Little Al Foundation Board of Directors

Holly Current has been part of the Little Al Foundation since its beginning. As Little Al’s mom, her connection to the Foundation and its mission is deeply personal.

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The idea for the Foundation grew from Holly’s family’s own experience traveling to Michigan for Alan’s medical care. While there, Holly and Alan’s dad met many families who were forced to spend long periods apart because one parent needed to remain home and continue working. They wanted to ease that burden so parents could focus more fully on their child and less on the financial strain of travel, lodging, and meals.

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For Holly, one of the most meaningful parts of the Foundation’s work is presenting assistance to families in person. Seeing their surprise and gratitude reminds her why the work matters. She is especially proud that LAF has grown to reach and support far more families than she once imagined possible.

A lifelong Des Moines-area resident, Holly now lives in Monroe, Iowa. She is vice president and co-owner of Hamilton’s Funeral Home. Holly and her husband, Bryant, share three children, Erin, Tristian, and Braylen, as well as their grandchildren.

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In her free time, Holly enjoys golfing, reading, spending time outdoors, and being with her family.

Michelle Bredlow has served on the Little Al Foundation Board of Directors since 2013. As Ryan and Holly’s niece and Little Al’s cousin, she has been a dedicated supporter, volunteer, and event planner since the Foundation’s earliest days. Before Ryan passed away, he asked Michelle to promise that she would help keep his dream for the Foundation alive. She remains deeply committed to honoring that promise.
 

Having witnessed Holly and Ryan’s journey with Little Al firsthand, Michelle understood from the beginning the financial and emotional strain families face when a child needs medical care away from home. Over the years, she has seen the sense of relief the Foundation’s support can provide, and she is grateful to help make that possible for other families.
 

Michelle is especially proud of the Foundation’s resilience and growth. What began as support for a small group of families at Christmastime has become a year-round program serving families across Iowa. She considers it incredibly meaningful to be part of the dedicated, all-volunteer board that made that growth possible.
 

Originally from Fenton, Iowa, Michelle now lives in Urbandale with her husband, Derek, and their daughters, Alana and Haddie. Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree from Grand View University and an MBA in organizational leadership from the University of Arizona. She works as an Agribusiness Consultant for Nationwide Insurance. In her free time, Michelle enjoys cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes, shopping, golfing, reading, and traveling.

Brittney became a Board Member in 2016.  Prior to joining the Board, she had learned of the Foundation through Michelle and actively participated in many fundraising events.  Brittney eagerly took over the role of Facebook admin and helps to keep our wonderful supporters aware of our activities.  Brittney works at Nationwide Insurance and she and her husband live in West Des Moines with their son and daughter.  They love attending ISU sporting events, the zoo, and traveling around Iowa to visit family.

Marcia has been involved with the Little Al Foundation since it was “just an idea.” She remains honored that Ryan and Holly invited her to help turn their vision into a reality and is proud of how the Foundation has grown in its ability to serve families.

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Marcia and her late husband, “Big Al,” were dedicated supporters of the Foundation from its beginning, organizing fundraisers and participating in events together. She is the mother of three daughters and especially enjoys spending time with her grandchildren.

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Now retired, Marcia worked for more than 20 years at Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company in Algona, Iowa. She is a member of Lone Rock Presbyterian Church, where she served as a Sunday school music leader when her children were young. She also spent many years as co-director and secretary of a community summer vacation Bible school program.

In her free time, Marcia enjoys camping, fishing, genealogy, and traveling.

John Dukes has supported the Little Al Foundation since its beginning and joined the board a few years later after being invited by Ryan, Holly, and other board members. He is proud of the Foundation’s steady growth and the loyal supporters who return year after year to help families facing incredibly difficult circumstances.

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For John, the Foundation’s mission has also hit close to home. The organization has supported both his cousin and a friend’s daughter. He believes that easing even a small part of the burden for families caring for a sick child makes the work worthwhile.

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Originally from Marathon, Iowa, John earned a management degree from Buena Vista University and a mortuary science degree from DMACC. He describes himself as the “head flunky” at Watts Vault and Monument and also serves on the National Concrete Burial Vault board and the FSI board for the Iowa Funeral Directors Association.

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John and his wife, Lisa, a professor at Iowa State University, are parents to Josie and Taylor. He enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and time at the lake.

Jimmy Nelson first became involved with the Little Al Foundation by helping at fundraising events alongside his wife, Brittney, who also serves on the board. Wanting to do even more to ensure the Foundation could continue supporting families in need, Jimmy later joined the Board of Directors himself.

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Jimmy understands how difficult it is for any family to navigate a serious medical condition, especially when a young child or infant is involved. He is committed to helping relieve some of the financial strain families experience so they can focus more fully on their child’s care.

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The Foundation’s golf outings and annual Christmas concert are among Jimmy’s favorite events. He enjoys seeing them introduce more people to LAF’s mission and build greater awareness of how the Foundation helps families. He is especially proud of how much the organization has grown and how many more families it can support each year.

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Jimmy lives in West Des Moines with his wife, Brittney, and their children, Ean and Millie. He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Iowa State University and works as a product engineer at Ex-Guard. Outside of work, Jimmy enjoys technology and electronics and has a soft spot for animals in need. His family includes two dogs, two cats, two rabbits, and a fish.

Jacki Paulsen is from Garner, Iowa. She earned an associate degree in nursing from North Iowa Area Community College and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Chamberlain University. She works as a quality and safety nurse at MercyOne North Iowa. Jacki and her husband, Jordan, have three sons: Trey, Benny, and Wes. She enjoys camping, spending time with family and friends, attending her children’s activities, and cheering for the GHV Cardinals and Iowa State.

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Jacki and her family supported Little Al Foundation fundraisers for years, but the organization’s mission became deeply personal after Wes was born. He spent a month in the NICU in Iowa City and returned at six months old for open-heart surgery. During that time, the family received assistance from the Little Al Foundation.

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“Being on the receiving end of the foundation’s support opened my eyes to just how important this work is,” Jacki said. “I joined the board to help other families in the way our family was helped and supported.”

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One message from a family has stayed with her: Because of the Little Al Foundation’s help, “instead of breaking, we have fallen gently.” Jacki is especially proud of the foundation’s growth and the number of families it has been able to reach. Although that growth has brought difficult decisions about how to make limited resources go as far as possible, she looks forward to helping the foundation continue supporting families when they need it most.

Dr. Erin Edlund became a member of the Little Al Foundation board in 2023. She grew up in Burt, Iowa, and knew the Miller family through church.

In 2021, Erin's youngest daughter Lolo was diagnosed with leukemia and her family became part of the Little Al Foundation family. Lolo completed treatment in 2023 and in the wake of that experience, Erin is committed to paying forward the love and support they were shown during the 818 days Lolo was in treatment, sharing "The Little Al Foundation provided our family with immediate and direct support, and the process of submitting our application was clear and easy. There was so much for us to think about and no time to think about it, so having LAF there to ease some of our burden was huge. In total we logged more than 13,000 miles of driving between our home and Children's Nebraska during treatment, and the funds we received made a huge difference. I want to ensure others have access to that same support."

Erin and her husband Jeff reside in Lakeville, MN, with their three children, two dogs, and two cats. She is a strong advocate for blood donations and children's cancer research, an avid reader, a terrible runner, and loves being outside. Erin serves as the marketing and communications director for the University of Minnesota College of Science & Engineering.

Jason became a Board Member in 2020. Prior to joining the Board he learned about the foundation through his friend and fellow Board Member, John Dukes, and participated in a number of the golf and bowling outings. Jason works in the banking industry and lives in Huxley with his wife Emily and two sons, Kemper and Penn.  Jason is an avid Cornhusker fan. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and coaching his son's sporting activities.

Mary first became involved with the Little Al Foundation as a volunteer and joined the Board of Directors in 2019. She is grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting an organization and mission that mean so much to her. As a board member, Mary is proud to help LAF ease the financial burden for Iowa families whose children need serious medical care away from home.

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Mary lives in Altoona with her husband, Sean; their three children, Brynlei, Adrian, and Brooks; and their dog, Maxine. In her free time, she enjoys camping, drinking coffee, cheering on the Iowa State Cyclones, and, most of all, spending time with her family.

Gene Miller joined the Little Al Foundation Board of Directors three years ago. As Little Al’s uncle, he has a personal connection to the Foundation and its mission. His reason for serving is simple: “One of the best things we can do in life is help those in need.”

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Gene especially enjoys the Foundation’s annual December concert in Lone Rock. For him, it is a highlight of the year and a meaningful opportunity to bring people together in support of Iowa families.

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Community service has long been an important part of Gene’s life. He currently serves as mayor of Fenton, adjutant for the Fenton Sons of the American Legion, a member of the North Union School Board, and a trustee at his church. He holds a doctoral degree and is a retired church executive who now writes professionally.

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Gene grew up on a farm near Lone Rock, just seven miles from Fenton. He and his wife, Teri, have lived in Fenton since his retirement in 2008. In his free time, Gene is an avid baseball fan.

Bio forthcoming

Al believed in the Little Al Foundation from the very beginning. When his younger brother, Ryan, first shared the idea with him, Al immediately stepped forward to help. Known to many as “Big Al,” he was Little Al’s namesake and served as chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors from its founding.

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Alongside his wife, Marcia, Al organized fundraisers and participated in nearly every Foundation event. His commitment to helping children extended throughout his life and community. He served as a Sunday school teacher, youth group leader, school board member, commander of Sons of the American Legion Squadron 627, and mayor of Fenton, Iowa.

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Al was a farmer and contractor who enjoyed traveling, fishing, camping, and riding his motorcycle. His generous spirit, steady leadership, and dedication helped shape the Little Al Foundation into what it is today. His legacy lives on through the families the Foundation continues to serve and through all those who were fortunate enough to know him.

The Little Al Foundation began with Ryan’s vision and his determination to help families facing circumstances he understood firsthand.

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While Ryan and his wife, Holly, were in Michigan with their son, Alan, affectionately known as Little Al, who was born with a severe heart defect, they saw families forced to spend long periods apart because one parent needed to remain home and continue working. One day, while eating lunch on the University of Michigan campus, Ryan said, “We need to do something to help these families.” And he did.

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Ryan transformed that moment of compassion into the Little Al Foundation, creating a lasting source of support for families whose children need serious medical care away from home. Although Ryan died unexpectedly in November 2020, his vision continues through the Board of Directors and its commitment to helping the Foundation grow beyond even what he imagined.

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Inspired by his love for Little Al, the Foundation is Ryan’s extraordinary gift to the world. Every family it supports is part of the legacy he left behind.