The Issues
& Proposed
Solutions
The issues are complex
but not insurmountable.
Rein in big tech
A growing body of research questions 1:1 device use in schools — yet we continue to introduce iPads with headphones starting in Kindergarten.
EdTech in Classrooms
Special Education
Focus on Quality
Teaching vacancies, budget cuts, and disproportionality rightly capture attention. We must also focus on the quality and consistency of the education and experience that MPS delivers.
Enrollment Decline
Focus on Growth
We must expect more than managed decline. Focus on retention and growth leads to better outcomes, now and in the future. When we gain a student, we gain a family. Family by family, we build our community schools.
Financial Crisis
In-depth Oversight & Legislative Advocacy
From staffing to transportation to food, all costs are rising. All while state and federal dollars decline. Financial oversight and MN Legislative advocacy are two of the Board’s most important roles.
Transformation
Beyond the pause, what should we do?
Board members elected this November will inherit next steps for Transformation. Responsible leadership will be essential. Families and educators must be involved in developing lasting, responsible solutions.
School Safety
Prevent violence
MPS could be doing much more to prevent gun and other types of violence through education, more supports in middle and high school, and community building.
Rein in Big Tech
A growing body of research questions 1:1 device use in schools — yet we continue to introduce iPads with headphones starting in Kindergarten.
First: Catch up
End iPad use in early elementary school. Just as Los Angelos has done, eliminate 1:1 devices starting in K-2. Consider expanding ban to 3rd and 4th grades.
Audit, evaluate, and clearly communicate the content controls on any device distributed to students at all grade levels.
Take a prove-it-first approach to all educational software and technology in the classroom. (Rather than take software companies’ word or pursue a technology for technology’s sake.)
Teach MPS students to use AI judiciously. Help students avoid the addictive and cognitive-numbing downsides of tech. For example, teach techniques to identify AI-generated content, and to write prompts that reduce cognitive offloading.
Prepare for changes in curriculum and related costs.
Next: Build
Introduce tech-light pathway(s) through MPS to give a low-tech alternative to families.
Replace widespread 1:1 device use with computer labs and/or computer carts in schools.
Develop and teach meaningful computer literacy curriculum. Including software for use in analysis and creative expression, teach fundamental skills in typing, talk-to-text, and database research. All with an underlying critical thinking.
What would I be able to do about this issue as a board director?
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Make motions to pull classroom-based technology purchases out of the consent agenda to be discussed publicly.
Persistently raise classroom technology and software use as part of the larger annual budget discussion and approval process.
Be loud and clear in the value we place on our educators, and push against tech companies undermining our schools for profit.
Advocate among Board Directors and Board Leadership to take up intentional tech use in Work Session Meeting(s). Held monthly, these meetings take a deeper dive on a single topic in a public forum.
Remain deeply committed to in hearing directly from parents and educators about their ideas and concerns.
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Beyond what can be accomplished within the MPS Board, I would use my knowledge and role to advocate at the Minnesota Legislature for tech reform in schools.
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I recognize that no one has all the answers on their own.
I continue to be deeply interested in hearing directly from parents and educators about their ideas and concerns.
Together we can identify which current policies can be improved and which new policies are most urgently needed.
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Use budget oversight to examine the cost/benefit analysis of educational software and 1:1 device use at every grade level. Influence board agenda to address parent and educator concerns.
Increase Enrollment
In Minnesota, funding follows students. There’s variation, but we can approximate each student represents $12K-$20K in funding.
We gain or lose $1M with every 50-100 students.
Enrollment retention and gains proposal examples
Policy Change Examples
Eliminate, greatly reduce, or allow parents to opt out of 1:1 device use. An enrollment issue that deserves more attention is parental concern about the gamification of early learning. Momentum against big tech in the classroom is building fast among families, and I believe it’s already shaping enrollment decisions in ways MPS hasn’t caught up to yet.
Relax some of the existing school boundaries that were instituted as part of the disastrous Comprehensive District Design (CDD) of 2021.
Process Improvement Examples
Make Pre-K and Before/Afterschool Childcare easier to understand and all programs easier to enroll. At a minimum, improve the registration process. (Even massive insurance companies compete on ease of registration.)
Simplify program names and view before/after care through the lens of family benefit. High Five, Minneapolis Kids, Continuing Education Summer Programming naming create too many options that are unclear. Parents already have 100+ options for schools. Let’s make picking MPS as simple as possible.
Programatic Expansion and Responsiveness Examples
Over time, build our K-8 options for families. (Seward is a good start.)
Expand high quality PreK. This may include partnering or complementing services provided by Hennepin County and Minneapolis Parks and Recreation.
Incorporate language education and exposure into as many classrooms as possible.
Continue MPS’s important work in helping transition kids from programs like Head Start into MPS kindergarten. Explore how this work could be offered more widely.
Marketing and Communications
Celebrate and promote smaller class sizes. So far, MPS has treated new student caps as a win for the Educators Union and a financial constraint for the District. Smaller class sizes aren’t only great for students and teachers, they are a major selling point for parents.
Reach out to parents early and often. On an encouraging note, MPS’s 9/15 presentation included the importance of reaching out to families at critical decision years, especially a year or two before entrance to elementary, middle, and high school. This is an excellent start.
Cultivate Meaningful Feedback
We must prioritize quality, ongoing feedback from both families and educators. Both groups are fully aware of which districts send buses into Minneapolis to pick up students, which obstacles send parents to other schools, and much more. While there are some feedback mechanisms in place, the method, consistency, and frequency can be improved.
Minnesota public schools have been set up to compete with each other since the 1990s.
Acknowledge, Study, and Counter Our Competition
Open Enrollment gives families massive choice, even beyond the 100 or so schools (public and private) within Minneapolis City limits.
Charter schools have steadily gained in numbers since they were introduced in the late 1990s.
In Minneapolis, approximately 1:3 public school students in Minneapolis go to a charter school.
Not surprisingly, most charters cater to K-8th grade. So essentially putting the greatest competitive pressure on the largest category of schools.
In District 5, the ratio is nearly 50:50
12 Charter Schools
13 Minneapolis Public Schools
So. Many. Schools.
Within Minneapolis, families can choose from 89 free public schools, of which nearly 43% are charters.
Outside of Minneapolis, parents have scores of additional options for free public school. In Minnesota, open enrollment allows families to go to any school district and some opt for St Paul, St. Louis Park, Edina, Richfield and others.
Private schools are also a factor. However, according to the independent demographer that MPS hired in 2025, private schools are not our primary source of competition for students. Open Enrollment creates some loss, but not nearly as much as charter schools.
Guaranteed MPS Experience
In January 2026, MPS announced a vision called the Guaranteed MPS Experience. It emphasizes offering the same sets of electives to all students and fixing most programmatic pathways across elementary, middle and high school. This vision was essentially adopted as part of the Transformation Plan via unanimous Board vote in June 2026.
While a Guaranteed MPS Experience may be a solid internal organizing framework, it doesn’t offer the vision we need.
It’s also not an effective response to charter schools, which offer highly customized programming.
Some of MPS’s greatest success is in allowing schools to be responsive and reflective of their communities. We should be leaning into each school’s unique strengths, and promoting them.
Adopt a Bigger Vision
What we can learn from similar movements
The $15/hour Movement
In 2013, $15/hour sounded audacious to most. For context, the Federal minimum wage has remained stuck at $7.25/hour since 2009.
Instead of starting with an incremental number they thought most realistic, the movement started with what supporting a family actually costs. Then did the slow work of building the support for that number.
In general, MPS seems trapped in an cycle of trying to hit the most immediate budget. It’s not clear whether we know how much fully funded education would cost, or what that return on investment is.
The Childcare for All Movement
We need a big-picture understanding and framing like Childcare for All. They have research that every $1 invested in early education has an up to $17 return on investment.
What are the current costs and benefits of educating Minneapolis’s pre-k, elementary, middle, high school students? What about comprehensive adult education and continuing education programs? In short: what is the real cost and our big-picture value?
Mothers Against Drunk Driving → Moms Demand Action
Moms Demand Action is modeled on M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) in that it works to make change at a cultural/societal level and influence lawmakers. Building up Minneapolis Schools Requires work at the city, county, and state level. In addition, we can interrupt the cycle of managed decline and build advocacy for our schools.
My own statewide communications volunteer work with Moms Demand Action Minnesota Chapter gave me a window into the ever growing strength and persistence of this movement.
No one expects change to happen overnight. Still, we work hard and we expect change.
Minneapolis Parks and Recreation strengths
Okay, so this is not a movement, but we can gain a lot from Parks & Rec’s strengths.
Responding to community need and offering relevant programming
Investing in the Northside and holding firm to fully funding that investment
Making excellent use of their resources, including green space and building space
Gathering community feedback first on a location and hypotheticals, then on a range of specific plans, and then taking a vote.
Proposing the full transformation process: this is the park now, this is where those services will go during construction, here’s how the park will be once complete.
Think Bigger
Some proposals to consider
Offer Dramatically Lower Class Sizes Where the Need Is Greatest
Imagine classes of 13-17 students instead of 24-38. Not only for elementary, but all grades.
You may have seen the New York Times’ summary of most cost-effective interventions. In it, they critique smaller class sizes as a liberal idea that’s immaterial unless class size is reduced substantially. As an alternative, the experts contributing to the article suggest smaller tutoring groups.
Rather than rush to tutoring groups, let’s consider all of what lower class sizes could achieve. In particular, could dramatically lower class sizes chip away at three systemic needs?
1) Academic achievement, based on research.
Tennessee's 4-year longitudinal class-size project called Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR). The study randomly assigned kindergarten through 3rd grade students to classes, comparing small classes of 13–17 with regular classes of 22–25. Cutting class size by about 7 students raised achievement by roughly 3 extra months of schooling, measured four years later. Small-class students were also 2.7 points more likely to go on to college, with bigger gains for Black and low-income students.
2) Better compete with charter schools.
Charters which often tout smaller class sizes in their pitch to families.
3) Provide a powerful tool in supporting under-resourced new teachers.
Teachers in struggling schools tend to be earlier in their career. They generally have far less support than peers at advantaged schools. (Less likely to have the support of veteran teachers, building-wide mentors, school counselors and social workers since those posted positions can go unfilled. Or even a PTO to help defray the expense of classroom set up.)
Smaller classes could mitigate the steep learning curve for newer teachers trying to meet the needs of 15 students instead of 24 or more.
Is this even feasible?
MPS could consider piloting this approach. A lowered class size is something MPS could do within the confines of union contracts, whereas paying teachers differently runs into obstacles.
Would it cost money?
Yes. 80% or more of MPS costs relate to employment costs, so more teachers means greater cost. However, this seems a worthy investment. (No expense was spared in creating the conditions for the achievement gap. Surely, we should invest where our investment is most needed.)
Why consider this
Additional benefits of this idea versus the Transformation Plan and/or doing nothing. This idea:
Is scalable, so can start small and build over time if it proves beneficial.
Avoids the abrupt closure of 13-16 schools and related loss of trust. Instead of losing trust, we could build it.
Has potential to draw in more students, which could mitigate the added cost of investment.
Invests in our teachers as well as our students. Potentially this could reduce staff turnover costs , though the stronger imperative to me is to invest in our educators.
Do you have thoughts or personal experience with this idea or an idea like it? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Negotiate at a Larger Scale
Imagine excellent health care for all Minnesota educators.
Work with the MN Legislature to further an existing plan to provide better, less expensive health benefits for all MN educators. This would be a tremendous support, especially education support professionals (ESPs) who lose the greatest percentage of their take-home pay in healthcare premiums. Some report as much as half of their paycheck goes to health care and the cliff on some plans between individual insurance and family insurance is jaw-dropping.
Right now, schools statewide are barely able to compete with big box stores for take-home salary of Education Support Professionals (ESPs). All educators experience the high cost of insurance, which affects life choices as fundamental as where to live in Minnesota and whether to have children.
This is just one example of better benefits through collective purchasing power. As well as the benefit of positioning MPS as one part of issues that are statewide.
Consider greater opportunities for shared purchasing power.
Whether with Hennepin County, Minneapolis Parks and Rec, or other school districts, we can examine opportunities for combined purchasing power that doesn’t stymie independent operations.
Clearly, there’s a balance. I would not suggest, for example, merging departments. But supplies and services may be worth combined vendor pitches if there’s value at bigger scale.
I’d like to think this is already happening in some places, but it’s difficult to get visibility. As a Board member, I would ask this type of question and not hesitate to build communication with adjacent governing groups. I’ve noticed that’s part of what Chair Beachy and other board members have taken on and I’d want to work with them on that.
TL; DR: Savings worth having would require a lot of research, cooperation, and collaboration. But all of us are well past easy ways to save money, so some scenarios may be worth considering.
Board Accountability
+ Democracy May Be More Elusive Than You Think
Notice in the following image:
The high rate of Board turnover in recent years. (Only Director Ellison remains from the CDD vote that took place only six years ago. Cerillo comes in second, having held her seat since 2021.)
The pattern of the Board making massive decisions right before a big turnover.
The difficulty District 3 has had in keeping a consistent representative.
Also of note, 3-6 new Board directors will begin work in January 2027. Five seats are up for re-election and a sixth seat, belonging to Director El-Amin, may be open depending on the results of her run for Hennepin County Commissioner this November.
Democracy
I joke sometimes that I’m working very hard to earn a job that nobody wants.*
*Yes of course people want this job. And thank goodness! We should be very proud of our candidate pool this year. I know I am. That’s just a catchy headline for my real question: What conditions are we creating for the future by starving a pipeline that’s running pretty dry.
Consider:
There were too few candidates to have a primary for three of four open school board seats. The exception was winnowing the At-Large race from five candidates to four. In that race, one candidate appears to have effectively dropped out, leaving three choices for two available seats.
In this age of political violence and the massive scale of challenges facing electeds once in office, we may expect that fewer people will run. That leads to fewer choices (or even no choices) for voters.
In District 3, we lucked out. Shannon Gibney is an excellent candidate. But if she weren’t it wouldn’t matter. She’s the only candidate on the ballot.
Keep in mind, it only costs $20 to get your name on the ballot. And a few added their names last minute.
Of course it costs much more in time spent away from family. There’s also lost funds for the freelancers among us or lost focus for those of us in a full time job. It’s expensive for each person in its own way. Just pointing out there’s not an enormous barrier to entry.
The current endorsement process is designed to eliminate competition as quickly as possible.
This is an effective political strategy, especially when there is fierce competition. But I’m not sure it makes sense for non-partisan, small elections like school board. Or elections with so few prospects.
Most major endorsements from unions and elected officials were made/announced prior to the DFL convention in April.
Had I not entered the race in March, there would have been zero candidate Q&A at the DFL convention. Five open seats and no public discussion. As it was, there was 15 minutes for two candidates for District 5, so about 7 questions answered.
There’s no second place or a rating system. It’s all or none. That makes sense in a lot of contexts, but I’m not sure it’s the best for giving voters good choices.
I wish part of our focus were on building up quality candidates.
The only way to learn how to campaign is to do it. In my experience, this is mainly about how to find, engage, and learn from voters.
(There’s also learning to give concise answers. I’m, um, clearly struggling with that one!)
The best way to learn about MPS and school challenges more widely is to research incessantly. Then find out by talking to educators, experts and families that you still don’t know the half of it. Rinse, repeat.
To address MPS’s challenges, I offer:
Minnesota school board experience
An in-depth understanding of complex issues: historical, present, and future implications.
Experience in financial, policy, and organizational oversight.
Dedication to communication with constituents and MPS families.
A positive, longterm vision for Minneapolis Public Schools.
What I’d Bring to the School Board
Minnesota School Board Experience
I loved serving a 4-year term as a governor-appointed board director at Perpich Center for Arts Education (2020-2024), a state agency that includes a 2-year free public high school for the performing arts. While on Perpich’s board I:
Expanded free lunch and breakfast, through persistent inquiry and offer of support. Free lunch and breakfast increased student opt-in rate for meals from approx 40% to 80%.
Chaired the Government Relations Committee.
Successfully advocated with GOP and DFL legislators to save Perpich from closure.
Attended and actively engaged in board meetings (40+) and committee meetings (30+), missing only 2 in four years.
Co-crafted meaningful annual board retreats that connected the board in shared vision and tactical next steps.
Track record of successfully taking on extremely challenging projects
Examples of complex projects that required community outreach and investment and working within confining structures:
825 Arts in Frogtown, a 15-year uphill project. I worked within the community to write a comprehensive plan that integrated: 500+ community member’s combined vision, foundation funding requirements, government funding requirements, individual fundraising efforts, capital fundraising feasibility plans, deferred maintenance plans, construction plans, and more.
Massive trash incinerator project adjacent to a densely populated area already hit hard by environmental injustice. This fight took approximately four years and involved persuasion of elected officials and the media, as well as coalition-building among neighborhoods.
15-years experience making boards more effective.
I’ve worked with dozens of boards on building:
More effective financial dashboards
Designing and facilitating meaningful and productive working/planning sessions
Providing administration oversight that’s both respectful and effective
Managing conflict constructively while aligning around core values and goals
Extensive Budget Oversight Experience
Including forecasting, tracking and auditing. Within a career that spans for-profit, non-profit, and governmental financial processes and reporting.
For-profit sector
I began my career forecasting and managing a $7M budget in a Fortune 500 company.
After leaving my corporate role, I supported a mission-driven startup with a comprehensive business plan, including detailed financials for building their $10M business.
Nonprofit sector
The nonprofit sector has different considerations for amortization and restricted/unrestricted funding. As Managing Director of Springboard for the Arts (2012-2016), my financial responsibilities included:
Forecasting and management of $1.7M operating budget across seven program areas
Stewardship of an additional $1.1M on behalf of 200+ fiscally sponsored arts organizations
Updating our financial reporting to support organization goals and add an additional layer of transparency for our board members
Working closely with the executive director, board, and a nonprofit financial leader to build the system that formalized use and sustenance of reserve funds
Providing full financial transparency and documentation to our annual auditors
Working closely with a board task force to undergo the best practice of periodically evaluating audit firms
Deeply understanding the complexity of philanthropic giving from private and governmental sources
Quickly getting up to speed on emerging challenges and opportunities, such as landlord responsibilities, establishing cooperative, managing taxes, and potential relevance of MNvest to artists.
Government sector
While my nonprofit work intersected with governmental advocacy and funding, it was as a board member of Perpich Center for Arts Education (2020-2024) that I became immersed in:
Minnesota’s two-year funding cycle (funding and bonding)
The complexity of state general education funding formula
The role of local levies in filling gaps (for which Perpich was not eligible)
How this relates to the Minneapolis School Board
Minneapolis Public Schools operate at a much larger scale, with projected expenses for FY27 as high as $769,246,516. I make no claim to having managed that size budget before. Few people have.
My decades-long track record of generating, evaluating, and poring over financials across sectors has given me valuable perspective. I know which questions to ask, and have the persistence to keep asking.
Independence
I’m running this campaign on my own, without either influence or support from outside organizations. No PAC is funding me. I’m not a secret Republican. (Yes, people have asked!)
Qualifications Summary
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Rigorous financial oversight is the heart of any board’s purpose. I come prepared to interrogate complex financial statements and forecasts effectively. More so thanks to well-rounded experience on all sides of the table: board member, organization leader/administrator, and staff.
Following is a brief overview of my financial management and leadership experience.
For-profit sector
I began my career forecasting and managing a $7M budget in a Fortune 500 company.
After leaving my corporate role, I supported a mission-driven startup with a comprehensive business plan, including detailed financials for building their $10M business.
Nonprofit sector
The nonprofit sector has different considerations for amortization and restricted/unrestricted funding. As Managing Director of Springboard for the Arts (2012-2016), my financial responsibilities included:
Forecasting and management of $1.7M operating budget across seven program areas
Stewardship of an additional $1.1M on behalf of 200+ fiscally sponsored arts organizations
Updating our financial reporting to support organization goals and add an additional layer of transparency for our board members
Working closely with the executive director, board, and a nonprofit financial leader to build the system that formalized use and sustenance of reserve funds
Providing full financial transparency and documentation to our annual auditors
Working closely with a board task force to undergo the best practice of periodically evaluating audit firms
Deeply understanding the complexity of philanthropic giving from private and governmental sources
Quickly getting up to speed on emerging challenges and opportunities, such as landlord responsibilities, establishing cooperative, managing taxes, and potential relevance of MNvest to artists.
Government sector
While my nonprofit work intersected with governmental advocacy and funding, it was as a board member of Perpich Center for Arts Education (2020-2024) that I became immersed in:
Minnesota’s two-year funding cycle (funding and bonding)
The complexity of state general education funding formula
The role of local levies in filling gaps (for which Perpich was not eligible)
How this relates to the Minneapolis School Board
Minneapolis Public Schools operate at a much larger scale, with projected expenses for FY27 as high as $769,246,516. I make no claim to having managed that size budget before. Few people have.
My decades-long track record of generating, evaluating, and poring over financials across sectors has given me valuable perspective. I know which questions to ask, and to keep asking.
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In the past 15 years, I’ve worked with dozens of organizations, to remedy disconnects among board members, or between a board and organization leadership.
Almost every board requires a reset every now and then, especially as new people join and external pressures increase. Mutual respect for lived experience and expertise sets a solid foundation. With that foundation set, building a shared vision and next steps can come together with greater ease.
Board Health Indicators
Amongst board members, mutual respect for lived experience and expertise.
Strength of oversight with organizational leadership.
Micromanagement can be a danger among boards.
The more frequent issue is lack of separation and oversight of organization leadership.
Even with the most ideal org leadership, the board’s responsibility is to maintain perspective and oversight, separate from the administration.
In the case of an elected board, responsiveness and communication with constituents is part of leadership.
Currently, parents cannot reach the MPS Superintendent directly – or at least no contact information is provided.
Board members have access, and must represent their constituents.
Board members should offer clear and frequent opportunities for two-way communication with their constituents.
Board Director Experience
Perpich Center for Arts Education (governor appointed), Board Director and Governmental Relations Chair, 2020-2024
Huge Theater, 2011-2018
Harbor Theatre (program for high school students), 2011-2013
Dad’s Garage Theatre, 2008-2011
Mentor-E, founding board member, 2004-2007
PTO at-large board member at my kindergartener’s MPS elementary school
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In mid-September 2026, I joined City Cast Twin Cities as their new Audience Development Manager. This role draws on my previous experience in marketing, community-building, and communications. I’m excited because this role allows me to spread the word about a podcast and newsletter I believe in.
Previous to this, as founder and strategist for Mindaro, LLC, I support small businesses and nonprofit organizations with:Goal Setting, Strategic planning, and Team Building that’s enjoyable, collaborative, and efficient
Community input gathering, and translation of vision into a detailed, actionable plan
Business Plans, including comprehensive risk analysis, market evaluation, and financials
Project design and management
Affordable systems streamlining, so staff can focus on mission (without AI)
Human resources development: coaching, establishing values and processes, and evaluating health care benefit options
Individual Fundraising: Engaging small donors meaningfully
Foundation and governmental fundraising: sifting through data to find new institutional funding sources; crafting compelling narratives and financials to secure grant funding
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Through my work with Arts Advocacy, Moms Demand Action, and Perpich Center for Arts Education, I’ve:
Testified in favor of public education accessiblity before the education committee
Provided written testimony to the MN House and Senate
Shown up in person (and online during pandemic) for advocacy days
Organized scores of 1:1 meetings across GOP/DFL elected leaders
Personally arranged and met with several legislators and/or their staff, across party and geographic lines
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Roughly in chronological order:
Public school education in Memphis and Atlanta
Local library volunteer (and eventual hire) starting at age 14
Scholarship student and student worker at the University of Georgia
AmeriCorps pilot program at College Park Elementary School in Atlanta, GA
Reading Tutor at Atlanta Public Schools (Elementary and Middle)
Co-launched and grew an employee program that engaged 2,000+ volunteers annually
Community Volunteer
Door knocking and canvassing for DFL candidates
Precinct Chair, Vice Chair service for my Ward
DFL Endorsement Convention Delegate
Parks and Libraries contributor
Homework Help Tutor at Nokomis Library
Moms Demand Action, volunteer and statewide leadership role (Communications)
PTO Board, very active at-large member
Mutual aid coordination and streamlined systems for delivering aid
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Some have inquired about my education and early career, so here’s a brief timeline.
I’m a product of public schools, primarily Atlanta Public Schools for 4th grade through high school graduation. I went to the University of Georgia on a partial scholarship and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.
I landed my first (non-babysitting) job at 16 shelving books 20 hours a week at an Atlanta Public Library. I held various jobs throughout high school and college, including a lot of food service jobs.
At graduation, I began building web sites for local businesses and eventually landed a role at Turner Broadcasting in communications. From there, Cartoon Network, then consulting with values-driven start-ups and non-profits, then my move to Minneapolis where I’ve primarily worked with arts nonprofits on change management, strategic planning, fundraising, and communications/marketing.
Specific Examples
Values in Action
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825 Arts in Frogtown, Saint Paul stands as a living, breathing monument to authentic community engagement and tenacity that defied all odds.
My work in 2015 bridged community vision with financial support from the City and large institutional funders. I put my financial, business planning, and creativity to work in protecting the community vision even as I made an airtight business case for the art center’s viability.
Institutional scrutiny was intense and community trust was tenuous.
That’s where I came in.
I rightsized estimates for construction that reflected community vision, for example, rejecting a stage curtain that would cost nearly $100K.
Scaled the operational budget and fundraising plans to match each other, including reserving ongoing funds so maintenance would not be deferred.
Provided a realistic plan for staffing, operations, marketing and more.
Performed a risk analysis on construction and other potential hurdles.
I presented the comprehensive business plan to all audiences, including community, funders, and City officials. I faced rounds of intense questioning from each.
With a few updates to the plan, the City came through with immediate funding to halt ongoing water damage. They also pledged additional investment that gave the community a chance to build.
Ultimately, the community raised $3.9M in public and private funding, realizing the arts space they’d envisioned all along. 825 Arts opened its doors in 2024 and continues to thrive.
I took on this intensely complex, challenging project fully aware it would be a years-long, uphill battle. When I believe in something, I commit fully and don’t stop until we succeed.
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From 2011-2018, I served an unpaid, part-time role for an artist-led startup teater. As with what’s expected with the School Board, I worked this “part time” job in addition to my full-time work.
In those seven years, I brought a focus on community building, fundraising, methodical strategic planning. Plus straight-up persuasion. This work helped grow the organization’s annual budget five-fold (from $100K to $660K+).
I wrote and implement a series of detailed strategic plans with extensive financials. But my most impactful work was first listening intently to community and then translating our values into the systems required for a sustainable future. In this case, systems included:
Landing highly competitive state, regional and foundation grants.
Building trust with lenders and banks.
Securing a credit line that we never used, but hedged against an extinction event.
Lobbying elected leaders at the city and state level.
Translating community passion into an annual fundraising event that nearly broke GiveMN’s Give to the Max Day system. By 2017, we raised more than $65,000 from small donations (in the $5-$25 range), receiving contributions from every state in the U.S.
I did not do this work alone or in a vacuum. The theater was founded by talented and committed artists who offered excellent classes and performance opportunities. The theater attracted community investment, in part, by making sure everyone deeply felt what was true–they belonged.
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From 2020-2024, I served as a governor-appointed Board Member for Perpich Center for Arts Education.
Perpich is a state agency that serves all Minnesotans with:
A two-year arts high school
A specialized arts education library
Professional development resources for all educators
During my four-year tenure:
I missed only one meeting (due to illness)
Chaired the government relations committee
Provided rigorous financial oversight, including requiring a change to the financial dashboard for greater transparency
Served on special projects as needed, including leading the charge on eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for families.
Working with the State Legislature
In my first years, the MN legislature was split. This left Perpich vulnerable to partisan attacks.
Several years prior, Perpich had been driven to the brink of closure. Though the organization had long since fully correct course, old perceptions lingered. This came to a head with a briefly worded MN legislative bill with one devastating goal: “Abolish Perpich.”
I led the board’s vocal and multi-pronged defense of Perpich.
When we could not stop the bill from being passed in committee, we kept going.
When the bill reached the floor for a vote, we kept going.
When we finally defeated the bill on the floor (yes!), we kept going.
We did not stop until we connected with each legislator, across party lines, and shored up our vulnerabilities to discourage a similar bill in the future.
Public education comes under attack on many fronts, though usually with more subtle language. I highlight this example as evidence of my full commitment and belief in working proactively and persuasively with city and state elected leaders.
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Three miles from downtown Atlanta sits a 200-home neighborhood I called home for eleven years before moving to Minneapolis.
Due to its geography and small size, my old neighborhood came under attack from large corporate interests multiple times.
Whether I was serving as president of our neighborhood association at the time or not, I joined my neighbors in loudly and successfully pushing back against:
A massive trash incinerator planned for construction adjacent to a densely populated area already hit hard by environmental and racial injustice. This fight took approximately four years and involved persuasion of elected officials, the media, and coalition building among neighborhoods.
Environmental and health damage posed by a massive mound of improperly contained silica dust. This fight required approximately two years and imminent threat of a lawsuit. It ultimately resolved in our neighborhood’s favor.
My neighborhood did not win every fight. (I have a lot to say about data centers, for example.)
But we took on fights with enormous, powerful institutions that few would try. All of us, doing this work in addition to personal commitments and full time jobs. It never occurred to me that we wouldn’t. And it honed my instincts and clarity of focus.
Then and now, I bring not only financial rigor, but human connection, creativity, and fierce passion for making our Minneapolis Public Schools a destination.
Let me know how to reach you and I’ll respond shortly.
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I look forward to learning about your priorities for MPS District 5 and answering your questions!
Want to know more? Get in touch!
