receive a mentor. 

"Many people think you have to be a teacher or social worker to become a mentor,” says Burt. “That couldn't be farther from the truth.  Youth need kind people who want to get to know them and have fun together. If you have been wondering what you can do to help our community thrive, now is the perfect time to become a mentor."

To learn more about Mentor North’s programming and how to become a mentor, visit mentornorth.org or call 218-722-3600.