Gwendolyn Freed is Interim Chief Development Officer at Second Harvest Heartland in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. At the University of Minnesota, she has served as Interim Director of the School of Music, and as Chief Development Officer at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Her prior roles include Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Cornish College of the Arts and Vice President for Marketing and Communication at Gustavus Adolphus College.

Gwen's writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and the Higher Education Handbook of Theory and Research. She holds a PhD in Educational Policy and Administration and a master’s degree in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota, as well as music degrees from the Juilliard School and Oberlin Conservatory. In addition to her Humphrey School Presentation Skills course, Gwen co-teaches a leadership class in the University of Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Leadership program.