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 – Laurie Lafontaine
Vice Chair – Karen Kraemer
Secretary – Anne Vars
Treasurer – Steven D. McWhirter
Board Members:
Governor Mark Dayton appointed:
- Karen Kraemer, R.N., former Vice President of Disease and Case Management with HealthPartners
- Brian Osberg, former Program Director at the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, former Minnesota Assistant Commissioner of Health Care Administration and former Minnesota State Medicaid Director
Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka appointed:
- Duane Benson, farmer, former State Senator, charter member of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, former executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership and former professional football player
Former Speaker of the House Paul Thissen appointed:
- Janet Avery, former manager of the state’s asthma program at the Minnesota Department of Health
Former Senate Majority Leader Thomas Bakk appointed:
- Gail Amundson, M.D., health care consultant, former Medical Director for Quality, Measurement and Provider Incentives at HealthPartners, and founder and past board chair of Minnesota Community Measurement
Attorney General Lori Swanson appointed:
-
Steven D. McWhirter, Executive Vice President of Dougherty & Company, LLC
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Gregory Wulf, President and CEO of First Farmers & Merchants Bank
Board Members filling the 11 at-large positions:
- Mae Brooks, Director of Human Resources for the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board
- Judy Brown, District Program Facilitator at Minneapolis Public Schools
- Laurie Lafontaine, former Vice President of Allina Health
- Nevada Littlewolf, President and CEO of Tiwahe Foundation, founder of Rural and American Indigenous Leadership and former Virginia City Council Member
- Sarah Oquist, an attorney and Chief Operations Officer at Sapientia Law Group, PLLC, and a board member at Woodlands National Bank
- Anne Vars, Senior Merchandise Finance Manager at Target Corporation
Former ClearWay Minnesota Board Members, from one year prior:
- Bob Boerschel (term expired September 2018)
- Pamela Lux (resigned May 2018)
- Howard Orenstein (resigned December 2017)
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.
2018-2019 BOARD MEETINGS
January 16, 9 a.m. – noon
March 20, 9 a.m. – noon
May 15, 9 a.m. – noon
July 17, 9 a.m. – noon
September 18, 9 a.m. – noon
November 20, 9 a.m. – noon
2018-2019 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.
2018-2019 ClearWay MinnesotaSM Board Committee Roster and Meeting Schedule
EXECUTIVE/GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Laurie Lafontaine, Board Chair and Chair, Investment Advisory Committee
Karen Kraemer, Vice Chair and Chair, Nominating and Board Development Committee
Anne Vars, Secretary
Steven D. McWhirter, Treasurer and Chair, Audit/Finance Committee
December 20, noon – 2 p.m.
AUDIT/FINANCE COMMITTEE
Steven D. McWhirter, Chair
Sarah Oquist
Brian Osberg
Gregory Wulf
No meetings pending
NOMINATING AND BOARD DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Karen Kraemer, Chair
Mae Brooks
Brian Osberg
Three external Committee Members
No meetings pending
INVESTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Laurie Lafontaine, Chair
Lois Buermann*
Kim Faust*
LeAnn Stagg*
Connie Thompson*
*Eternal committee members
Meetings not public