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Policy Fellows: 2009-2010 Policy Fellows
Each year, 30 to 40 individuals are selected from the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota to participate in the Policy Fellows program at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. The program offers practical training in public affairs leadership for emerging leaders seeking new experiences and skills. Policy Fellows come from a variety of professional and personal backgrounds and political affiliations, and have demonstrated leadership in their careers and communities.
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Nimco Ahmed works as a policy aide for the vice president of the Minneapolis City Council, where she is the chief of staff of the 6th ward office and represents the council in city and neighborhood meetings. Ahmed entered the political world with a strong desire to educate communities who are marginalized politically, socially, and economically. She has extensive experience as an organizer for political campaigns at the state and national level. In 2007, Ahmed was named a "Woman to Watch" by the Minnesota Women's Political Caucus. Ahmed is one of 16 state directors for the Minnesota DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) party and serves on the board of directors of Minneapolis Community Action, Circle of Discipline and the reNEW Minnesota Campaign. |
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Allison Barmann is a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company. She is currently on loan as director of the Itasca Project, an alliance of CEOs and civic leaders working to address the economic competitiveness of the Minneapolis - St. Paul region. Barmann earned her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her master's degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She was a founding co-chair of the Science Museum of Minnesota's Presidential Advisory Board and serves on boards for Hiawatha Leadership Academy and Genesys Works - Twin Cities. Barmann lives in Edina with her husband and two-year old twins. |
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John C. Campbell is a senior manager in the strategy group at Target Corporation, where he serves internal clients on current business initiatives and identifies longer-term enterprise growth opportunities. Prior to joining Target, Campbell was a consultant for McKinsey & Company, where he focused on providing strategic support to clients across a broad range of industries. He also spent four years on active duty as an acquisitions officer in the United States Air Force. Campbell earned a bachelor's degree in finance and economics from the University of Notre Dame and master's degree from the Harvard Business School. He lives in Saint Paul with his wife Kelly and daughter Katherine. |
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Michael Ceballos is vice president within the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform & Modernization, with an emphasis on operations and strategy. Prior to UnitedHealth Group, the bulk of Ceballos' experience focused on the general management of cross-functional heavy civil construction projects, with a short stint teaching pre-algebra on the Salt River Pima Indian Reservation. Ceballos has both bachelor's and master's degrees from Stanford University and a master's degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He serves as president of the El Colegio Charter School board of directors and is a member of the Cedar Riverside People's Center board of directors. He lives in Southwest Minneapolis with his wife. |
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Dawn Fish is chief development officer for the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, working with the University of Minnesota Foundation, benefactors, and faculty and staff to raise major support for the Institute's funding priorities. She previously served as executive director of a private family foundation and has worked in nonprofit executive management over the past 20 years. Fish holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Metropolitan State University and a master's degree in organizational leadership from St. Catherine's University. |
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David Gillette works as a political commentator, cartoonist, and essayist for Almanac on Twin Cities Public Television (TPT), Minnesota's longest-running public affairs show. During the legislative session, Gillette writes, illustrates and produces "How It Happens," a weekly broadcast segment that sheds light on the people, places and processes that influence our civic discourse. In addition to his television career, Gillette has worked with several non-profit organizations and environmental groups to create educational and interpretive materials. He has served for five years on the executive committee of the Lake Minnetonka Communications Commission, and also volunteers with the Three Rivers Park District. |
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Jeff Goldberg joined Fox 9 news as a political reporter in October 2006. He covers the Capitol in St. Paul, and in the past year covered the U.S. senate race and the presidential race, including the Iowa caucuses, the Democratic National Convention in Denver, and the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Goldberg was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in nearby Potomac, Maryland. He attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he graduated in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in English. After graduation, Jeff landed a job as a "one man band" at an NBC station in Helena, Montana, and then worked as a reporter at CBS stations in Fort Myers, Florida and San Diego, California before moving to Minnesota. |
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Sarah Goldthwait is a senior account executive at Weber Shandwick, a global public relations firm, where she focuses on crisis preparedness and crisis communications for clients in the agriculture industry. She has also implemented national recruitment campaigns for a nonprofit healthcare client, one of which was named "2008 National Healthcare Campaign of the Year" by PR Week. Goldthwait serves as a volunteer legal translator for the Advocates for Human Rights and sits on the vestry at St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Goldthwait earned her undergraduate degree in French and political science from St. Olaf College and now lives in Minneapolis with her husband and an energetic springer spaniel. |
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Amy Halford is a senior digital brand manager at Best Buy Corporation. She is responsible for developing marketing strategies that utilize mobile marketing, social media, and other interactive media to better connect customers to the Best Buy brand and each other. Halford is a graduate of Partners in Policymaking, a training program through the office of the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities; the program teaches parents of children with disabilities and self-advocates the power of advocacy and its ability to change the way people with disabilities are supported, viewed, taught, live and work. Halford holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Iowa and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota. |
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Chris Heineman serves as the city administrator for the City of Kenyon. Heineman has held a variety of positions in the public sector, having worked for the Minnesota Senate, the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, and local government in Anoka, Lake City, and now Kenyon. He also currently serves as president of the board of directors for the Goodhue County chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Heineman has a bachelor's degree in political science from Bethel University and a master's degree in public administration from Hamline University. He makes his home in Red Wing with his wife Joanie, children Tessa and Jed, and a faithful dog of 12 years, Mocha. |
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Christy L. Hovanetz is a senior policy fellow at the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a non-profit education policy and research organization launched by Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida. Hovanetz has worked in education policy since 1999 serving in high level public policy and leadership positions at the Minnesota Department of Education and the Florida Department of Education. Hovanetz graduated from St. Cloud State University with a bachelor's degree in education with a minor in mathematics and is a certified teacher in the state of Minnesota. She earned her master's degree in public administration from the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in public administration and policy from Florida State University. |
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Matthew Hunt is a director of new business development at Best Buy Corporation, where he leads a team of entrepreneurs who focus on building new concepts, formats, and categories for the international retailer. Prior to joining Best Buy, Hunt spent six years in New York building a global information technology outsourcing capability within the investment bank Morgan Stanley. Hunt is an avid reader and technologist and recently became active in grassroots political campaigning. He holds a master's degree in business strategy and a bachelor's degree in management information systems from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. Hunt grew up in St. Paul and currently resides in Inver Grove Heights with his wife Michelle and two children. |
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Kris Johnson is a 2008 Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow conducting Ph.D. dissertation research on the environmental services provided by agriculture. Previously, he was program coordinator of the University of Minnesota Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Initiative, where he helped lead and develop new sustainability research and education programs. Johnson holds a master's degree in conservation biology from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor's degree in history and Spanish from Bowdoin College. He currently serves on the board of the Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture and a number of other university and nonprofit sustainability committees. |
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Rima Kawas is a senior policy advisor to Governor Tim Pawlenty. She works with public policy issues related to public safety, courts, elections, and transportation. Prior to her work as a policy advisor, Kawas was the director of legislative affairs and strategic planning for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. She has also worked at the Minnesota House of Representatives and for the Minneapolis Park Police. Kawas has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Minnesota. She is an active member of her church and recently traveled to Chile to participate in Habitat for Humanity International. |
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Anne Mason works with media and in communications for the Humphrey Institute, the University of Minnesota's graduate school for public policy. Previously, Mason worked at the Financial Services Volunteer Corps, a nonprofit organization in New York that helps establish effective financial services in emerging market countries around the world. Mason has also worked in various political positions in Washington, DC, as a presidential appointee at the U.S. Treasury, in political advertising, on campaigns and as communications director for a Minnesota congressman. Mason holds a bachelor's degree in politics from Drake University. |
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Dan Miller is an assistant vice president and manager of state government relations and grassroots for U.S. Bank. Miller is responsible for all legislative activities in twelve states located in the bank's midwest and eastern markets. He also oversees company wide legislative advocacy and Get Out The Vote campaigns. Previously, Miller worked in former Congressman Jim Ramstad's office and held various positions with the Minnesota House and Senate Republican Caucuses, most recently as political director for the Senate Republicans. Miller holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Minnesota. He lives in Forest Lake with his wife Johanna. |
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Vayong Moua is a senior project manager at Blue Cross and Blue Shield's Center for Prevention. He works on passing public health policies that reduce obesity, tobacco use, and health inequities. Previously, he was a welfare reform and environmental justice policy analyst for the state of Wisconsin. Moua received a bachelor's degree in philosophy, sociology/anthropology, and Asian studies from St. Olaf College, and a master's degree in public affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Born in Laos, Moua has also studied and worked abroad in Asia. He was published in Bamboo Among the Oaks, the first Hmong anthology of creative writing. Moua recently married Pha Chia Yang and lives in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis. |
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Ibrahim A. Noor is a project manager with the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance (UI) program at Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. He started in 1999 as a community liaison representative and helped develop and translate UI program materials into Hmong, Spanish and Somali languages. Back in Somalia where he was born, Noor was a commercial pilot flying for Somali Airlines after he completed his aviation education at Lufthansa flying school in Bremen, Germany and Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to his FAA and Somali commercial pilot licenses, he holds a master's degree in public administration from the State University of New York in Albany, and Metropolitan State University in Minnesota. |
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Sara Noznesky is the manager of state legislative affairs for the Minnesota Medical Association, a statewide professional association representing physicians, residents, and medical students. In addition to lobbying at the state capitol on a broad scope of health care issues, she works to engage physicians in advocacy, build coalitions and grow the association’s political action committee, MEDPAC. Previously, Noznesky held positions at the Minnesota House of Representatives, UnitedHealthcare and the office of former U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-MN). She currently serves on the board of directors for the Minnesota Government Relations Council. Noznesky holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Bethel University. She and her husband live in St. Louis Park. |
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Anne O'Connor currently works at the Minnesota House of Representatives for Rep. Kathy Brynaert, Rep. Tom Anzelc, and Rep. Frank Hornstein. A returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Samoa), O'Connor credits her time working in community development and rural youth programming as a transformative period in her life and a motivator for returning to Minnesota to work in public policy in her own community. O'Connor earned her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Minnesota where she focused on human rights, and a master's degree in political science from the University of Hawai'i - Manoa where she focused on public policy and indigenous politics. In her spare time, she enjoys running, golfing, cycling and reading. |
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Barb O'Reilly is a lieutenant colonel in the Minnesota Army National Guard, serving as chief of deployment cycle services and commander of the personnel services battalion. In this role, O'Reilly is responsible for providing education and support for military service members and their families before, during, and after deployment. In Minnesota, this nationally mandated program is called Beyond the Yellow Ribbon and is recognized as one of the most innovative in the country. O'Reilly is also a combat veteran, having served a tour of duty in Afghanistan where she oversaw planning and execution of military operations for her battalion. O'Reilly and her family live in West Lakeland. |
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Caroline Palmer is the staff attorney at the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault. In this capacity she develops public policy initiatives, provides technical assistance, creates materials, and coordinates trainings. Prior to this position she worked as the pro bono development director at the Minnesota State Bar Association, and also as a staff attorney at the Minnesota AIDS Project. Before attending law school, Palmer worked in arts administration and journalism in New York and Minnesota, and continues to write about dance for the Star Tribune and City Pages. She is a graduate of Barnard College and Hamline University School of Law. She teaches the Public Interest Law Practicum at Hamline and is on the board of the Minnesota AIDS Project. |
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Daniel F. Pfarr is the associate director of Bolder Options, a youth mentoring program in Minneapolis. Over the past 15 years, Pfarr has served as a mentor, a volunteer and staff member at Bolder Options. He has helped raise over two million dollars in federal grant and private foundation support for the organization and has also coordinated the agency's strategic plan, program evaluation and development activities. Together with his brother, Pfarr farms land near Le Sueur, Minnesota that has been in the family for over 100 years. He also owns and manages several rental properties in Minneapolis. Pfarr and his wife, Julie Pinomaki, reside in North Minneapolis with their three boys, Leo, James, and Anton. |
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Jenna Rasmusson is a specialist in healthcare marketing. She is currently the senior manager of market development and communication for AGA Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of minimally invasive devices for congenital heart defects. In 2008, Rasmusson joined the start-up company Carol Corporation to work on healthcare payment reform. She and the team brought together a collaboration of health care providers, employers, health insurance companies and consumers to launch an innovative pilot program. Prior to Carol, Rasmusson was a group manager for Boston Scientific. She holds a bachelor's degree from St. Olaf College and a master's degree in business administration from the Carlson School of Management. |
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Adam Robbins is the administrative director for Quorum, the Twin Cities Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Allied Chamber of Commerce. He serves on the board of the Tretter Collection in GLBT Studies with his partner Jesse, volunteers with Twin Cities Pride, the Human Rights Campaign, and Project 515, and previously coordinated OutFront Minnesota's Lobby Day. Robbins earned his bachelor's degree from Harvard College and his master's degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin. He originally hails from Maine. |
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Maria Ruud is serving her third term in the Minnesota House of Representatives and serves on the Health Policy and Finance, Ways and Means and Tax Committees. She also works as a nurse practitioner at Park Nicollet Clinic and has a special interest in working with teens, refugees, and new immigrants. Ruud received her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Minnesota and her master's degree in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco. She resides in Minnetonka along with her husband and teen-age sons and enjoys running, biking, and skiing. |
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Ben Schein is a senior financial analyst in the property development area of Target Corporation, where he provides analysis and metrics focused on real estate, store design, construction and facility management. He is a participant in Target's Finance Leadership Development program and serves on the program's advisory council. Schein serves on the board of The Soap Factory art gallery and is also involved with Net Impact, Citizens League, Jewish Community Action, Jewish Community Relations Council and Beth El Synagogue. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and master's degree in business administration from the Carlson School of Management. Schein lives in southwest Minneapolis with his wife Robyn and their son. |
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Bruce Schwartau is an educator with the University of Minnesota Extension, specializing in community economics. He collaborates with economic development entities, cities, and chambers of commerce to strengthen economic vitality in Southeast Minnesota through market analysis, business retention programs, and tourism development. Schwartau also visits with people about organ donation and the transplant process, having gone through a liver transplant in 2005. Schwartau received his bachelor's degree in agricultural business administration and a master's degree in education from the University of Minnesota. |
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Kirstin Sersland Beach is a councilmember on the Metropolitan Council. Appointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty in July of 2007, she serves on the environment and transportation committees and also chairs the central corridor light rail community advisory committee, a committee required by the Federal Transit Administration to serve the citizen stakeholders as the Metropolitan Council prepares to construct the new light rail line connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul. Sersland Beach earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Gustavus Adolphus College. She resides in the Como Park neighborhood of St. Paul with her husband, Mike, and first-grade daughter, Annie. |
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John Soshnik is a partner in the health group at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, where he provides legal counsel regarding transactional and regulatory issues to health care providers, managed care organizations, financial services companies, IT vendors and others engaged in the health care industry. Soshnik’s previous experience includes positions with Catholic Charities, the Minnesota Department of Health, and UnitedHealth Group. Soshnik earned a bachelor's degree in urban studies from the University of Minnesota and a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law. Soshnik’s wife Martha Tanquist teaches early childhood special education in the St. Paul Public School system, and his children Jack and Lilly are high school students in Eagan. |
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Marcela Sotela is communications and multicultural liaison for Community Mediation Services, Inc., a community program helping people resolve their conflicts in a peaceful and respectful manner. She has demonstrated her effectiveness in policy advocacy on behalf of the Latino community, and understands the importance of multi-cultural input and inclusion. As a professional mediator, Sotela displays a keen eye for details and passion for community service. Sotela earned her licenciature degree in chemical engineering from the University of Costa Rica. She lives in Maple Grove with her husband and daughter. |
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Erik D. Sutcliffe is the co-owner and founder of Integrity Communications and Solutions, Inc., a company that manages telecommunication infrastructure projects for corporations and their branches across the United States and Canada. Sutcliffe is also the commander of the 934th Maintenance Squadron, U.S. Air Force Reserve. He has deployed overseas in support of Operations Allied Force, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Sutcliffe earned a bachelor’s degree from Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire and a master’s degree from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. |
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Kari Suzuki Bardy is the director of operations at the Otto Bremer Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota, with responsibility to oversee all aspects of the foundation’s administrative, financial, and operational functions. She has served on a number of nonprofit boards in the Twin Cities and is currently a board member for the Minnesota Council on Foundations and a fund advisor for the Ripley Memorial Fund housed at the Minnesota Women’s Foundation. Suzuki Bardy has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. She currently lives in St. Paul with her husband Randy and three year old son Evan. |
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Rosa Tock is the legislative director of the State of Minnesota Chicano Latino Affairs Council (CLAC) and has served in the council for more than two years, conducting research and updating data about the Latino community. She has also engaged state legislators on issues important to the council’s agenda. Previously, Tock worked as a bilingual human rights specialist for the City of Saint Paul. She has lived, studied, and worked outside the U.S. in Guatemala, France, and Mexico. Tock is a certified elementary school teacher, and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Rafael Landívar University in Guatemala City. She came to Minnesota as a Fulbright Fellow at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, where she earned a master’s degree in public policy. |
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Scott Torborg works in Pfizer’s policy group as the alliance development manager for Minnesota and Iowa. Alliance development seeks to obtain a greater understanding of local market trends and issues through dialogue and partnership with key individuals and groups. Prior to this role, Torborg served as Pfizer’s national director of employers for the central region of the United States, where he worked with large self funded corporations on their pharmacy and disease management initiatives. Prior to joining Pfizer, Torborg worked in the hospital, pharmacy benefit management and health plan settings. He is a registered pharmacist and received his doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota. Scott lives in Chanhassen with his wife and three children. |
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Mark Weber is the deputy recruiting commander and chief of officer recruiting for the Minnesota Army National Guard. He has served a total of 20 years in the army, and has served throughout the U.S., Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. His tours of duty include public affairs officer for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and personal military assistant to the Iraqi Chief of Defense. In 2002, Weber was recognized as one of twelve best company grade officers in the Army. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Minnesota State University, a master’s degree in history from Jacksonville State University in Alabama, and a master’s degree in public policy management from Georgetown University. Weber lives in Rosemount with his wife Kristin and their three sons. |
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Anne Willaert is the director of program design and development for the Healthcare Education Industry Partnership (HEIP), a project under Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Through her work at HEIP, Willaert develops partnerships between higher education and the healthcare industry to form solutions to meet the increased and critical needs in the healthcare workforce. She is also the director of the Minnesota Community Health Worker Alliance, which successfully advocated for new legislation mandating Medicaid reimbursement for community health workers in Minnesota. Willaert also works across state, national and international borders with partners to design and create new healthcare positions to meet the needs of underserved populations. |
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