COMMUNITY lEADERS
Be The Change MN Community Leaders
The Be The Change MN Golf Tournament forges new connections and conversations between Twin Cities leaders from corporations, to community organizations, with city officials and neighbors. Our Community Leaders are a diverse group of folks who wish to share their perspective about what their community needs or how they can contribute to actively “be the change” in their daily life.
Meet the community leaders
Meet the 2024 community leaders
Quentin Moore
Advancement
Vice President
Charles M. McKissack,Jr.
Minneapolis Public School Teacher and basketball coach
Retired Educator
Mohamud Noor
Somali/Muslim State Rep
Chief Virgil Green Sr
City of Golden Valley
Chief Of Police
Clarence Hightower
Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties
Executive Director
Pastor Jerry McAfee
Salem Inc 21 days of peace
Lead Pastor
Pastor Edrin Williams
Sanctuary Covenant Church
Lead Pastor
Reggie Wilson
Kare 11
Sports Director
Tony Oliva
MLB Hall of Famer
Sina W.P.
MN Farmers Market Assoc.
Director of Engagement & Inclusion
Rebekkah Brunson
The Minnesota Lynx
Assistant/Basketball Coach
Micheal Manns
Sit Investment Associates
Vice President
Mayor Roslyn Harmon
City of Golden Valley
Mayor
Danny Rubio
YMCA of the North
Associate Vice President of Operations
Dr. Lisa Sayles-Adam
MPS Superintendent
Chef Mateo Mackbee
Creole Restaurant Krewe
Chef and Co founder
Jeff Baidoo
Meet Minneapolis
Director of Partnership
Pedro Bustamante
YMCA OF THE NORTH
NSJ Beacons Community Program Director
Emmanuel Minter
Fit 1st Running, Uptown Minneapolis
Owner
Kelli Williams
The BrandLab
Chief Executive Officer
Benny Roberts
PJ Hill
Northrock X
Strategic Dev. Director
Lisa Lisamore
Retired Associate Director
Minnesota State High School League
Guy Bowling
Citizen Father Foundation
Executive Director
Sharon ElAmin
Minneapolis Public School / McKinley Community
Board Director District 2/ Executive Director
Elizer Darris
Lead Consultant
Devin Ashley Brown
Mississippi Park Connection
Community Programs Manager
Eric Lucas
Invictus Foundation
President
David Ybarra
MN Pipe Trades Association
President
As President of the Pipe Trades Assoc. David represents more than 9000 men and women working in piping related industries throughout the State of MN. David is also on the Board of Commissioners for the MN Ballpark Authority.
Le’Spencer Walker
Target Corp
Director Vendor Development
Le’Spencer leads a team at Target that identifies, develops & on-boards women and minority owned brands. He continues to make a conscientious effort to align his work/passions through education & storytelling, creating authentic products, leveraging research to amplify strategy, and building tools & resources for small minority owned businesses to help them succeed.
Latrisha Vetaw
Mpls City Council Member
LaTrisha started her career in public service 20 years ago. She has served as the Dir. of Health Policy & Advocacy at NorthPoint Health & Wellness, Inc, sat on the Mpls Park & Rec Board, served as VP/Chair of the Intergovernmental& Legislative Committee where she secured funding for parks programs in under-invested neighborhoods throughout Mpls.
Chuck Varrie
Building a Better You (B.A.B.Y.)
CEO
As CEO of Building a Better You (B.A.B.Y.), he takes lessons learned from his business life in giving people a leg up and has created programs that will enable people to pursue a better life for themselves before they encounter the criminal justice system or drop out of traditional education.
Bryan Tyner
Minneapolis Fire Department
Mpls Fire Chief
“It is my distinct honor to be fire chief in the city where I grew up and for a community that I love. My personal values: honesty, integrity and fairness, are what I will bring to my tenure as fire chief. Our department will collectively endeavor to become an industry leader in the fire service.”
Caleb Traux
World Champion Boxer
Caleb was the 2006 Upper Midwest Golden Gloves champion, won USA Boxing titles for Minnesota, then turned pro in
2007. The IBF Super Middleweight champion proudly represents his family, community, and his state with an indomitable spirit and desire to help and encourage others.
Michael Shelton
Heritage Youth Sports Foundation
Executive Director
Heritage Youth Sports Foundation (HYSF), is a local organization focused on giving youth a chance to play sports, make friends, improve social skills, and serve the community all while learning various aspects of the sports business
Hillery Shay
Children’s Minnesota
VP Marketing & Communications
Hillery launched the highly successful Raise ‘Em Up campaign and led Children’s MN to commit 20% of marketing $$ to communities of color & equity groups. By partnering with the MN Business Coalition for Racial Equity, the Raise ‘Em Up campaign also serves BIPOC communities. She is also a founder of MN chapter of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Assoc.
Tony Sanneh
The Sanneh Foundation
Founder & CEO
In 2003, while still at the height of his professional soccer career, Tony established The Sanneh Foundation to leverage what he saw as soccer’s unique potential to create positive social change. The foundation was founded to support community-based organizations and provide environments for urban youth to become positive and productive adults.
Wayne Petersen
MN Wild
Sr Dir. Community Relations
Wayne Petersen, is on a mission to bring diversity to youth hockey. As the Director of Community Relations and Hockey Partnerships for the MN Wild, he has seen first hand the role that sports can play in bringing communities together.
Mike Peterson
Reading Plus
Founding Partner
Mike is part of the founding team of Reading Plus, a Minneapolis program that partners with schools to help emerging readers make critical gains in reading. The program offers excellent one on one instruction to students from Orton-Gillingham certified tutors both during and outside of school hours. Mike has been working in the Mpls nonprofit world for the last 15 years and enjoys coaching his 4 boys in various sports.
Cinnamon Pelly
Pillsbury United Communities
President & CEO
One of Minnesota’s most well-established organizations with over 140 yrs of service, guided by a vision that imagines thriving communities where every person has the personal, social, and economic power to reach their full potential.
Mike Opat
North Memorial Health
Chief Business Development and Community Relations Officer
Mike leads system business development and outreach, manages all aspects of government relations, oversees strategic community partnerships and sponsorships, and plays a key role in driving North’s growth strategy for the future. Opat brings extensive experience to the role, having served 28 years as a Hennepin County Commissioner, where he led a number of transformational projects, including efforts to modernize the governance model for Hennepin Healthcare and supporting work to build and finance Target Field. Mike is dedicated to developing, executing, monitoring and sustaining North’s strategic partnerships and community relationships, and ensuring they are integrated
into the organization’s vision of healthcare the way it ought to be.
Ravi Norman
Sagiliti
Chairman & CEO
Sagiliti is a team of sustainability stewards who turn utility data into positive environmental action that positively impacts people, planet and profit on behalf of our clients. In 2019, NGE Holdings acquired a majority interest in Sagiliti, formerly known as JIT Services. As CEO, I facilitated a strategic growth plan focused on stewardship, sustainability, and equity. Amidst a global pandemic, we accelerated our positive impacts on people, profit and planet, as evidenced by our nomination by Medtronic as NCMSDC’s Class 4 Supplier of the Year.NGE Holdings invests in various businesses and social interests that are dedicated to optimizing human outcomes in the built environment, via our B.E.S.T. principles:1. Balance 2. Equity 3. Sustainability 4. Transparency
John Myles
Mpls Park & Rec Board
Community Action Coordinator
Shay Marlowe
MN DHS
Diversity Recruiter
Men of African Heritage ERG Chair and State DEIBA Committee, Non-Profit Youth Mentor, & K-12 Sports Coach. You can always find me building intentional relationships in the community, improving strategies for better outcomes and seeking diverse connections for future opportunities
Kelly Manke
Bell Bank
SVP Nonprofit Banking
My banking focus to help more people achieve their dreams. As a nonprofit banker, I am able to scale my desire to help others. through providing banking services to nonprofit businesses in a way that not only meets their needs, but helps them thrive.
Miki Lewis Frost
8218 Truce Center
Founder
Hello. My name is Miki Lewis/Frost I grew up in St. Paul Minnesota I studied Criminal justice and chemical dependency counseling. After years of doing community work and events I decided in 2018 to form my non profit 8218 Truce Center, a space where I could mentor kids from the ages of 8 to 18, where they can learn conflict resolution, leadership skills, depression and suicide prevention, & drug awareness and prevention. This is also a place where people with co-parenting conflicts/different issues and work them out. A place to call a Truce. I have formed partnerships with St. Paul Public Schools, St. Paul PD, Ramsey County Sheriffs Department & Ramsey County Adult and Juvenile Detention Centers. I have dedicated over 15 years to my community, in hopes of providing change that brings us all closer together. ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER CHANCE.
Emily Koski
Mpls City Council Member – Ward 11
Koski is a lifelong Mpls resident, a small-business owner, a community leader & advocate, a wife and mother. She believes the community wants to be seen and heard, and she is here to listen. Ward 11 includes Diamond Lake, Hale, Keewaydin, Page, Northrup, Tangletown, Wenonah, Windom, and Field
John Jamison
MAI Publishing
Founder & CEO
John has over 17 years of experience spearheading initiatives for advertising and insurance organizations, management consulting and professional services. Jamison began his career in advertising, specializing in real estate, entertainment, and Internet marketing at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He studied film at Minneapolis College of Art and Design and business management and entrepreneurship at Metropolitan State University. Jamison also serves as the Board Chairman of the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council in North Minneapolis focused on housing, environmental, economic development, and community engagement.
Dr. Delores Hendersen
D.E.L.O.R.E.S. WORKS
Executive Director
Retired SPPS & longest sitting school administrator in MN- 46 years in 16 different schools. Instrumental in developing various Magnet and IB programs at J.J. Hill, Capital Hill, & Hazel Park Prep. Founded her nonprofit to support education, empower, and mentor underrepresented students.
Jeff Hayden
Sr. Gov Relations @ Fredrikson
Former MN State Senator
Jeff is an experienced State Senator with a demonstrated history of working collaboratively within the state legislature and various state agencies to his government relations and policy work. He has worked over 12 years as a three-term State Senator and two-term State Representative, as well as his professional background in housing policy. He has a deep understanding of the legislative process and relationships with key stakeholders. During his time in the MN Senate, he also served as the Deputy Caucus Leader.
Willie Burton
Excel U
Founder
Former MN Gopher, NBA athlete, a nationally recognized K-12 Behavior Intervention Specialist, keynote speaker, & founder of Excel U – a University measured pgrm designed to empower students, student-athletes, and the adults who guide them.
James Burroughs II
Children’s Minnesota
SVP
James C. Burroughs II is senior vice president of government and community relations and chief equity and inclusion officer at Children’s Minnesota, one of the largest freestanding pediatric health systems in the nation. He has 30+ years of experience in nonprofit management, equity, diversity, inclusion, and employment law. Prior to Children’s Minnesota, James served as the state of Minnesota’s first chief inclusion officer, also making history as the first state Chief Inclusion Officer in the country.
Keia Boyd
Minneapolis Police Dept
Sergeant
I have always wanted to become a Mpls PO since I was a young girl growing up in South Minneapolis. I knew I wanted to help protect the community I was from. I have been working for the Minneapolis Police Department for 17 years.
Trent Bowman
Bremer Bank
VP Community Impact
Trent is responsible for leading efforts to educate first-time homebuyers and low- to moderate-income families in the Twin Cities, ensuring they feel informed and supported about the homebuying process before they begin working with a loan officer. Trent is active in community organizations. He serves as the financial board co-chair for the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council, co-chair for the LISC Twin Cities advisory council committee & serves on the board for KIPP charter school. He has an extensive background in mortgage lending, small business banking, wealth building, credit analysis and community outreach across more than a decade in the financial services industry.
Luke Day
V3 Sports
Director of Facilities
Luke joined the V3 team in Spring 2023, bringing 15+ years experience from his time with the University of Minnesota. He has served for ten years on the Minnesota Swimming Board of Directors, including a term as General Chair.
Greg Curtis
C-Results
PGA Associate
I have been involved in athletics most of my life. I coached high school football, basketball and golf. I began working at Eagle Lake in 2011. The following year I earned a certification with the National Registry of Professional Golf Instructors. I am USGTF Certified and a PGA Associate. I enjoy teaching group lessons as well as individual lessons and am able to work with all levels of golfers. I am a fundamental coach who has the ability to simplify the game and make it easy to understand.
Alicia Crudup
Mpls Park & Rec Board
Commissioner, Vice President
I am a woman with big dreams to influence, lead and build an amazing world for all of us to thrive in starting with my leadership in the parks! I have the pleasure of building community daily through my work as an ED for a local nonprofit and will do more of as Park Commissioner.
Johnny Chapman
Community Leader
Coach
