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.
Roy Smith, Chair
Director of Education & Talent Development
Iron Range Resources/Minnesota State Colleges & Universities
Hibbing
Mary Harrelson, Co-Vice Chair
Licensed Psychologist (retired)
Grand Portage Reservation
Sumair Sheikh, Co-Vice Chair
Executive Director
LISC Duluth
Duluth
Jamie Adams, Treasurer
Economic Development Planner
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Cloquet/Solon Springs
Ashley Hall, Secretary
Assistant to the Superintendent and Grant Writer, ISD 361
Owner, Evolve U Fitness & Wellness
International Falls
Peter McDermott, Immediate Past Chair
Retired
Grand Rapids
Kristen Vake
Executive Director
Iron Mining Association of Minnesota
Chisholm
Ben Benoit
Project Administrator
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Cohasset
Elena Foshay
Director of Workforce Development City of Duluth Duluth
Tia Marie
Owner
Smoke on the Water
Grand Rapids
Darren Sheldon
Principal Lakewood Elementary School Duluth
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.
Mary Harrelson
Gichionigaming Akiing Gichigami Anishinabeg
Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Jaylen Strong
Bois Forte Heritage Center and Cultural Museum Director, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
April McCormick
Secretary/Treasurer, Gichionigaming, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Alexandera Houchin
Fellow/Citizen of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior 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)
Shane Drift
District I Representative Bois Forte Tribal Council, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Baabiitaw Boyd
Misizaaga’iganiing Anishinaabe, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
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 - Jackson Strand, Vice Chair
Superior - Rizal Howes, Secretary/Treasurer
Cloquet - Alaena Happ Furo, Photographer
Two Harbors - Rosemary Huddleston, Photographer
Two Harbors - Annika Lahti
Cherry - Arwen Levar
Cherry - Seth Parkin
Aitkin - Neela Piri
Barnum - Lili Sakuray
Superior - Joey Wallace
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