Leadership

Executive Leadership Team

  • Kent Whitworth, Director and Chief Executive Officer
  • Melanie Adams, Senior Director, Guest Experience & Education Services
  • Joe Horse Capture, Director, Native American Initiatives
  • Jennifer Jones, Senior Director, Collections & Research Services and Plank Chair in Library, Archives, and Collections
  • Andrea Kajer, Senior Director, External Relations
  • Doug Marty, Chief Information Officer & Senior Director of Earned Revenue
  • Brenda Raney, Interim Chief Development Officer
  • Chris Taylor, Director, Inclusion & Community Engagement and Chief Inclusion Officer
  • Cindy Williamson, Interim Chief Financial Officer

    • Governing Board

    Officers

    • Phyllis Rawls Goff, President
    • Kent Whitworth, Secretary
    • William D. Green, Vice President
    • David Hakensen, Vice President
    • Dan Schmechel, Treasurer
    • William R. Stoeri, Immediate Past President

    Executive Council

    • Cawo Abdi
    • Eric Ahlness
    • Ford Bell
    • Suzanne Blue
    • Kurt BlueDog
    • Barbara Burwell
    • Grant Davis
    • Michael Davis
    • Mitch Davis
    • Michael Farnell
    • Thomas Forsythe
    • Phyllis Rawls Goff
    • William Green
    • David Hakensen
    • MayKao Hang
    • Dennis Lamkin
    • Jean Larson
    • Monica Little
    • Richard Nash
    • Joe Nayquonabe
    • Peter Reyes, Jr.
    • Dan Schmechel
    • William Stoeri
    • Bo Thao-Urabe
    • Anton Treuer
    • Ben Vander Kooi
    • Eleanor Winston
    • Warren Zaccaro

    Ex-Officio

    • Mark Dayton, Governor
    • Michelle Fischbach, Lieutenant Governor
    • Steve Simon, Secretary of State
    • Lori Swanson, Attorney General
    • Rebecca Otto, State Auditor

    Emeritus Council

    • D. H. Ankeny, Jr.+
    • Nina M. Archabal+
    • Charles W. Arnason+
    • Annette Atkins+
    • Sharon Avent+
    • Bruce W. Bean+
    • Gretchen U. Beito+
    • Diane Berthel
    • Kathleen Blatz
    • Robert Bruininks
    • John A. Cochrane
    • Judith S. Corson
    • Mark Davis+
    • Charlton Dietz+
    • D. Stephen Elliott
    • Harold A. Frederick
    • Ram Gada
    • James T. Hale
    • Stanley S. Hubbard 
    • Karen A. Humphrey+
    • Ruth S. Huss
    • Lucy R. Jones+
    • Sylvia Kaplan+
    • Elizabeth S. MacMillan+
    • Charles Mahar
    • Susan B. McCarthy
    • Malcolm W. McDonald
    • Donald C. McIlrath+
    • Pierce A. McNally
    • William C. Melton+
    • Grant J. Merritt
    • Joseph S. Micallef+
    • Dean Nelson
    • Richard H. Nicholson
    • Elizabeth M. Nordlie
    • Peter Reis
    • Mark Ritchie
    • Kennon V. Rothchild+
    • Janet R. Shapiro+
    • Susan Kenny Stevens
    • Edward Stringer
    • Karen Wilson Thissen
    • Missy Staples Thompson
    • Kathy H. Tunheim
    • Paul A. Verret+

    Honorary Council

    • Lowell C. Anderson
    • Russell Anderson
    • D. H. Ankeny, Jr.+
    • Nina M. Archabal+
    • Charles W. Arnason+
    • Annette Atkins+
    • Sharon Avent+
    • Earl Bakken
    • Bruce W. Bean+
    • Gretchen U. Beito+
    • Ford W. Bell
    • Mark Davis+
    • Charlton Dietz+
    • Hiram M. Drache
    • Elizabeth S. Driscoll
    • Richard L. Ferrell
    • Michael J. Fox
    • Ram Gada+
    • Karen A. Humphrey+
    • John Huss
    • Ruth Huss+
    • Lucy R. Jones+
    • Sylvia Kaplan+
    • Alexandra (Sandy) Klas
    • Robert C. Klas
    • Colles Larkin
    • John Larkin
    • Elizabeth S. MacMillan+
    • Donald C. McIlrath+
    • Peg Meier
    • William C. Melton+
    • Joseph S. Micallef+
    • Richard Moe
    • Walter F. Mondale
    • Larry G. Osnes
    • Fred Perez
    • Kennon V. Rothchild+
    • Ramedo J. Saucedo
    • Jeff Savage
    • Janet R. Shapiro+
    • Robert J. Sivertsen
    • F. L. Spanier
    • Paul A. Verret+
    • Gerald Vizenor
    • Vernell Wabasha

    + Emeritus and Honorary Council Member