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CEO – Microgrants, Lightson!
Clarence D. Castile is a respected business leader, community advocate, and systems-level change agent committed to advancing economic opportunity, public safety, and community-led solutions across Minnesota. Grounded in lived experience and guided by a deep sense of responsibility to the communities he serves, Clarence brings a steady, relationship-driven leadership style rooted in trust, accountability, and measurable impact.
Clarence’s leadership is shaped by profound personal experience and a deep commitment to building trust across systems. Following the tragic loss of his nephew, Philando Castile, to gun violence in 2016, he dedicated himself to strengthening dialogue and accountability between communities and institutions of authority.
Clarence has served as a volunteer police reserve officer with the St. Paul Police Department, providing firsthand insight into law enforcement operations while remaining deeply rooted in community advocacy. His public service includes appointments to former Governor Mark Dayton’s Council on Law Enforcement and Community Relations, the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST Board), and the Deadly Force Encounters Working Group alongside state leadership. Across these roles, he has consistently worked to bridge perspectives, promote transparency, and advance community-centered policy solutions.
Vice President – Lights On!
Sherman leads the Lights On! program outreach efforts, and brings a long history of service to his community and country to the Lights On! role. Sherman served 21 years in the U.S. Army before obtaining his masters’ degree in Public Safety Administration from Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota. Sherman went on to serve as the Public Safety Policy Liaison to Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak for eight years, and initiated many innovative community service projects including founding the Annual Turkey Giveaway that provided Thanksgiving meals for thousands of families in North Minneapolis. In 2014, he started a social outreach program called Lead by Example, the mission of which is to reduce gun violence by working with young men to become leaders in dismantling the gun culture in their neighborhoods. Patterson received the 2008 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Living the Dream” Award, and was awarded a Bush Fellowship in 2014.
Development + Communications Director
Becca is the Lights On!/MicroGrants development and communications director. She is passionate about supporting world-changing ideas and visionary leaders. She likes solving complex problems, and developing creative campaigns. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering, travel and walking her dog.
Lights On! Operations Manager
Char joined Lights On! as a consultant in June 2022. She works directly with current law enforcement and auto shop partners, and provides information to potential new partners who may be interested in participating in the program. Passionate about the work Lights On! does, she enjoys learning about each partner she works with and helping to build and strengthen the community.
Based in Texas, Char previously served as a business consultant for another nonprofit. When not working, she enjoys learning about other cultures, being outdoors, spending time with others and volunteering.
Business Director
Terri serves as the Operations Administrator for Lights On!. She processes invoices and other documents which are essential to keeping the Lights On! program running smoothly.
She is excited about the Lights On! mission because she believes in improving and uplifting our communities. She enjoys bringing her skills in organization and detail-oriented to the teams and causes she supports.
In her free time, Terri enjoys volunteering, spending time with her family & friends, paddle-boarding, hiking, and traveling.
Lights On! Operations Administrator
Diane serves as the Operations Administrator for Lights On! She is overseeing Partnership Agreements, processing invoices for participating auto shops and tracking incoming surveys which is essential to keeping the Lights On! program running smoothly.
She is enthusiastic about the Lights On! mission because it provides assistance and support from within local communities. She enjoys bringing new ideas and providing support to the teams and causes she supports.
In her free time, Diane likes to stay busy in outdoor activities, travel and volunteer in her local community.
MicroGrants Executive Administrator
Angie joined MicroGrants in July 2021 and serves as the primary liaison between the organization and its partner agencies, while also overseeing office operations. She loves seeing people achieve their goals and is honored to be a part of that through her work.Born and raised in Chicago, Angie moved to Minnesota in 1997 and has been residing in South Minneapolis ever since. She has spent her career in the nonprofit sector, and when not at work she enjoys helping the community, volunteering, traveling, being outdoors and spending time with her family.
MicroGrants is the parent organization of Lights On! Our mission is to give a boost to motivated people on their journey to economic self-sufficiency. By providing cash, not loans, we meet the immediate needs of low-income individuals on their quest to start a business, finish their education, or acquire transportation for their job.
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