YouthLink names Shennika Sudduth senior director of Program Administration

Shennika Sudduth will be joining YouthLink as its senior director of Program Administration. 

Shennika Sudduth. Photo courtesy of Facebook

YouthLink, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit providing supportive resources to teens and young adults experiencing homelessness, has been serving the community for more than 45 years. Sudduth, a long-time resident of North Minneapolis, brings more than two decades of experience in the human services field to YouthLink, having served in leadership roles at organizations including Avenues for Youth, St. Anne’s Place and Model Cities.

“With her deep connections in our community and depth of knowledge in working with individuals experiencing homelessness, we are confident Shennika will be a great addition to the YouthLink executive leadership team,” said Michelle Basham, YouthLink interim executive director. 

“I am driven to serve in roles where I can work to reduce disparities for those in the BIPOC community, particularly youth,” said Sudduth, who holds a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Leadership from Concordia University and most recently worked as program manager of Family and Supportive Services for Model Cities in St. Paul. “It’s an honor to be joining an organization with such a long history of impacting the lives of young people on a daily basis.” 

YouthLink operates a drop-in center in downtown Minneapolis where young people ages 16-24 can access basic needs and operates two housing programs (Nicollet Square and Downtown View). The organization serves youth who are disconnected from families and other social support, have endured traumatic and adverse childhood experiences, have long histories of street life, exploitation and racism and are disproportionately represented by BIPOC youth.