For almost 10 years Courtney Dugstad has cultivated relationships and engaged in transformative work with the city's most marginalized populations in Rochester MN.
Hired at Next Chapter in 2014 after serving overseas with an organization for nearly a decade, Courtney came on as a part-time Teen Assistant. She quickly took on the responsibility of Office Manager at NCM as well and soon identified the need for more focused programming in the Juvenile Detention Center. It was at this Center where she led the way to a highly successful youth ministry, recognized community-wide. Courtney helped renovate and operate The Refuge TreeHouse program for the 3 years following while facilitating a more trauma-informed approach ministry-wide.
Courtney became the Operations Director in 2018 and oversaw all Ministry outcomes for NCM — strategically creating pathways for data collection to more accurately and effectively tell the story of Next Chapter (and to identify if NCM is achieving their mission through their commitment to building lasting relationships) and cultivating restoration to God, family, and community via holistic Gospel transformation.
In 2019, Courtney took on the role of Executive Director of NCM. Since then, Next Chapter has grown from 4, to 6 homes, paying off the mortgage of one of the original 4 homes in the process. Under her leadership, NCM implemented a second-step re-entry home, the first of its kind. Through the Pathways to Home Ownership Program, alumni who have completed the Discipleship Program can now pursue sustainable housing opportunities through the support of NCM. Those who have accomplished this goal have inspired current participants who also aspire to be home owners in the future. Shortly after Courtney took the role of ED, NCM opened up its first-ever family home, serving children and parents exiting the cycle of incarceration in one home. She also designed the first program specifically serving the children of our participants through Little Legacies, a multi-generational model designed to support the relationship between parents and their children, moving the entire family into freedom from the system.
“The fact that Next Chapter has grown to be trauma-informed homes for not only men, but women, families, and children in some of their most challenging times is one of my proudest achievements,” Courtney says.
““Courtney is a natural born leader who has a gift for sharing the deep truth about incaraceration, human dignity and the power of restoration to those in our community to the highest levels of government. Her leadership has propelled Next Chapter from a local ministry to a national leader in the areas of restorative justice. In her almost 10 years at Next Chapter Courtney has worked tirelessly in every role she has had but she has gone much beyond that serving and caring for the men women and families ”
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Outside of her accomplishments as Executive Director, Courtney is known for her passionate conversations detailing prison reform and the strengths of the families NCM serves. She is a self-proclaimed “data nerd”, and if you have ever spoken to her, you have probably come away with a number or data point that sticks with you. She is well-known for acknowledging we have all been criminals, and that 1 in 6 households in the state of MN has been impacted by the cycle of incarceration. She frequently talks about the importance of restoration and the responsibility we have to always represent Christ to one another.
““I believe strongly that the families impacted by incarceration in our city are some of the most resilient, and valuable assets we have. When someone says that they have a desire to change and are willing to be as transparent as necessary as we walk alongside them, that is what I get up for every day. Supporting Next Chapter is an investment in human capital and the agreement that all humans have value and worth, no matter what choices they have made in their past. And I am so grateful for all of those who have decided to support NCM over the years and bridge the gap of marginalization. I have loved every minute of this last near-decade, and will forever be grateful for the opportunity to serve here.“”
Courtney will be accepting a role as the COO of Three Rivers Community Action starting September 1st, 2023. She is excited to continue to partner with Next Chapter, advocating for justice-involved families in our community. Please join us in congratulating her at: Courtney.Dugstad@nextchapterrochester.org.
The Board of Directors is committed to remaining a Christ-centered organization that firmly believes in building lasting relationships with people impacted by the cycle of incarceration, restoring them to God, family, and community through holistic Gospel transformation. We will be engaging in a rigorous nationwide search for the next Executive Director of Next Chapter Ministries and share in Courtney’s excitement for her “next chapter” and for what is next for NCM.