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Leadership & Governance

Leadership & Governance

Leadership Teams | Executive Council | Emeritus and Honorary Councils

Leadership Teams

Leadership team

Kent Whitworth Kent Whitworth

Director and CEO

Brian Juntti Brian Juntti

Executive Vice President, Mission Enablement

Avi Viswanathan Avi Viswanathan

Executive Vice President, Mission Delivery

David Kelliher David Kelliher

Vice President, Public Policy & Government Relations

Kevin Maijala Kevin Maijala

Vice President, Education & Initiatives

Jack Matheson Jack Matheson

Vice President, Strategy

Jennifer Pogatchnik Jennifer Pogatchnik

Vice President, Advancement

Nicole Tuescher Nicole Tuescher

Vice President, People & Culture and General Counsel

Divisional leadership team

  • Marais Bjornberg
    Senior Director, Capital Planning & Archaeology
  • Mackenson Cange
    Senior Director, Technology Services
  • Benjamin Filene
    Senior Advisor for Interpretive Initiatives
  • Christine Jones
    Senior Director, Experience Development
  • Ben Leonard
    Senior Director, Historic Sites & Operations
  • Rose Miron
    Senior Director, Library, Archives, & Collections
  • Laura Reller
    Senior Director, Integrated Marketing Communications
  • Kimmy Tanaka
    Senior Director, Inclusion, Outreach, & Community Engagement

Executive Council

The Executive Council is the Minnesota Historical Society’s governing body.

The Executive Council meets roughly once per quarter. Requests for meeting information or to address the Executive Council may be submitted to informationrequest@mnhs.org.

Officers

  • Thomas M. Forsythe - Minneapolis
    President
  • Krista E. O’Malley - St. Paul
    Vice President and Treasurer
  • Kent Whitworth - White Bear Lake
    Secretary
  • Peter M. Reyes, Jr. - Roseville
    Immediate Past President

Elected members

  • Lisa P. Bayley - Red Wing
  • Ford W. Bell - Wayzata
  • Alicia M. Belton - Minneapolis
  • Sharon Sayles Belton - Minneapolis
  • M. Mitchell Davis - St. Peter
  • Joanell M. Dyrstad - Red Wing
  • Carolyn M. Essig - Sartell
  • Stephanie L. Fehr - Edina
  • Jesse Bethke Gomez - St. Paul
  • Stephanie J.S. Harbott - Crookston
  • Dustin B. Heckman - Two Harbors
  • Elizabeth Driscoll Hlavka - Minneapolis
  • Bridget A. Larson-Lindner - Warroad
  • Linda Brekke Mona - Edina
  • Jennifer J. Murray - Mahtomedi
  • Richard C. Nash - New Prague
  • John Pacheco Jr. - Minneapolis
  • Diana L. Schutter - Mendota Heights
  • Daniel W. Shogren - North Oaks
  • Roger J. Sit - Wayzata
  • Anton S. Treuer - Bemidji
  • John R. Tunheim - Stillwater
  • Noelle P. Turner - Minneapolis
  • Kyle R. Ward - Mankato
  • Gwen N. Westerman - Good Thunder

Ex Officio members

According to state law, Minnesota’s constitutional officers also serve as members of the Executive Council:

  • Julie Blaha, State Auditor
  • Keith Ellison, Attorney General
  • Peggy Flanagan, Lieutenant Governor
  • Steve Simon, Secretary of State
  • Tim Walz, Governor

Emeritus and Honorary Councils

Emeritus Council

The Minnesota Historical Society’s Emeritus Council is an honorific group recognizing and maintaining connection with distinguished former members of the Executive Council. Emeritus Council members are elected to lifelong terms by the Executive Council.

  • Nina M. Archabal+
  • Charles W. Arnason+
  • Annette Atkins+
  • Sharon Avent+
  • Bruce W. Bean+
  • Gretchen U. Beito+
  • Diane Berthel
  • Kathleen Blatz
  • Suzanne Blue
  • Robert Bruininks
  • Barbara E. Burwell
  • Judith S. Corson
  • Grant W. Davis
  • Mark Davis+
  • Michael J. Davis
  • D. Stephen Elliott
  • Richard E. Engebretson
  • Michael B. Farnell
  • Ram Gada+
  • Phyllis Rawls Goff+
  • Dr. William Green+
  • David R. Hakensen
  • James T. Hale
  • MayKao Y. Hang
  • Stanley S. Hubbard
  • Karen A. Humphrey+
  • Ruth S. Huss
  • Lucy R. Jones+
  • Sylvia Kaplan+
  • Dennis L. Lamkin
  • Jean M. Larson
  • Monica Little
  • Elizabeth S. MacMillan+
  • Charles Mahar
  • Susan B. McCarthy
  • William C. Melton+
  • Joseph S. Micallef+
  • Dean M. Nelson
  • Richard H. Nicholson
  • Elizabeth M. Nordlie
  • Peter R. Reis
  • Mark Ritchie
  • Susan Kenny Stevens
  • William R. Stoeri+
  • Edward C. Stringer
  • Bo Thao-Urabe
  • Karen Wilson Thissen
  • Daniel J. Schmechel
  • Missy Staples Thompson
  • Kathy H. Tunheim
  • Benjamin Vander Kooi
  • Eleanor C. Winston
  • Warren J. Zaccaro

Honorary Council

The Minnesota Historical Society’s Honorary Council recognizes individuals who through their good works have given extraordinary service related to the mission of MNHS. Honorary Council nominees are developed by the Executive Council and elected by the membership of MNHS to lifelong terms.

  • Lowell C. Anderson
  • Marvin R. Anderson
  • Nina M. Archabal+
  • Charles W. Arnason+
  • Annette Atkins+
  • Sharon Avent+
  • Bruce W. Bean+
  • Gretchen U. Beito+
  • Ford W. Bell
  • S. K. Dash
  • Mark Davis+
  • Elizabeth S. Driscoll
  • Dennis Dvorak
  • Richard L. Ferrell
  • Michael J. Fox
  • Ram Gada+
  • Phyllis Rawls Goff+
  • Dr. William Green+
  • Karen A. Humphrey+
  • John Huss
  • Ruth Huss+
  • Josie R. Johnson
  • Dr. Maureen Kelly Jonason
  • Lucy R. Jones+
  • Sylvia Kaplan+
  • Colles Larkin
  • Lynn Lohr
  • Robert C. Mack
  • Elizabeth S. MacMillan+
  • Terry McGibbon
  • Peg Meier
  • William C. Melton+
  • Joseph S. Micallef+
  • Stephen Nelson
  • Larry G. Osnes
  • Donald G. Patton
  • Fred Perez
  • Mark Peterson
  • Ramedo J. Saucedo
  • Jeff Savage
  • Barbara W. Sommer
  • William R. Stoeri+
  • Gerald Vizenor
  • Vernell Wabasha
  • Jeanette E. Warner
  • Annette M. Whaley
  • Mary Lethert Wingerd

    + Emeritus and Honorary
    Council Member