Dan Anderson is an elementary school principal in St. Cloud. He has been in public education for more than 30 years both as a teacher and a school administrator. As an ‘out’ public school educator, Dan often speaks to school staff and university students about the issues faced by GLTQA youth in school and communities and does Safe Space trainings for school staff. Dan serves on the board of directors for the St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra and the Center for Service Learning and Social Change in St. Cloud. In addition, he volunteers with St. Cloud OUT, and organization that supports the GLBTA community tri-county St. Cloud area and he serves as an advisor to Element, a GLBTQA youth group for central Minnesota. Dan has been a PFund board member since 2007. Dan grew up on a dairy farm in northwestern Minnesota and earned his bachelor's degree from Moorhead State University and a master’s degree in education administration from St. Cloud State University.
John Brentnall is a senior plan controller with Wells Fargo’s Institutional Trust division. He is a member of the Wells Fargo Community Funding Council, a group tasked to build employee support for and involvement in non-profit organizations. John first became involved with PFund as a volunteer member of the finance committee before joining the board in 2002. During his board tenure, he has served as board chair for two years, treasurer for two years and governance chair for one year. John is a member of the United States Tennis Association and the international Gay and Lesbian Tennis Association, and regularly plays in various Twin Cities and Upper Midwest leagues and tournaments. A native of Creston, Iowa, he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Grinnell College in 1993.
Bill Burleson is a health program representative in the STDs and HIV division of the Minnesota Department of Health. He previously worked at a community organization and an STD clinic fighting HIV in the gay and bisexual men’s community. Bill is a long-time bisexual activist and a frequent speaker at conferences and college campuses throughout country on the bisexual experience. He is the author of the book, “Bi America: Myths, Truths, and Struggles of an Invisible Community,” and a regular contributor to Lavender Magazine and the Lambda Book Report. Bill joined the PFund board in the spring of 2007 after having been involved over the years with PFund as a volunteer, a grantee and a scholarship recipient. He is a Minnesota native and a Minneapolis resident, where he lives with his wife, Mariann.
Lupe Castillo works at Workforce Investment Act, St. Paul Workforce Solutions. Lupe has been a volunteer with PFund for several years. Her skills include fundraising, organizing and event planning. She has participated in the Communities of Color initiative, including a leadership role in the successful kick-off fundraiser for the Communities of Color Endowment. She joined the board in 2006. She brings a passion for social justice and positive energy to her work. She lives in Minneapolis with her partner, Angie Pabon. Claire Chang is director of program planning and community initiatives at the Minnesota Community Foundation and the Saint Paul Foundation. Claire was drawn to her work in philanthropy because of her commitment to social change and social justice. In addition to joining the PFund board in 2007, she is an active member of other philanthropic causes, including serving on the board of the Headwaters Foundation for Justice. In addition, Claire volunteers with organizations that match her passion for health human development and a just society, including the Jeremiah Program, Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys, Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection.
Debra Davis is the executive director of the Gender Education Center, a small nonprofit organization of differently gendered people dedicated to support, advocacy and education. She recently retired from a 32-year career in education. In May 1998, Debra came out as a transgender woman while serving as librarian at Southwest High School in the Minneapolis Public Schools. This highly publicized transition was believed to be one of the first successful transitions in the nation of a transgender person working with children in secondary education. As the Gender Education Center’s executive director, she is consulted by employers, law enforcement, human rights agencies and nonprofit service providers on policies that affect transgender employees. She joined the PFund board in 2004. Debra has lived in Maple Grove for more than 28 years. She enjoys spending her time with her two grown daughters and their families.
Donald Whipple Fox is the executive director of the Indigenous Theological Training Institute of North America. He is a member of the Santee Sioux Nation. Donald’s career and community engagement spans leadership roles in community and public health as well as religious organizations. He has served as multicultural director for the St. Paul area of the American Cancer Society, is one of the founders of the International Health Education Alliance and sits on the Cross-Cultural Center for Health’s board of directors. He is also a member of the American Indian Community Tobacco Project’s community advisory board. Donald’s leadership in religious organizations includes the position as vice chair of the Native Ministries Consortium, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, serving as convener of theological educators for the Anglican Indigenous Network and being a member of the multicultural relations committee for Lutherans Concerned/North America. A native of St. Paul’s Como Park neighborhood, Donald earned his bachelor’s degree in German literature from the University of Minnesota. Donald joined the PFund board in 2002 and lives with his partner, Ricky Nolan, and their three-year old shih-tzu, Wa’ste (“good” in Dakota).
Lorrie Janatopoulos is the planning director at the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA), a community action agency dedicated to eliminating poverty. As a member of the senior management team, Lorrie oversees community assessments, strategic planning and program development at AEOA, which consistently ranks as one of Minnesota’s largest nonprofits. She is a long-time community and political activist working primarily on issues affecting women, children and the LGBT community in Minnesota. Her grassroots organizing efforts were recognized with PFund's Power of One Award in 1997; she joined the PFund board in 2007. Lorrie grew up on the North Shore of Lake Superior and has lived on the Iron Range for 30 years. She lives with her partner, Sharon, in the woods, at the end of a dead-end road.
Amy Johnson is an estate planning and small business attorney. She is a noted lecturer on the topic of practical, legal and tax issues facing alternative families and unmarried couples. An active community
volunteer, she has served on the board of trustees of her synagogue, as president of the Minnesota chapter of NARAL, as three-term president of the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association and as treasurer of the Minnesota Lavender Bar Association. In addition, she is steward of the Steven J. Shochet Endowment for GLBT Studies and Campus Life at the University of Minnesota and commissioner and executive committee member of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission. Having joined the PFund board in 2002, Amy is PFund's immediate past president.
Dale Johnson has served as the artistic director of the Minnesota Opera since 1994, advising the president and CEO on all aspects of artistic planning. During the 1998 season, he launched the Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program, which is a nationally recognized training program for young singers, pianists, conductors and stage directors. As Dale celebrates his 23rd year with the Minnesota Opera, the company has been internationally acclaimed for its daring programming and casting, its commitment to new works and the rediscovery of Bel Canto era masterpieces. He was instrumental in creating “Out @ the Opera,” the opera’s outreach effort to the GLBT communities. In November 2007, he helped coordinate PFund’s major donor thank-you event at the Minnesota Opera Center, and joined the board in 2008. Dale grew up on a dairy farm south of Youngstown, Ohio, and received his bachelor of arts from Mount Union College in Ohio and a master of music degree from the Manhattan School of Music. He lives in Minneapolis with his dog, Howard.
Cindy Kaiser is chief financial officer and vice president of operations at the Minnesota Medical Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises millions of dollars annually for health-related research, education and service at the University of Minnesota. Cindy joined the foundation in 1996 and is responsible for strategic planning, financial management, information systems and advancement services. Earning her public accountant certification in the state of Minnesota in 1990, Cindy has served on the leadership council of the Minnesota Society of CPAs, is a member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and was recognized by the Twin Cities’ Finance and Commerce publication as one of the Top Women in Finance in 2002. A native of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, she received her bachelor of science degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, majoring in business management and psychology. She joined the PFund board in 2005. Cindy and her partner, Cathy Fejes, have lived in South Minneapolis since 1985.
Tom Knabel, M.D., is vice president of healthcare informatics consulting at Ingenix, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group. Prior to UnitedHealth Group, he worked as a family physician and physician executive for HealthPartners and national medical director for United Healthcare, the nation's largest managed healthcare organization. Tom has been active in the Twin Cities nonprofit community for number of years. A first tenor in the Minnesota Chorale for more than two decades, he served on the Chorale’s board for 12 years, including three years as board president. Tom co-chaired the Twin Cities Human Rights Campaign Dinner for two years and is presently a member of the Human Rights Campaign Board of Governors. He joined the PFund board in 2004, having served most recently as vice president. Tom lives in Minneapolis with his partner of 18 years, Kent Allin.
Richard LaFortune (Anguksuar), a Native American and citizen of the Yupiit Nation (Eskimo), is an activist. He has been involved in organizing in the Two Spirit Community, HIV prevention, the Phillips neighborhood, native language preservation, and philanthropy. He served as Grand Marshall of the Twin Cities Pride parade in 2005. He is currently the Director of the Two Spirit Press Room. He joined the PFund board in 2006.
Diane Napper owns and operates Taurus Moon Graphic Design, LLC, a freelance graphic design business. She has been in the graphic design industry for 15 years and has worked for American Express Financial Advisors, ING ReliaStar and Starkey Laboratories. In 2003, she joined PFund on the communications committee, creating newsletters, brochures, event programs and other materials. She joined the board in 2006 and is currently the chair of the communications committee. She has also staffed Pride booths in the Twin Cities and Mankato. Diane grew up in Philadelphia, Pa., and earned her bachelor’s degree in International Business from American University in Washington, D.C. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Shawn Holster.
Connie Nyman is a financial manager at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, providing leadership and support to the Wilder Foundation’s Children and Family Services and Community Services for the Elderly program divisions. Drawing on her over 20 years of nonprofit management expertise in finance and operations, Connie oversees the divisions’ budgeting process, monitors and analyzes the financial reports, and supports and advises the division directors on future planning and corrective measures. Community engagement is an important part of Connie’s life. She has been a treasurer and vice president of the Zonta Club of St. Paul, treasurer of Knox Presbyterian Church, served on the finance committee of the Twin Cities Women’s Chorus and has volunteered with the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus. Connie joined the PFund board in 2006 and lives in Arden Hills on Lake Johanna with her partner, Joann Usher.
Jaron Roering is a senior financial analyst at RBC Wealth Management in Minneapolis. His skills and expertise include auditing, accounting, investments and reviewing and implementing financial oversight procedures. Jaron has been a volunteer with PFund since 1998 and joined the board in 2008. He has served on the finance committee, staffed Pride booths in the Twin Cities and Mankato, assisted with signature events and participated on the grant review committee. He led the process in selecting PFund’s auditor. After growing up in rural, central Minnesota, he became a PFund supporter due to our focus on reducing isolation, especially in rural communities. He received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota-Morris and his M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas.
Roderic Southall is a native of Denver, Colorado, and moved to the Twin Cities in 1991 to be with his partner Juan Jackson. Roderic works as a consultant at the Metropolitan Council on the Central Corridor Light Rail Project. During the past 17 years, Roderic has worked to enhance Minneapolis’ livability. During that time he has participated in the founding of the Festival of Fathers, the Northside Arts Collective, Minneapolis MSAIC, and Minnesota Black Pride. He serves on the boards of the IRUWA, the African American AIDS Taskforce, Project 515 and, since 2005, PFund Foundation. He also directs Obsidian Arts and the Twin Cities Juneteenth Celebration.
Shane Swanson is an estate and gift tax attorney in Minneapolis. He is PFund’s current board president. Shane’s involvement with PFund stretches back eight years, first as a volunteer on the development committee and then as a board member beginning January 2006. He is a graduate of Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, Tex., and the University of Minnesota Law School. He and his partner, Jeff Brockmann, live on Loring Park in Minneapolis and are in the process of trying to start a family.
Bill Venne is director of development for the University of Minnesota Graduate School. He is an active community volunteer and serves on the boards of Theater Latte Da, Equality Minnesota and the Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. In addition, he is a regular evaluator for the Ivey Awards and the Minnesota State Arts Board. He is a past treasurer of the Twin Cities Gay Softball League. Bill served on PFund’s arts and culture grant making subcommittee before joining the board in 2007; he currently serves as vice president for development. A native of Hibbing, Bill earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of St. Thomas.
Deb Williams is Ojibwe and active in Minnesota’s Two Spirit Community, including helping to organize the International Two Spirit Gatherings. Deb joined the PFund board in 2007 and is active on the grants and programming committee.
Many of our new board members began their service with PFund as volunteers. We invite you to join us! To find out how you can get more involved in PFund, contact us today or visit our Web site at www.PFundOnline.org.
