2025-2026
Our 2025-2026 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.
Our board and staff remember Roy Smith, who died of cancer a few short months after being elected Board Chair. Roy lived in Hibbing and worked as the Director of Education & Talent Development with the Department of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation and Minnesota North College. He was a beloved husband and father, a respected regional workforce and economic development champion, and a cherished mentor and friend.
Sumair Sheikh, ChairExecutive Director
LISC Duluth
Duluth
Mary Harrelson, Vice ChairLicensed Psychologist (retired)
Grand Portage Reservation
Jamie Adams, TreasurerEconomic Development Planner
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Cloquet/Solon Springs
Ashley Hall, SecretaryDevelopment Coordinator, Rainy Lake Medical Center
and Owner, Evolve U Fitness & Wellness
International Falls
Ben BenoitProject Administrator
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Cohasset
Elena FoshayDirector of Workforce Development
City of Duluth
Duluth
Rachel HedlundEly Education and Outreach Manager
Friends of the Boundary Waters
Ely
Tia MarieOwner
Smoke on the Water
Grand Rapids
Peter McDermott, Immediate Past ChairRetired
Grand Rapids
Rick RevoirVice President of Advancement and Professor
College of St. Scholastica
Duluth
Darren SheldonPrincipal
Lakewood Elementary School
Cloquet
Kristen VakeExecutive 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.
Shane DriftDistrict I Representative
Bois Forte Tribal Council
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Mary HarrelsonGichionigaming Akiing Gichigami Anishinabeg
Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
April McCormickSecretary/Treasurer
Gichionigaming
Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Jaylen StrongBois 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.
Shannon BenolkenVice President/Banking Officer
Park State Bank
Chad CurranVice President Commerical Lending
National Bank of Commerce
Greg HoagCommercial Lender
Security State Bank of Hibbing
Carter KarpinnenCommercial Lender
First National Bank of Moose Lake
Ryan MalichExecutive Director of Development
Iron Range Resource & Rehabilitation
Connor RandallCommercial Banker
Bell Bank
Aleisha TaylorSenior Vice President of Business Services
TruStar Federal Credit Union
Youth In Philanthropy Advisory Board
Student members and adult representatives of the Youth In Philanthropy Board help review and approve grants to children-and-youth led projects throughout our region.
Youth Members
Jackson Strand, ChairSuperior
Rosemary Huddleston, Vice ChairTwo Harbors
Lili Sakuray, Secretary/TreasurerSuperior
Annika Lahti, PhotographerCherry
Arwen Levar, PhotographerCherry
Elizabeth NiemiMesabi East
Ally OlmsteadMesabi East
Adrianna PotterDuluth
Joey WallaceHermantown
Keaira WillisDuluth
Adult Mentors
Jamie AdamsEconomic Development Planner, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Rachel DohertyAgriculture Teacher & Farm2School Coordinator, Mesabi East Schools
Brad FlynnProgrammer Analyst, ALLETE
Anne ParishOut-of-School Time Coordinator, Denfeld High School
Tim StratiotiBranch Director, Superior, Boys & Girls Club of the Northland
Emeritus Trustee Group
A group of past Trustees as well as our former President stay connected to the foundation and support its mission. We are indebted to them for their past leadership and ongoing support.
Cindy Anderson Bina
Lisa Bodine
Dave Clusiau
Jeff Corey
Eddie 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