Co-sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs

2009 Nonprofit Leadership Conference PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP: A Balanced Approach Thursday, June 4, 2009 McNamara Alumni Center University of Minnesota 200 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis 7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (registration opens at 7:15 a.m.) Engage with the conference on Twitter: use #nplead (See what others are saying)

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David Alley, EdD, is the president and owner of 21-person education consulting firm, Designs for Learning, and director of Cyber Village Academy. He was previously vice president for student services in a small church-related college.

Michael Anderson is a loan officer at Nonprofits Assistance Fund. Michael is responsible for advising nonprofits through the loan application and review process, as well as throughout the lifecycle of the loan. He also delivers training workshops on a wide variety of nonprofit financial management topics. Through daily conversations with nonprofits across the state, Michael is close to the problems and issues facing the sector. He holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.

Michael Ayers has over 25 years of experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors in a variety of roles. He left the corporate world to pursue his interests in consulting, especially in the realms of public education and nonprofits. His principal area of interest and expertise incorporates leadership development broadly understood. Michael serves as an adjunct faculty member at Hamline University's Graduate School of Education. He also serves as the board chair of Family Networks, Inc.

Rosita Balch is a planning analyst in human services at the Hennepin County Department of Public Health.

Xavier Bell (a.k.a. Chaplain X) is an ordained minister, public speaker and preacher. Xavier has worked for Community Action Duluth for 5 years; first as the Ally/Volunteer Coordinator and now as Program Manager for Circles of Support. His unique gift of bridging the gap cross-culturally and socio-economically has made Circles of Support-Duluth one of the most recognized new-service models in his community. He believes that poverty systematically undermines a community's kindred spirit and he encourages the people of Duluth to be the first city in the United States to end poverty-one family at a time.

Craig Binger is the principal consultant at Binger Consulting Group. His specialties include leadership and management, organizational change and development, and both strategic and technical elements of human resource practice. He was previous the vice president of administration at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. He also provides leadership, managerial and supervisory training through both the Center for Business Excellence and Center for Non-Profit Management with the University of St. Thomas. Craig has a B.A. from the University of Minnesota and an M.B.A. in management and human resources from the University of St. Thomas.

Stan Birnbaum brings his extensive leadership experience from a wide variety of organizations from every sector to his role as president and CEO of MACC CommonWealth. After completing academic work at the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University, Stan worked for the Catholic Church and Lutheran Social Service in a variety of roles. In his role as vice president of administration and CFO of Family & Children’s Service, he was instrumental in helping launch MACC CommonWealth. Previously, Stan was a college faculty member, government administrator, and CIO of an international human resources consulting firm.

Steve Boland has served the nonprofit sector in the Minnesota for over 20 years, including in staff leadership positions at Saint Paul Neighborhood Network, Summit-University Planning Council, HousingMinnesota and the Greater Frogtown Community Development Corporation. Steve’s background in message delivery is complemented by his passion for using multiple tactics to accomplish these goals. His experience includes grant writing, web site creation and analytics, search engine optimization, event fundraising , print communications, and social network communications.

Krista Boston is an attorney and was admitted to the Minnesota State Bar in 1994. She has worked for over 15 years within the policy and legislative arena for the state of Minnesota. Her work includes Minnesota’s nationally recognized and award winning www.minnesotahelp.info web site. She currently holds the position of director of consumer assistance programs for the Minnesota Board on Aging and Aging and Adult Services Division of the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

Patricia Brinton is a senior leadership consultant at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. She has experience in leadership development and executive coaching. She develops and implements organizational interventions that drive effective culture transformation, change management and employee engagement initiatives. She currently leads Blue Cross' high potential leaders' development process. Previously, Patricia worked at the University of St. Thomas’ Career Center and at CHART, a career development organization for women. She holds M.A. and a B.S. degrees from the University of Minnesota.

Jacques Brunswick is the chief adminstrative officer at the Guthrie Theater.

Victoria Campoverde is the program director of the Joyce Preschool and the Principal Teacher, where she teaches children and works with parent groups. She has also been a parent facilitator for the Minneapolis Public School as part of the CEPEO Parenting Program. She is currently a cultural guide working with the University of Minnesota in a Parenting Education Project. Additionally, she is a member of the Latino Advisory Committee for Resources for Child Caring and a member of the Latino Child Care Providers Association of Minnesota. She is an alumna of the Wilder Neighborhood Leadership Program and Latino Leadership Program.

Amy Celep is the managing director of Community Wealth Ventures where she oversees firm strategy and its implementation. Amy has worked with both nonprofit and foundation clients, including assisting one of the nations leading art museums with the growth of its distance learning enterprise, growing a temporary staffing agency housed within a large job training organization, and formulating corporate partnership strategies on behalf of clients. Previously, she was a resource development professional for an international development nonprofit and a television news producer for a CBS affiliate. She received her M.B.A. from Georgetown University and a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University.

Julia Classen is the president of Aurora Consulting. She provides strategic planning and other organizational development services. Julia's experience includes teaching on topics such as governance, management, and organizational theory at the University of Minnesota and Hamline University. She is the former board chair of the Charities Review Council.

Steve Cramer is the executive director of the Project for Pride in Living, a Twin Cities Community Development Corporation (CDC) dedicated to creating opportunities for lower income families. He also currently serves as Chairman of the Minnesota Ballpark Authority. Steve was previously a a Minneapolis City Council member, executive director of the Minneapolis Community Development Agency, and the first Director of the Hennepin County Department of Housing, Community Works & Transit. He received his M.A. in Public Affairs from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota.

Lauri Dahlberg is responsible for the recruiting activities for Eide Bailly’s 20 office locations; her role includes both experienced hires as well as hiring of new college graduates. Her 15 years of human resources experience includes work in performance management, recruitment, corporate training and policy development and administration.

Denise DeVaan, a National Kellogg Fellow, has over 20 years experience working with the Minnesota Legislature and Congress on policies to reduce poverty. In 1998, she led the policy campaign to win passage of the Family Assets for Independence Act in Minnesota. Since then she has focused the policy-practice relationship: launching and managing matched savings account initiatives to purchase homes, pursue higher educations, launch or expand small businesses. Denise contracts with the Federal DHHS to coordinate AFI Network Projects and is also the co-founder of the Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance. She holds degrees in Theology and Human Development (political science focus) and a certificate from Harvard University.

Sarah Duniway is the chair of the Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations Team at Gray Plant Mooty where she specializes in working with nonprofit organizations, particularly those engaged in social enterprise. She regularly advises clients on tax-exemption issues, IRS audits, governance, contracting, unrelated business taxation, lobbying and political activity, and other business operations issues unique to nonprofit organizations. She speaks regularly on earned income and social enterprise to both nonprofit associations as well as commercial businesses pursuing social ventures. Before joining Gray Plant Mooty, Sarah worked as a grassroots political organizer. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and received her B.A. in Mathematics and Womens Studies from Carleton College.

Ginnee Engberg joined Family Networks, Inc as the executive director in November 2004. She is a Licensed Psychologist with M.B.A. and M.A. degrees. She has over 25 years of management experience in multiple settings including government, nonprofit, for-profit and as a small business owner.

julius erolin is currently a consultant for the University of Minnesota’s Organizational Effectiveness Division in the Office of Human Resources, where he provides guidance ton organizational change, conflict resolution and intercultural leadership. He also consults with other higher education institutions, K-12 schools, non-profit organizations, and private for-profit companies. Julius holds a degree in English from UCLA and a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Carolyn García is and assistant professor at the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota.

Melvin Giles is a veteran diversity educator and former administrator of Frogtown Catholic Charities. He is a trainer for MCARI, an anti-racism training group sponsored by the Tri Council Coordinating Commission of the Council of Churches. Melvin is also a founding member of the Alliance for Racism Free Communities which has been working in St. Paul to develop a network of community leaders committed to addressing institutional racism and providing models for organizational growth. Melvin currently conducts and co-facilitates Racial Sobriety workshops for community institutions and groups. He is also a facilitator for the Wilder Neighborhood Leadership Program.

Sarah Gleason is a partner in Side By Side Associates. She has extensive experience designing and implementing training and learning programs. Her current work focuses on intercultural competence, leadership development, participatory learning, community capacity building and social change. Sarah’s experience includes training AmeriCorps staff and members nationally, and training Peace Corps volunteers in several African countries. She has also served as adjunct faculty at the University of Minnesota. Sarah has a B.A. from Rutgers University and an M.Ed. from the University of Minnesota. She is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI.)

Nell Goepel is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota where she studied Sociology and Business Management. During her undergraduate studies, Nell spent a year as an intern at the Minneapolis Ronald McDonald House providing support and working closely with the events coordinator. For her senior thesis, she focused on after school programming and completed an evaluation of effectiveness for Athletes Committed to Educating Students (ACES). Today Nell is serving the communities of St. Paul through AmeriCorps as a Promise Fellow, working with Wilder’s Youth Leadership Initiative program.

Tom Gossett is the project manager of www.minnesotahelp.info. Previously he was associate director of Elderberry Institute. Tom has a B.A. degree in biblical studies and an M.A. in ministry, and served for over 11 years as a minister in Georgia and Minnesota. He has also provided consultation in technology, nonprofit governance and strategic planning and managed a database system in use in over 40 small, volunteer based nonprofits.

Lecia Grossman is a certified coach, facilitator and speaker. She is the executive director of zAmya Theater Project. Her coaching, facilitation and speaking career is informed by her 18 years of experience focusing on leadership and staff development, sales culture training, marketing and strategic consulting. Lecia’s coaching, workshops and presentations are designed and focused on personal and organizational wholeness, sparking energy, empowerment and insight.She is a graduate of the Co-Active Space Leadership Development Program, holds a B.A. in Psychology from St. Thomas University, and is a member of ASTD-Twin Cities, the International Coaching Federation and Minnesota Coaches Association.

Cathy Gustafson is the director of the Master's in Nonprofit Management Degree in Hamline University's School of Business. She has extensive expertise in working with nonprofit clients in areas of strategic planning, human resources management, executive search and leadership support. Previously, she was consultant with Cincinnatus, and as a vice president of public affairs with the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce. Her career also includes 15 years of employment in the private sector in senior level marking and communications positions with 3M Company, Control Data and Emerson Electric. She earned her doctorate and master's degrees in Public Administration from Hamline University, and she also holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota's School of Journalism. She serves on the board for the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota and the Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis.

Rodolfo Gutierrez has extensive professional experience in demography and Mexican migration. He holds a degree in History, from the Metropolitan Autonomous University in Mexico City and a master's in demography from El Colegio de Mexico. He has served as an adjunct professor at several institutions such as the Metropolitan Autonomous University, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, and the Autonomous University of Baja California and the University of Minnesota. He brings a strong background in quantitative and qualitative research with an emphasis on the Mexican women's labor force, elderly populations, human rights and demographic change.

Rebecca Haddad has worked for over ten years in the nonprofit community in project management and development. She began her career as an information officer at the Embassy of Saudi Arabia and then went on and did a four-year stint at the Sioux YMCA on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota. She earned her Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Montana, Missoula. Her professional skills include marketing, public relations, fundraising, and community development. Rebecca currently works at Youth Frontiers as the major gifts officer.

Stephanie Haddad is the program director where she is responsible for developing educational programs and guiding MCN’s Leadership Program. Previously, Stephanie worked in management and leadership roles at several Minnesota nonprofits including the Minneapolis-based neighborhood organization Longfellow Community Council, the Southeast Asian Community Council, YouthCARE/Camp Sunrise, and Youth Frontiers. Stephanie also spent two years instructing and developing programs with Outward Bound in South Africa. She has a M.A. degree in public policy from the Humphrey Institute and a B.A. degree in history from Dartmouth College.

Jean Haley is a clinical social worker in private practice. She is also an instructor in Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction at the Center for Spirituality and Healing, University of Minnesota. Jean has 30 years experience in leadership positions in higher education, most recently as a vice president for information technology. She holds M.L.S., M.S.W. and other degrees.

Jean Hammink has over 30 years of experience working in leadership positions in the nonprofit, government, and corporate sectors including directing three nonprofit organizations and leading local, state and national education and social policy initiatives. Since founding the consulting firm insideoutcomes in 2004, Jean has worked with hundreds of nonprofit leaders and staff to improve results "from the inside out" through coaching, training and consulting. Jean has a MPA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, has completed training in emotional intelligence through the Institute for Health and Human Potential and the HayGroup, is certified through the International Gestalt Coaching Program and as a Myers Briggs Type Inventory administrator and trainer.

Jocelyn Hale has been executive director of The Loft Literary Center since 2007. She writes a monthly column in the Minneapolis-based Southwest Journal and has written for Minnesota Monthly, Star Tribune, City Pages, and OUTSIDE Magazine. Her commentaries have been heard nationally on Marketplace Radio. Jocelyn has worked in the nonprofit sector for 25 years including as manager at the Best Buy Children’s Foundation. She has an undergraduate degree from Brown University and an M.P.A. from the Humphrey Institute.

Christine Hammes is Director of Strategic Development at MAP for Nonprofits. She heads up the Leaders Circles program and capacity-building services in organization development, fundraising consulting, and customized board development. She has more than 16 years’ experience consulting with nonprofits throughout Minnesota and nationally. Previously she was with The Milestone Group, LLP, where she was a founding partner and consulted in both the private and public sectors. Christie has a broad knowledge of trends in business, having spent her first career of 16 years in anagement at Xerox, Bell + Howell, and Gale Research International.

Drawing on over 20 years of public speaking, fundraising, coaching and training, Lori Jacobwith helps identify, understand and overcome fundraising challenges. Since 2000 Lori has helped hundreds of organizations across North America raise nearly $90 million from individuals. She has served as president/CEO and development director for nonprofit organizations in Minnesota & Arizona. Lori received a B.A. in Speech-Communication and Political Science from the University of Minnesota and training from the Fund Raising School at Indiana University.

In her role as director of leadership development at Eide Bailly, Candace Kane is responsible for all leadership activities for the 1,200 employee firm, as well as for the firm’s performance management process. She has more than 25 years experience in a variety of organizational development, training and education roles and has developed over 200 workshops and courses during her career, including several focused on performance coaching. She is also a Certified Master Business Coach. Candace received both her Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science degrees from University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Ann Kaner-Roth currently works with the Minneapolis Jewish Federation.

Kate Kelsch is a leadership consultant at the Wilder Foundation where she coordinates the Neighborhood Leadership Program, an initiative to provide grassroots community members with knowledge and skills to take effective community action. Previously, she managed the New Tactics in Human Rights Project at the Center for Victims of Torture. She has 15 years experience empowering people to participate in their communities and create change. She has been an American Marshall Memorial Fellow with the German Marshall Fund, a Humphrey Institute Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota, and received her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jay Kiedrowski is a senior fellow in the Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center at Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs where he specializes in public finance, organizational development, and leadership. Jay retired from Wells Fargo in 2004 as the executive vice president of Institutional Investments after a 17 year career. Previously, he was Minnesota Commissioner of Finance, Minneapolis Budget Director, and a Minnesota Senate researcher. He has served on a dozen or more nonprofit boards over the last 25 years, including as treasurer of the Guthrie Theater, and currently as the chair of the Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation. He holds a B.S.M.E. and M.A. degrees from the University of Minnesota, and an Ed.D. from St. Mary's University.

Mike Klein is a leadership consultant at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation with the Neighborhood Leadership Program, an initiative to provide grassroots community members with knowledge and skills to take effective community action. Mike is in his first year at Wilder Foundation after serving in various roles over fifteen years at the University of St. Thomas. He was a 2006-2007 Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow and recently completed his Doctorate of Education in Leadership from the University of St. Thomas. He has spoken on issues of leadership, social justice, and education for higher education, non-profit, and religions organizations.

Deb Koop is the director of training and quality enhancement for Lutheran Social Service. She has been working in the field of developmental disabilities for over 30 years, the last 15 years with LSS. She has a degree in Psychology from St. Cloud State University as well as being a certified Parish Worker. She is a trainer of Personal Outcomes and Supports through CQL (Council on Quality and Leadership). Deb has presented various state and national conferences for the past six years on the areas of supervisor trainng, developing Human Rights committes, personal outcomes and data management.

Bev Lutz, M.B.A., is an certified coach and a faculty member in the Masters in Consulting and Organizational Leadership program of Adler Graduate School. Collaborating with Bev means increased perspective and capacity in-house - where you can continue to tap it after she’s gone. She balances gravity with lightness, believing that in most cases, good work can also be good fun. Her clients range from “corporate,” to “creative,” to “coaches;” from aspiring individuals and purposeful non profits, to forging ahead Fortune 100 business teams; and from Minnesota to Mexico, Ottawa to Orlando and Sweden to Spokane.

Alice Moren led the development and implementation of Kootasca’s Circles of Support project in 2003 and is currently the program manager for Circles of Support projects in Itasca County. Alice has facilitated relationships across socio-economic class lines for over five years and shared the learning of Kootasca’s Circles of Support project throughout Minnesota and in Iowa and Missouri. Alice is helping the working poor find their voice through leadership skill development, advocacy, and public speaking. Alice has a degree in Social Work from Bemidji State University and is a certified Bridges out of Poverty trainer through Dr. Ruby Payne’s Aha! Process, Inc.

Wendy Morris, MA, is the director of The Creative Leadership Studio and an associate with the Human Systems Dynamics Institute. A leadership educator and certified coach, she serves on the faculty of several premiere leadership venues in North America including: ALIA Institute in Nova Scotia and Banff Center Leadership Development in Alberta, Canada. She teaches master’s level courses in Creative Leadership at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and co-founded the Institute for Community Cultural Development, a leadership program co-sponsored by Twin Cities L.I.S.C. and Intermedia Arts that developed capacity to apply creative strategies to community development goals.

Jon Pratt has served as executive director for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits since helping found the organization in 1987. He is public policy committee co- chair of the National Council of Nonprofits, a contributing editor of the Nonprofit Quarterly, and has been recognized several times by The Nonprofit Times as one of the 50 most influential nonprofit leaders in the United States. Prior to his work at MCN, Jon worked in nonprofit organizations as an attorney, lobbyist and director. He has a law degree from Antioch School of Law, Washington, D.C., and an M.P.A. from Harvard University.

Shannon Pergament holds a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) and a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) from the University of Minnesota. After graduating, Shannon served as director of the Minnesota Migrant Health Promoter Program (Centro Campesino) and in the Farm Safety and Health Program at the University of Minnesota Extension Service. She has since returned to Centro Campesino in the role of consultant, and continues to work in this capacity to develop curriculum, train staff, and conduct tobacco cessation research. She is also project coordinator at Westside Community Health Services She is bilingual in Spanish and English, and has lived and worked in Guatemala and Ecuador.

Mary Quirk is the volunteer resources leadership project manager for the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration (MAVA). In this position Mary led the development of a system for delivery of best practices information that has reached over 1,000 leaders of volunteers in all regions of Minnesota. Previously Mary directed two volunteer based organizations, Southeast Seniors, A Living at Home/Block Nurse Program and Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly. She has articles on volunteer resources leadership and nonprofit management published in Nonprofit World, Fieldstone Alliance Tools You Can Use and e-Volunteerism.

Buddy Robinson is staff director of the Minnesota Citizens Federation – Northeast, and co-coordinator of the Greater Minnesota Health Care Coalition. He has 35 years of community organizing experience. He has a B.A. in History and Sociology from Columbia University, and attended organizing training at the Midwest Academy, Industrial Areas Foundation, and Gamaliel Foundation. He served for several years as chief staff for the Minnesota Senior Federation’s Health Action Council, and as staff trainer. He co-wrote, with Mark Hanna, a social work graduate text, Strategies for Community Empowerment (1994). He has developed and conducted in-depth trainings on community organizing.

Stanley Romanstein is the president and CEO of the Minnesota Humanites Center. He was previously the executive director of the St. Lawrence University.

Barb Rose is partner in Side by Side Associates. She has extensive experience in coaching, training, facilitation, community building, leadership development, and community/civic engagement. Barb’s previous experience includes managing Wilder Foundation’s Neighborhood Leadership Program, coordinating a cross-cultural dialogue program and editing Community Matters, a publication addressing critical community issues in the East metro area. She serves on the board of the West Side Citizens’ Organization and on the Headwaters Foundation’s Capacity Building Committee. Barb has a B.A. from Macalester College and an M.L.S. from the University of Minnesota. She is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI.)

Jodi Sandfort's research, teaching, and practice at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs focus on improving the implementation of social policy, particularly those policies designed to support low-income children and their families. As a result, she works with and studies the networks of public, private, and philanthropic organizations and leaders that come together to develop and deliver social programs. Her current research and practice projects include examinations of nonprofit organizational finances, strategic philanthropic investment, and management innovation and organizational effectiveness within human service organizations. Jodi is also a senior fellow at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, where she develops programming for their Leadership Development initiative. Jodi received a Ph.D. in political science and social work from the University of Michigan. She holds a Master's degree in social work from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from Vassar College.

Kimberly Snyder has 14 years of fundraising experience within the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota philanthropic communities. Over her career, Kim has worked in development operations of all sizes and at various stages of maturity. In each setting, Kim has exceeded annual fundraising goals and successfully added to the organization’s overall fundraising capacity. She founded the Excelsior Bay Group in 2007 to assist non-profit organizations seeking to more fully execute their mission through improved fundraising.

Damon Shoholm is a leadership consultant with the Youth Leadership Initiative program, providing program development and curriculum design, facilitation, and training to multicultural youth in the Saint Paul and East Metro area. Damon’s involvement with youth programming and community development culminates from several years as an educator in the Minneapolis School District and as co-director of a project based charter school in Saint Paul. As an educator, Damon worked with a diverse urban population of youth as a classroom teacher and administrator. He recently completed course work for a Master’s degree in Leadership and will be working to apply concepts and methodologies to strengthen both Wilder leadership programming and also the communities that Wilder serves. Damon completed his undergraduate work at Metropolitan State University and post-graduate work in Education and Leadership at Augsburg College.

Karl Speak is an expert known for his pragmatic and unconventional approach to using brand as a leadership platform for gaining customer loyalty and employee engagement. Karl’s work on personal brand and internal brand building has been implemented in companies across the globe. His book, Be Your Own Brand, is translated into 10 languages and has sold over 50,000 copies.

Terry Straub is the Hennepin County master gardner program coordinator, a program of the University of Minnesota Extension. Terry has worked as the director of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of the Greater Twin Cities, volunteer program manager of the former Minnesota Office of Citizenship and Volunteer Services, and the Minnesota AIDS Project. Terry has chaired the Hennepin County Volunteer Programs Network, and served as board president of the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration (MAVA). He is the 2008 winner of the MAVA Award for Excellence in Volunteer Leadership.

John Everett Till, M.S., is vice president of Family and Community Programs at Family & Children’s Service. He was hired to develop family strengthening initiatives based on FCS’ groundbreaking family research, The Minnesota Family Strength Project. New programming arising from his efforts includes the Community Building Initiative, The Family Project, the GLBT-Kids Abuse Intervention Program, and a research collaboration on informal “neighborhood/family champions” with the nationally recognized Search Institute. In May 2009, John graduated from the Executive Leadership Institute at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Wilfred Tun Baw is the project manager for the Karen Support Project at the Vietnamese Social Services of Minnesota (the Karen people are refugees from the country of Burma). He also serves as the executive director of the Karen Community of Minnesota, a recently registered 501 (c) 3 that provides social services to the Karen community. He is an alumnus of the Wilder Neighborhood Leadership Program and partner in the Karen Leadership Program.

Ben Vincent’s search for truth began long before being exposed to yoga, but coming to the practice of yoga felt like coming home. Ben has studied various traditions of yoga, meditation, music, conflict resolution and sustainable farming as a means to realize health of body, peace of mind, well-being and pure awareness. Ben seeks to embody these realities through the simple truths of love, compassion, and non-attachment. To share the wisdom of yoga as a teacher is both a blessing and great responsibility as there is no greater service than the work of love.

Bonnie Watkins is executive director of the Minnesota Women's Consortium, a small nonprofit representing the nation's largest network of women-supporting organizations, and has directed three other small nonprofits in the past 15 years. She serves on the boards of two small nonprofits, the Battle Creek Block Nurse Program and U.S. Women Connect. Watkins is also a leader in Minnesota's movement toward pay equity, and co-authored the book, "In the Company of Women" (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1996).

Margie Weaver is the managing director and a yoga instructor teaching at One Yoga and with the Freshman Company in the University of Minnesota / Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program. After attending her first yoga class she wondered why all actors weren't integrating these practices that so immediately deepen spiritual presence, concentration, self-discipline, awareness and stress management. Her background in acting adds a unique dimension to her teaching style. She supports students on the journey of self-discovery and transformation by guiding them in the development of a personal home practice to positively impact their quality of life.

Jim Woehrle joined KOOTASCA Community Action in 2000 as a planning director and is currently the associate director of the agency. Jim directs community engagement work for the agency. He has developed community partnerships with local economic development, chamber of commerce and educational institutions. Jim has been professionally involved in the growth and direction of Circles of Support since its inception at in 2003 and is also a seasoned Circles of Support Ally. Jim has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism from the University of Minnesota.

There are two ways to register for Practical Leadership: 1. Register Online Now 2. Download Registration Form Return your completed form to Minnesota Council of Nonprofits by fax to 651-642-1517 or mail to 2314 University Ave. W., Suite 20, St. Paul, MN 55114.

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