EXECUTIVE TEAM
Christine Bent
Chief Executive Officer
Chris Bent is a dynamic and visionary leader serving as the Chief Executive Officer of MAC Midwest. With a proven track record in healthcare and nonprofit management, she is dedicated to driving innovation, expanding impact, and ensuring excellence in autism services.
Chris has spent her career leading transformative change, guiding organizations through strategic growth, financial sustainability, and program development. Prior to joining MAC Midwest, she held executive leadership roles where she successfully enhanced service delivery, strengthened community partnerships, and advocated for greater access to high-quality care. Her expertise in operational leadership, strategic planning, and team empowerment positions MAC Midwest for continued growth and long-term success.
Outside of her professional life, Chris is a dedicated wife and mother, values that shape her leadership and reinforce her commitment to building a more inclusive and supportive world for families. She believes in the power of collaboration, innovation, and compassionate care, ensuring that MAC Midwest remains at the forefront of supporting individuals and families affected by autism. Under her leadership, MAC is poised to expand its reach, elevate its impact, and continue transforming lives.
Andrea Vasquez
Chief Operations Officer
Andrea received her Masters of Social Work in 2000 from the University of Central Florida. Early in her career, she worked as a Clinical Social Worker providing psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and their families in an inpatient and partial hospital setting. Here, she learned the importance of teamwork and collaboration to care for and treat children from a wholistic approach. Andrea then transitioned into behavioral health leadership overseeing social work and therapy departments. In order to gain additional training, she embarked on a new journey of studying a Masters in Business Administration which she received in 2020. Since this time, she has overseen operations for children’s residential treatment as well as women’s residential treatment for chemical health. She looks forward to bringing her clinical and operations background to MAC, and work alongside with many dedicated and compassionate individuals to make a difference in the lives of those affected by autism. In her free time, Andrea enjoys spending time with her husband and son as well as 3 sisters, 5 nephews, and her mom and dad.
Leslie Chaplin
Chief Clinical Officer
Leslie Chaplin, MSW, PhD, LICSW is the Chief Clinical Officer at MAC, bringing over 30 years of experience in the behavioral health field. With a strong background in working with children and families, Dr. Chaplin has held various leadership positions within nonprofit organizations, where she has demonstrated a commitment to enhancing services and developing innovative solutions to address the needs of those under her care. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of MN, Duluth, and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. In her leisure time, Dr. Chaplin enjoys life on a hobby farm and is deeply passionate about leveraging animal-assisted therapeutic interventions with horses and her certified therapy dog, Sunny.
Alexis Dagit
Chief Development Director
Alexis Dagit is the Chief Development Director at MAC. Ms. Dagit is an accomplished marketing and philanthropy professional with more than 15 years of experience in driving revenue growth, donor engagement, and strategic communications. Prior to joining MAC, Ms. Dagit held leadership roles in development with Animal Humane Society and Orchestra Iowa. In those roles, she grew relational and corporate giving programs, expanded patron services, drove revenue goals, enhanced community engagement efforts, and fostered a culture of philanthropy. With an extensive background in both communications and fundraising, Ms. Dagit excels at crafting compelling narratives and engaging content that inspire donors and stakeholders to passionately support an organization’s mission. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, she relocated to Minnesota to be closer to her family who owns and operates The Winery at Sovereign Estate in Waconia, MN. When not fundraising, she enjoys spending time with her two children and four dogs, kayaking on Minnesota lakes in the summer, and cold plunging into them in the winter.
Tim Schueppert
Director of Finance
Timothy J. Schueppert, CPA, MBA, brings over 25 years of experience in finance and healthcare, including extensive work in behavioral health. Tim earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Arizona State University and later pursued his MBA at the University of Minnesota. He has held key leadership roles in large healthcare systems and behavioral health organizations, where he developed strategies to optimize financial operations and align accounting goals with broader business objectives.
As Director of Finance at MAC, Tim is committed to leveraging his expertise to support the organization’s mission of improving the lives of individuals on the autism spectrum. His approach emphasizes process improvement, team collaboration, and innovation.
A resident of Eden Prairie, Tim enjoys golfing and hiking in his free time. He has two sons, and he stays connected to family, including his two brothers in Tucson, Arizona.
Jessica Peterson
Director of Human Resources
Jessica Peterson, SHRM-CP, M.Ed, is MAC’s Director of Human Resources. Ms. Peterson is responsible for leading the HR team and collaborating with leaders to drive recruitment, retention, engagement and compliance. Ms. Peterson was previously the Director of Human Resources at AirCare Health and has been HR Business Partner to both Allina Health and Gillette Children’s. She has a Bachelor’s of Music and a Master’s in Human Resource Development, as well as her SHRM-CP certification through the Society of Human Resources. Ms. Peterson previously volunteered in the Seward neighborhood and in North Minneapolis teaching English as a Second Language to adult learners in the community. Ms. Peterson loves spending time with her daughter and husband in South Minneapolis, running the trails across the city, figure skating as part of the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis, crocheting, and random other new hobby opportunities as they present themselves.
