Staff, Board of Trustees, & Advisory Boards
The Northland Foundation is staffed by a dedicated team, strategically guided by a regional Board of Trustees, and taps the expertise of two grantmaking Advisory Boards for the Maada’ookiing and Youth In Philanthropy programs.
Foundation Staff
Most Northland Foundation staff work remotely, so email is often the easiest way to reach us. Click on a staff photos to email individuals, or call our main line, below, for individual phone extensions. If you leave a voicemail or email our general inboxes, your message will be forwarded to the right person.
General Email info@northlandfdn.org
Voicemail/Phone Extensions 218.723.4040
Board of Trustees
Strategic leadership of the Northland Foundation is provided by a diverse volunteer Board of Trustees who live and work in communities throughout the region.
Peter McDermott, Chair
Retired Grand Rapids
Mary Harrelson, Vice Chair
Licensed Psychologist (retired)
Mary Rademacher Psychological Services
Grand Portage Reservation
Roy Smith, Treasurer
Director of Education & Talent Development Iron Range Resources/Minnesota State Colleges & Universities Hibbing
Cindy Anderson Bina, Secretary
Counselor (retired) Vermilion Community College Ely
Jamie Adams
Economic Development Planner Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Cloquet/Solon Springs
Ben Benoit
Deer River District Ranger Chippewa National Forest
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Citizen
Cohasset
Elena Foshay
Director of Workforce Development City of Duluth Duluth
Ashley Hall
Director of Partnerships & Programs, Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank and Owner, Evolve U Fitness & Wellness
International Falls
Tia Marie
Owner Unwined Up North and Smoke on the Water Grand Rapids
Sumair Sheikh
Executive Director
LISC Duluth
Duluth
Darren Sheldon
Principal Lakewood Elementary School Duluth
Kristen Vake
Executive Director Iron Mining Association of Minnesota, Chisholm
Maada’ookiing Advisory Board
Maada’ookiing is led and guided by an Advisory Board made up of regional Native nation representatives and other Native American community members.
Baabiitaw Boyd
Misizaaga’iganiing Anishinaabe, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Shane Drift
District I Representative Bois Forte Tribal Council, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Crystal Greensky, MSHA
Great Lakes Hub Deputy Director Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (citizen) & Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (1st gen descendent)
Mary Harrelson
Gichionigaming Akiing Gichigami Anishinabeg
Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Alexandera Houchin
Fellow/Citizen of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
April McCormick
Secretary/Treasurer, Gichionigaming, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Jaylen Strong
Bois Forte Heritage Center and Cultural Museum Director, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Youth In Philanthropy Advisory Board
The Youth In Philanthropy Advisory Board is made up of high school students from communities across the region with guidance from volunteer adult mentors.
Youth Members
- Olivia Allen, Chair
Duluth - Seth Parkin, Vice Chair
Aitkin - Rizal Howes, Secretary/Treasurer
Cloquet - Emily Class, Photographer
Barnum - Alaena Happ Furo
Two Harbors - Rosemary Huddleston
Two Harbors - Neela Piri, Photographer
Barnum - Lili Sakuray
Superior - Jackson Strand, Photographer
Superior - Joey Wallace
Hermantown - Adam Weisgerber
Hermantown - Owen Weyer
Aitkin
Adult Mentors
- Jamie Adams
Economic Development Planner, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa - Brad Flynn
Programmer Analyst, ALLETE - Lara Parkin
Community Education Coordinator, Aitkin - Tim Stratioti
Branch Director, Superior, Boys & Girls Club of the Northland - Dan Thewis
Teacher, Two Harbors High School