ClearWay MinnesotaSM has a 19-member Board of Directors comprising 11 at-large positions and eight appointed members. Board Members have expertise in areas of governance, finances, communications and marketing, grant-making, health care and insurance, tobacco control and cessation, community organizing, populations at risk, public affairs and/or human resources. Board and Board Committee meetings are held at the ClearWay Minnesota office.
Board of Directors
Board Officers:
Board Chair – Joy Rikala
Vice Chair – Vivian Jenkins Nelsen
Secretary – Daniel Johnson
Treasurer – Bob Boerschel
Board Members:
Governor Mark Dayton appointed:
- Karen Kraemer, R.N., former Vice President of Disease and Case Management with HealthPartners
- Thomas Weaver, CEO of Achieve Services, Inc., and former Chief Operating Officer of the Metropolitan Council (note: Mr. Weaver was originally appointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty, then reappointed by Governor Dayton.)
Former Speaker of the House Paul Thissen appointed:
- Janet Keysser, former manager of the state’s asthma program at the Minnesota Department of Health
Former Speaker of the House Kurt Zellers appointed:
- Bob Boerschel, eFinancial Senior Counsel at Wells Fargo
Senate Majority Leader Thomas Bakk appointed:
- Hugh T. Nierengarten, J.D., attorney and member of Allina Health System board of directors
Former Senate Majority Leader Lawrence Pogemiller appointed:
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Daniel Johnson, nonprofit consultant, former executive at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and past president of the United Health Foundation and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation
Attorney General Lori Swanson appointed:
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Steven D. McWhirter, Executive Vice President of Dougherty & Company, LLC
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Brian Short, Chief Executive Officer of the Leamington Company and former U.S. Magistrate Judge
Board members filling the 11 at-large positions:
- Ellen Denzen, researcher with the National Marrow Donor Program
- Kelly Drummer, President and CEO of the Tiwahe Foundation
- Pamela Lux, Director of Human Resources Communications at Medtronic and former Vice President at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
- Laurie Lafontaine, former Vice President of Allina Health
- Nevada Littlewolf, Executive Director and founder of Rural and American Indigenous Leadership
- Vivian Jenkins Nelsen, co-founder of the INTER-RACE Institute, a diversity think-tank at Augsburg College
- Howard Orenstein, Senior Assistant Hennepin County Attorney and former partner at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Cerisi
- Joy Rikala, independent consultant, former Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension special agent and former police chief for the City of Minnetonka and the University of Minnesota Police Department
- Joel Swanson, President of Risdall Marketing Group
- Anne Vars, Health Strategy Project Manager at Target Corporation
Former ClearWay Minnesota Board Members, from one year prior:
- Russell Kuzel (resigned March 2016)
- Jenny Peterson (term expired September 2015)
- Jim Rhodes (term expired September 2015)
Board and Committee Meetings
The ClearWay Minnesota Board of Directors meets every other month throughout the year. Board Meetings are open to the public.
Board Meetings are typically held from 9 a.m. – noon in the ClearWay Minnesota office.
2016 BOARD MEETINGS
September 21, 9 a.m. – noon
November 16, 9 a.m. – noon
2016 COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Committees of the ClearWay Minnesota Board meet throughout the year. Most meetings are open to the public and are held at the ClearWay Minnesota office at Two Appletree Square, 8011 34th Ave. S., Ste. 400, Minneapolis, MN 55425.
2016 ClearWay MinnesotaSM Board Committee Roster and Meeting Schedule
EXECUTIVE/GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Joy Rikala, Chair
Vivian Jenkins Nelsen, Vice Chair
Daniel Johnson, Secretary
Bob Boerschel, Treasurer; Chair, Audit/Finance Committee
Thomas Weaver, Chair, Nominating and Board Development Committee
Joel Swanson, Chair, Strategic Planning and Development Committee
October 19, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
December 21, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
AUDIT/FINANCE COMMITTEE
Steven D. McWhirter, Chair
Bob Boerschel
Laurie Lafontaine
Hugh Nierengarten
Brian Short
October 27, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
December 22, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
NOMINATING AND BOARD DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Thomas Weaver, Chair
Kelly Drummer
Pamela Lux
Vivian Jenkins Nelsen
Three external Committee Members
No meetings pending
PROGRAM GRANTS AND CONTRACTS COMMITTEE
Ellen Denzen, Chair
Daniel Johnson
Janet Keysser
Nevada Littlewolf
Hugh Nierengarten
November 3, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING COMMITTEE
Joel Swanson, Chair
Ellen Denzen
Karen Kraemer
Pamela Lux
Howard Orenstein
Anne Vars
October 6, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
December 1, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Laurie Lafontaine, Chair
Lois Buermann*
Kim Faust*
LeAnn Stagg*
Connie Thompson*
*Eternal committee members
Meetings not public