Meet MAPE’s newest Operations Team members

Paige Hietpas and Lis Springer have more in common than starting as MAPE operations specialists on the same day: they both love food, cooking, gardening, animals and responding quickly to the moving parts of their jobs. 

“Operations is about making the place run: how meetings are handled, events are planned and so much more. A thing that I enjoy about the job is the ‘in the moment’ response to things that come up,” Operations Specialist Paige Hietpas said. “I was under the impression this was a member-run operation from the beginning, and I can see they are very involved with things that happen at MAPE.”  

Before joining MAPE, Hietpas worked in the international education sector and said “A lot of my educator friends were/are represented by unions, so I know their real importance in someone’s life and work. I knew I wanted to work in a field that advocated for people like those I worked with, and the MAPE team I interviewed with was great.” 

Hietpas received her undergrad degree in Justice and Peace Studies, Environmental Studies and Spanish from the University of St. Thomas, and has nearly completed her master's degree in Organizational Leadership at St. Catherine University.  

Hietpas has a self-described “huge garden and love for vegetables.” She started a food preservation business called CanIHaveSome. Through it, she and her partner sell pickled items, wildcrafted jams and jellies, freeze-dried fruits and veggies, seasonal savory sauces and home-grown herbs, spice mixes and teas. She hopes you’ll come visit some time at the local farmers’ market. 

“Besides running my small business, I have two beautiful cats, Waffle and Nettle, and five chickens. I also spend time traveling to North Dakota and out west where my partner and I have family,” Hietpas said. 

Operations Specialist Lis Springer said she and Hietpas “coordinate events and support members who are coming in, whether they need food, merchandise, AV support and other needs. I hope Paige and I can bring fresh perspectives and knowledge about how to best support MAPE through growth and changes.”  

Before coming to MAPE, Springer worked in a similar operations role as a community engagement manager at a co-working space. “When I was thinking about where I wanted to go next, I knew I wanted to be part of an organization that would listen to everyone and give them a voice – this was a priority for me,” she added.  

Springer grew up in the woods of southern Minnesota, where her family had a hobby farm with goats and other critters. She went to college in Northfield at St. Olaf, where she double majored in English and Women’s and Gender Studies, with a minor in Race and Ethnic Studies. St. Olaf College is known internationally for its award-winning choirs, chorales and bands, and like a typical Ole, she sang in choir (and always loves karaoke). 

In her spare time, she gardens and “enjoys watching the different flowers coming up every week. I like cooking and have a CSA farm share this summer. It’s been a real treat to get a fresh assortment of vegetables every week. I also enjoy listening to my vinyl records and reading – I was an English major, after all,” she joked.