Minnesota Citizens for the Arts

MCA Staff

	Sheila M. Smith has been Minnesota Citizens for the Art’s Executive Director since 1996. She is currently part of the leadership team for “Vote Yes Minnesota,” a campaign to pass a constitutional amendment for clean water, land conservation and cultural resources. She also recently served as a Public Policy Consultant for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and is part of MCN’s Public Policy Cabinet. Before joining MCA, Smith served as staff at the Minnesota State Senate and lobbied local governments for Continental Airlines in Houston, TX. Smith serves as Chair of the State Arts Action League, part of Americans for the Arts. She received a Master’s degree in Arts Administration from St. Mary’s University and has a B.A. in Shakespeare from St. Olaf College. She also teaches and lectures, both statewide and nationally, about the arts, grassroots advocacy, and other issues. Appointed by the Governor in 2002 to the Capitol Area Architectural Planning Board, she is former Chair of the Friends of the Minnesota State Capitol, advocating to preserve the state’s most important historic building. She is also a proud member of Minnesota’s 2008 champion WorldQuest team, an international affairs trivia competition of the World Affairs Councils of America.
	Mark Albers became MCA’s Operations Manager in November, 2007, after serving as MCA’s Fieldworker and Communications Intern. He graduated from St. Cloud State University in 2005 with a degree in Political Science and Public Relations. Before his time at MCA, he served as an Intern with Senator Steve Murphy at the Minnesota Legislature.
	Lawrence M. Redmond is contracted by MCA as a lobbyist. President of Redmond Associates, Inc., Redmond has lobbied at the Minnesota Legislature for more than 30 years. Formerly a State Senate staffer, and later an aide to Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, Redmond has worked with MCA since 1977.

Board of Directors

	Maxine Adams, At-Large Greater Minnesota member, is Executive Director of the Lake Region Arts Council in Fergus Falls. She has experience supporting both visual and literary arts in Fergus Falls and Moorhead. She helped to start the Cabin Fever Writers Festival in Fergus Falls. For 4 years, Adams was the American Cancer Society’s Regional Advocacy Director for Minnesota, working on grassroots activities at the state and federal level. Of joining the MCA board, Adams says “I believe there are great opportunities to build a stronger tie between our elected officials and their constituents around the issue of supporting the arts. I would like to be a part of that work in my area of the state.” She is also an avid photographer and writer.
	Sandra Agustín is currently the Artistic Director of the Neighborhood House on the West Side of St. Paul and is an independent arts and civic dialogue consultant. She was formerly the Artistic Director at Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis, MN, and adjunct faculty at Augsburg College where she taught modern dance and improvisation. Ms. Agustín holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance Therapy from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Trained in the Hanya Holm/Nikolais aesthetic of modern dance Ms. Agustín has danced and toured professionally since 1984 throughout the Midwest and in Mexico City. She is an Artistic Core member of Mu Performing Arts, a choreographer for SteppingStone Children’s Theater, and Augsburg Theater. Sandra (Sandy) has served as a panelist for the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, the Minnesota State Arts Board, Jerome Foundation, Center for Arts Criticism, the Diverse Visions Regional Grant Program, and Dancer Pool panel through the Minnesota Dance Alliance.
	Sandy Boren-Barrett has worked at Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins since 1990, where she is currently Artistic Director and CEO. Boren-Barrett has directed numerous adult and youth performances and has taught middle school and high school art and drama courses. She obtained a Grade 7-12 Theatre Arts education certification from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and a BA in Speech and Drama with an emphasis on Directing and Performance from Huntingdon College.
	Beth Burns has been an Organizational Metro member since 1997. Her work in marketing, communications and PR included staff positions with the University of St. Thomas, MacPhail Center, Children’s Theatre Company, and the Guthrie Theatre. She has served on funding panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, South Dakota Arts Council and MRAC, and frequently serves as a speaker and presenter for arts management-related topics.
	Region 11 Metro member Carolyn Bye is Director of the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. She has spent the past 25 years working in the Twin Cities’ arts and non-profit community. She has served on the staff of the Guthrie Theater, the Playwrights’ Center, the Penumbra Theatre and Film in the Cities. As an independent consultant, she has worked with corporate and foundation funders in grant review and program planning. She led a year-long study of the City of Minneapolis’ arts policies and formulated recommendations for the City’s Cultural Plan in the report. Bye has a B.S. in Theater and English and a Masters in Arts Administration. Bye has been on MCA’s Board since 1994 and previously served on the Executive Committee.
	Hal Cropp represents Region Ten Greater Minnesota. Hal has been the Executive Director of Commonweal Theatre Company in Lanesboro for the past eleven years, as well as an actor/director/teacher with the company. He serves on the Southeast Minnesota Art Council’s Board of Directors and has been a theatre panelist for the State Arts Board for the past ten years. Hal has been a Lanesboro City Council Member and currently serves as Vice President of the Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce. This is Hal’s second tour of duty on the MCA board.
	Barbara Darland, Marketing Director for the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, is excited to represent the city of Duluth on MCA’s board. She is especially interested in the education and awareness aspects of the upcoming Cultural Heritage Constitutional Amendment ballot initiative campaign. In addition to her work at the DSSO, Darland has been a board member of the Sacred Heart Music Center for over five years.
	Greater Minnesota Organizational member Sean Dowse is a past MCA Board President. Dowse has an exemplary dedication to the arts. He has served as Executive Director of the T.B. Sheldon Theatre, a board member for the Anderson Center and Red Wing Arts Association, a director of community theater productions and high school musicals, an arts educator, and a fundraiser for local arts activities. Dowse believes that the arts are a vital element of local community building, and that government should be a partner in nurturing an enlightened and engaged electorate. He has been a member of the board since 1997.
	Craig Dunn, Metro Organizational member, has been active as a board member and Executive Director of VSA Arts of Minnesota since 1992. In addition to this work, he serves as a committee member of the Arts Education Consortium of Minnesota and as choral director for the Merry Music Makers, a group of mentally disabled adults primarily residing in Anoka County. He has been a participant in MCA’s annual Arts Advocacy Days at the Capitol in addition to lobbying our congressional delegation in Washington D.C. during VSA Art’s national conferences. Dunn joined the MCA Board in 1998.
	Brenda Flintrop, Region Nine Greater Minnesota member, has served as Executive Director of the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, Waseca for the past 13 years. From 2000-2004 Flintrop served on the Waseca City Council and was a board member of the Waseca Area Tourism and Visitors Bureau. She also served on the Waseca Community Education Advisory Council, encouraging them to host Prairie Fire Children’s Theater for several years and is active with the Chamber of Commerce. Flintrop also served as Arts Director for the Region 9 Development Commission from 1989-1993 and was a Network Consultant for COMPAS from 1994-1996. She has been active in legislative issues as well, providing information in PLRAC’s newsletter and mailings about MCA’s activities; and educating her region about working with legislators.Flintrop’s knowledge of the arts community’s needs in South Central Minnesota, as well as her skills in nonprofit management, problem-solving, advocacy and leadership, makes her an asset to the MCA Board.
	Kathleen Hansen, Metro At Large member, is the Managing Director of The Saint Paul Conservatory of Music in downtown St. Paul and a professor of arts administration at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She has been involved with arts education advocacy for many years, both as a teacher and program administrator, in Michigan, Minnesota and Japan. Hansen is also a freelance musician, playing flute in classical orchestras and woodwinds in pit orchestras around the metro area. She has been a very active member of MCA and hopes to help increase participation of young artists and arts supporters in both MCA and national arts initiatives.
	Charlene Hudgins, currently the Managing Artistic Director of the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre, has been with the organization for 9 years. In addition, she created and manages Northern Prairie Performing Arts, a professional touring company. She has formerly served for six years on the Lake Agassiz Arts Council with 2 of those years as President and 3 as Chair of the Advocacy Committee. Hudgins has served 4 years on the North Dakota Arts Alliance/Alliance for Arts in Education Board and served for 2 years on the board of North Dakota Association of Non-profit Organizations. She is especially interested in arts advocacy and has attended Advocacy Days in both North Dakota and Minnesota.
	Amy Hunter, Region 3 Greater Minnesota representative from Staples, is a Program Coordinator for the Freshwater Education District Schools in Central MN and works in the areas of Community Education, School Age Child Care, MN ENABL (a teen pregnancy prevention program), GCT (Gifted, Creative, and Talented) and Drug and Violence Prevention. She serves on the Staples Motley Area Arts Council and sings in the Staples Area Women’s Chorus. She has been active in theater as an actress, production support crew member, and a director. Amy is also a Personal and Professional Coach and Consultant specializing in facilitating individual growth through staff development within professional organizations and in the community. Hunter has been involved in many community arts initiatives over the years and was previously on the MCA board in the 1990’s.
	Region 1 Greater Minnesota member Jim Kent is a retired music educator from the Crookston Public Schools, where he continues to work part time. He is presently an adjunct instructor with the University of Minnesota,Crookston in the Music Department. As a long-time active member of his local arts community, Kent served as president of theCrookston Civic Music League for many years, is presently president of the Valley Crossing Arts Council, and is a founding member and president of the Pirate Fine Arts Boosters, an organization whose purpose is to support arts programs in Crookston Public Schools. In 2002 he was awarded “Outstanding Community Supporter for the Arts and Academics” at the first annual Arts and Academics banquet held in Crookston. He and his wife Sandi live in Crookston. They have two grown children.
	Jon Limbacher is an organizational representative of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, where he is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to his work in Minnesota, Limbacher was the Director of Development at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Associate Director of Development at the Cleveland Orchestra. His vast experience in arts administration paired with his academic background in Political Science make Limbacher a perfect fit for MCA’s board.
	David Marty, Greater Minnesota At-Large member, has been President & CEO of the Reif Arts Council in Grand Rapids, Minnesota since 1996. He is on the board of the MCN (Minnesota Council of Nonprofits), and is active with both Minnesota Presenters Network and the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council. In Grand Rapids, Marty is extensively involved with the Chamber of Commerce, Visit Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Players and the Rotary Club, and is active both on and off the stage. Years ago he worked with arts organizations in Holland and Grand Rapids, Michigan, and in North Dakota, and once taught arts appreciation classes in Vienna, Austria. Marty’s extensive work in community-based arts organizations around the world helps him recognize the importance of public support for the arts.
	Carla McGrath, Metro At Large member, is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Highpoint Center for Printmaking in Minneapolis. Prior to starting Highpoint, she was Art Lab Coordinator at the Walker Art Center in the Dept. of Education and Community Programs. She has a J.D. from Hamline University School of Law and has worked with a variety of politically active attorneys. McGrath works with a diverse arts community to bring hands-on art-making experiences to a broad audience, and is dedicated to finding as many ways as possible to help people discover why art does make a difference in their lives. “Serving on the board of MCA is another important way I am able to promote and support art in the lives of Minnesotans.” She has served as a panelist for the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and is an Advisory Board Member of Interact Center for Visual and Performing Arts.
	Margaret Miller is the founder and Executive Director of the Textile Center in Minneapolis. Her experience as an arts leader, as well as a past volunteer for various political campaigns, makes her a great addition to MCA’s board. When asked why she was interested in being a part of MCA, Miller stated, “I want to contribute to securing the state’s commitment to the arts into the future. Minnesota has a rich culture because of the arts and I believe that it is incumbent upon us to continue this heritage.”
	Metro organization member John Nuechterlein is the President and CEO of American Composers Forum, a national organization based in St. Paul. His service in the field of music spans 30 years. In addition to his work with MCA, Nuechterlein has been an active member of the Arts and Culture Partnership in St. Paul for five years, an MSAB panelist for two years, and is a current Board Member of the Minneapolis-based vocal ensemble Cantus. He works closely with several other arts organizations in collaborative programming. Nuechterlein looks forward to becoming more involved in the political process as an advocate and Board Member with MCA.
	Metro At Large member Michael-jon Pease is Director of External Relations at Park Square Theatre in Saint Paul. He also serves on the COMPAS board and on the grants review panel for Southeast Minnesota Arts Council, who recognized him as its 1999 Arts Administrator of the Year.
	Rebecca Petersen represents Region Four Greater Minnesota. Rebecca is the Executive Director of A Center for the Arts in Fergus Falls. She is also an Early Childhood teacher, a board member of the Fargo Moorhead Symphony, and is a private violin and piano teacher. Petersen has also been involved with the Minnesota Alliance for Arts in Education, the MacPhail Center for the Arts, the Fergus Falls United Way, and the Courage Center. She also performs on the violin regularly with a variety of Greater Minnesota and Twin Cities orchestral organizations. A graduate of the University of Vermont with a degree in music, she has received the Sally Ordway Irvine Award, a Bush Fellowship and a Jerome Travel Study Grant. Petersen has been with MCA’s Board since 1998.
	Mary Ann Pulk, Metro Organization member is the Managing Director of VocalEssence. She was formerly the Executive Director of the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Boys Choir in Arizona, and has an extensive background in performing arts management, arts education and advocacy. At Stanford University, she participated in the inaugural class of the national Executive Nonprofit Leadership training program for arts administrators. She served on the Advisory Committee to develop the Minneapolis Plan for Arts and Culture, co-chaired the Sponsorship committee for Minneapolis MOSAIC, and is a member of the Minnesota Womens Economic Roundtable. She was a recent faculty member for two of Chorus America’s national Chorus Management Institutes and performs as an oboist with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.
	At-large Greater Minnesota member Chris Rasmussen was a high school art teacher in the Foley Public School system for 34 years. A long time local arts advocate and current member of the Central Minnesota State Arts Board, Rasmussen brings vast political experience to MCA; she has served as Chair of the Benton County DFL for over 20 years and has been an active participant in the legislative activities of Education Minnesota. “I would like to continue my involvement in promoting the arts for our schools and communities. My teaching was dedicated to the importance of the arts for my students and our society. Since my retirement, I feel becoming a part of MCA it is the next stage in my development as an arts advocate.”
	Metro Organizational member and MCA Board President Michael Robins founded the Illusion Theater in 1974 and currently serves as its Executive Producing Director. He has guided the company as it produced more than 100 world premieres, bringing the work of a diverse and important group of American artists to the state. In addition to directing, Robins has authored or co-authored eight original plays. He also co-adapted and directed two Illusion film projects, including TOUCH, featuring Lindsay Wagner. An original member of the Twin Cities Arts Over AIDS committee, Robins has served as a panel member for United Arts, the Minnesota Dance Alliance and the Minnesota State Arts Board’s Cultural Pluralism Task Force. He has also studied in France with Etienne Decroux, the father of modern mime. Robins has served on MCA’s Board since 1995.
	Leslie Schumacher, Greater MN At Large member, is the Executive Director of the Central Minnesota Arts Board. She is a freelance artist, and a former Minnesota legislator (eight years in the House of Representatives). While in the Legislature she served on the K- 12 finance division, Education policy committee, the Agriculture policy committee and the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR). She studied art and psychology at St. Cloud State University. Her hobbies include drawing, writing, camping, hunting and Tae Kwon Do. She is well known throughout the district for her articulate and persuasive advocacy for the arts. She says “I believe in the mission and activities of MCA and believe I can bring value to the board.”
	Rick Shiomi, Metro Organizational member, has been the Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts since 1993. A prolific theater artist, Rick has written, directed and collaborated on artistic projects with Steppingstone Theatre, Intermedia Arts, the Southern Theater, Ordway Center for Performing Arts, Mixed Blood Theater, the East West Players of Los Angeles, the Asian American Theater Co. of San Francisco, and Pan Asian Repertory in New York, among others. He was Script Writer and Story Editor for several Canadian television projects. Founder and Artistic Director of Mu Daiko, Mr. Shiomi has directed and composed many works for Japanese drums. A winner of numerous awards and commissions, Rick was on the board of the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council for six years and has been a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, MSAB, MRAC and the Jerome Foundation.
	Organizational Metro representative Ann Morelli Spencer of Bloomington served on the board of the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council for 6 years, including serving as a member of the Council’s Liaison Committee and as Board Chair. Spencer is active in arts organizations in her community, currently serving on the board of the North Star Opera. She has a particular interest in ensuring that suburban communities have opportunities for local arts activity. A graduate of Oberlin College and Harvard Law School, she is also an attorney with her own practice in Bloomington.
	At-large Greater Minnesota member Amy Stearns manages the Historic Holmes Theatre in Detroit Lakes. A graduate of Augustana College and the University of St. Thomas’ MBA program, she has had the opportunity to work throughout the United States and abroad for both nonprofit and Fortune 500 companies. Currently, she and her husband have chosen to live in the beautiful lakes area of Minnesota to raise their children. Stearns is an advocate for other nonprofit organizations in Detroit Lakes, recently helped save and renovate the DL Pavilion, and is actively involved in the Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Presenters’ Network, Detroit Lakes Noon Rotary Club, and Rossman Elementary School. She believes the arts are vital to the sustainability of rural areas and the quality of life in our state.
	At-Large Metro member George Sutton, an arts consultant in Minneapolis, is the former Managing Director of the Jungle Theatre. Sutton led the Jungle’s successful fundraising effort for a new theater location in Minneapolis, including lobbying the Minnesota Legislature for bonding funds. Sutton is a tireless advocate for the arts, having served on the MCA Board since 1994. He is also currently a member of the Minnesota State Arts Board.
	Sheila Terryll, At-Large Metro member, is the principal consultant at Strategic Development Consulting for Non-Profits. Her involvement in the arts community has been broad: she has worked with Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre, Minnesota Center for Book Arts and the Open Book capital campaign, and the Minnesota State Arts Board. Terryll has been politically active as well, working on several local, state and national campaigns and as the Affirmative Action Chair for the Chisago County DFL. Terryll is passionate about the work of MCA and the importance of providing arts access to all Minnesotans.
	Amanda Thompson Rundahl joined MCA’s board in 2007. A resident of Braham, Thompson has served as chair of the East Central Arts Council for three consecutive terms, representing Isanti County from 2001-2007 and as an emeritus board member since 2007. In addition, she has worked in the Education Division at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts since 1998. She notes: “I have the unique perspective of living in rural Minnesota while working in the Metro and am involved in the arts community in both places. I want to do everything I can to help ensure that the arts are available and accessible to every Minnesotan they are a critical piece of our state’s culture and heritage!”
	Ben Vander Kooi Jr. is an attorney and DFL activist from Luverne in Southwestern Minnesota. He is President of Blue Mound Area Theatre, the non-profit organization which is restoring the historic Palace Theatre built in 1915 as an all-hemp vaudeville theater and later converted to a movie theater. He also serves on the Council for Arts and Humanities in Rock County, and is a former President of Green Earth Players. He is a Life Trustee of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, and served as President from 1996 to 1997. He has served two non-consecutive terms on the Minnesota State Arts Board, and most recently as Chair from 2000 to 2002.
	Bill Venne, Metro Organization representative, is the Director of Development for the Graduate School at the University of Minnesota. Prior to his current position, he worked at Hennepin Theatre Trust, Ordway Center, The Minnesota Opera, Illusion Theater and the O’Shaughnessy Dance Series. Bill currently serves on the board of Theater Latte Da and is also an evaluator for the Ivey Theatrical Awards. Bill has been a frequent panelist for the Minnesota State Arts Board.
	James Wafler, At-Large Metro member, is President of the Highway Construction Industry Council. He served for nearly 22 years as a staff member for the Minnesota House of Representatives, including nine years as Executive Director of the House Majority Caucus and several years as Executive Director of the Speaker’s Office. Prior to his legislative career, Wafler taught political science for several years in the eastern U.S. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Orchestra and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Wafler has been on MCA’s Board since 1998.
	Region 2 Greater Minnesota member Delina White serves MCA as a member of the Anishinaabe Arts Initiative, has worked as the Cultural Arts and Tourism Director for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and participated as a Cultural Design Team Member for the interior design of the Northern Lights Casino Convention Center and Hotel. Additionally, White is the Artistic Director and Manager of a traditional Native American drum and dance group. Currently a Tribal Grant Writer, White has also worked as the Indian Health Service Self-Governance Planner for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe’s Health Division and has written position papers on behalf of the Tribe to Congressional Committee members and the U.S. President.
	Daniel Zielske, Greater Minnesota At-Large. Dan has worked throughout Greater Minnesota. “If our state is to remain competitive with the rest of the world we need to attract the best and brightest companies and individuals to live among us. To do this, we need a well-funded arts community. I am confident MCA can make that difference.”

Board Members: Click here to visit the MCA Board of Directors webpage.