Our 2024-2025
Boards
We acknowledge with gratitude our Trustees, Maada’oookiing Advisory Board, Technical Advisory Committee, Youth In Philanthropy Advisory Board, and Emeritus Trustees for generously volunteering their time, expertise, and wise guidance.
Board Of Trustees
Our Trustees help lead the foundation’s strategic direction and provide governance and financial oversight.
- Peter McDermott, Chair
Retired
Grand Rapids - Mary Harrelson, Vice Chair
Licensed Psychologist (retired)
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
Project Administrator
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Cohasset - Elena Foshay
Director of Workforce Development
City of Duluth
Duluth - Ashley Hall
Development Coordinator, Rainy Lake Medical Center and Owner, Evolve U Fitness & Wellness
International Falls - Tia Marie
Owner
Smoke on the Water
Grand Rapids - Sumair Sheikh
Executive Director
LISC Duluth
Duluth - Darren Sheldon
Principal
Lakewood Elementary School
Cloquet - Kristen Vake
Executive Director
Iron Mining Association of Minnesota
Chisholm
Maada’ookiing Advisory Board
A board of Tribal nation representatives and other Native American leaders from this region advises the Maada’ookiing program and approves its grant funding.
- 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
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
Loan Program Technical Advisory Committee
Regional financing professionals help analyze proposed loans before moving on to final approval by our Board of Trustees.
- Chad Curren
National Bank of Commerce - Brian Forcier
Titanium Partners - Greg Hoag
Security State Bank of Hibbing - Carter Karpinnen
First National Bank of Moose Lake - Jaron Larson
North Shore Bank - Connor Randall
Bell Bank - Lisa Wigand
Bremer Bank (retired)
Youth in Philanthropy Advisory Board
Student members and adult representatives of the Youth In Philanthropy Board help approve grants to children-and-youth led projects throughout our region.
Youth Members
- Olivia Allen, Chair
Two Harbors - Jackson Strand, Vice Chair
Superior - Rizal Howes, Secretary/Treasurer
Cloquet - Alaena Happ Furo
Two Harbors - Rosemary Huddleston
Two Harbors - Annika Lahti
Cherry - Arwen Levar
Cherry - Seth Parkin
Aitkin - Neela Piri
Barnum - Lila Sakuray
Superior - Joey Wallace
Hermantown - Owen Weyer
Aitkin
Adult Representatives
- 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
Emeritus Trustee Group
A group of past Trustees as well as our former President stay connected to the foundation and champion its mission.
- Lisa Bodine
- Dave Clusiau
- Jeff Corey
- Ed Crawford
- Lynn Goerdt
- Bill Hansen
- Cindy Hansen
- Edwina Hertzberg
- Jason Hollinday
- Mary Ives
- Trent Janezich
- Ken Johnson
- Lisa Kruse
- Nevada Littlewolf
- Scott Martin
- Angie Miller
- Antoinette Monster
- Shaye Moris
- Nancy Aaronson Norr
- Allen Rasmussen
- Diane Rauschenfels
- Tom Renier, President Emeritus
- Tom Rider
- Joe Sertich
- Chuck Walt
- Ed Zabinski