Minnesota Council on Foundations Elects New Board Officers, Directors

Source: Minnesota Council on Foundations 02/07/2012

(Feb. 7, 2012) – The Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF), a regional association of grantmakers, has elected new board officers and directors.

Officers elected for 2012 are: Kevin Walker, president and CEO of Northwest Area Foundation was elected board chair; Carolyn Roby, vice president, Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota, was elected vice chair; Kari Suzuki, director of operations, Otto Bremer Foundation, was elected secretary; and Nancy Nelson, vice president, chief actuary, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Minnesota, was elected treasurer.

New directors elected to three-year terms ending in 2014 are: Brad Kruse, program director, Hugh J. Andersen Foundation; Gary Nan Tie, trustee, Jerome Foundation; and Tim Thorpe, trustee, James R. Thorpe Foundation. Walker; Suzuki; Mark Hiemenz, partner relations officer, Minnesota Philanthropy Partners; and Mark Lindberg, director of relief, recovery and development, Margaret A. Cargill Foundation, were each elected to a second three-year term. LaTresse Snead, community relations team lead, Tastefully Simple, was elected to fill a vacancy; her term will end in 2013.

New mission, vision and strategic plan

MCF also announced adoption of a new mission and vision. The new mission is: MCF expands and strengthens a vibrant community of diverse grantmakers who individually and collectively advance the common good.

The new strategic plan, LEADERSHIP FOR THE FUTURE | 2012-2014, continues MCF’s long-standing commitment to provide outstanding service to members while concurrently advancing new initiatives around diversity and public policy.

 “Minnesota’s persistent racial and economic disparities are a threat to our state’s future prosperity, so the new plan emphasizes philanthropy’s potential to advance equity and work toward common good,” says Bill King, MCF president. “In addition, it highlights the role philanthropists can play in the public arena as roles for government, the private sector and philanthropy continue to shift during challenging economic times.”

About the Minnesota Council on Foundations

The Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF), a regional association of grantmakers, works actively to expand and strengthen a vibrant community of diverse grantmakers who individually and collectively advance the common good. MCF members represent three-quarters of all grantmaking in the state, awarding almost $1 billion to nonprofits annually. Members include family and private independent foundations, community and other public foundations, and corporate foundations and giving programs. For more information, visit www.mcf.org.