Monica McConkey
LPC, Rural Mental Health Specialist

Monica Kramer McConkey has 25 years of experience in the behavioral health field as a counselor, program supervisor and administrator. She has a Masters Degree in Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Minnesota.  Her focus throughout her career has been to increase access to, and remove the stigma often attached to mental health services in rural underserved areas. 

Monica grew up on a farm in northwestern Minnesota and has intimate understanding of the dynamics leading to farm stress and its impact on farm families.  She currently works as one of two Rural Mental Health Specialists in Minnesota providing support to farmers and their families through a contract with the MN Ag Centers of Excellence and Farm Business Management.  Monica also travels throughout the country educating and speaking on rural mental health and resilience through her business Eyes on the Horizon Consulting, LLC.  

Katie Shatusky
Executive Director

Katie Shatusky is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of a local nonprofit based in Elk River  called Thumbs Up. Katie has a very diverse background including: business, sales, marketing,  communications, multimedia, graphic design, photography, sponsorship relations, event  planning and executive administration. Katie is also the children’s book author and illustrator of  a book called “The Ladybug Hug” which was published in 2019. Katie is married to her  husband, Todd and the proud mom to her two beautiful daughters, Asha and Berklie. 

Katie and several community members founded Thumbs Up in 2014 after losing loved ones to  suicide, including Katie’s grandfather, who like many others took their lives after living in silence  from a mental illness.  

Thumbs Up is all about embracing those who are struggling with a mental health disorder, have  lost a loved one to suicide and breaking the stigma around mental health. They help connect,  support and encourage one another to talk about their feelings and challenges and to “Keep  Moving Forward.” They are dedicated to educating and teaching about mental illness, the  warning signs of suicide and what you can do to help others who struggle with a mental health  disorder through community initiatives.