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University of Minnesota Foundation elects new officers and trustees

The University of Minnesota Foundation elected three new officers and eight new members to its Board of Trustees at its annual meeting on November 9.

New officers are Charles Mooty, chair; Deborah Hopp, vice chair; and Robert Buuck, Secretary. Charles Osborne continues as treasurer.

The new trustees bring rich expertise and viewpoints from a variety of industries and philanthropic interests, as well as international experience. They include the following:

Lynn Casey, chief executive officer for Padilla Speer Beardsley. Casey has an undergraduate degree from the University of North Dakota, a master's in mass communications from the University of Minnesota, and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas. She is a member of the Itasca Project and the Minnesota Women's Economic Roundtable, and serves on the boards of several business and philanthropic organizations.

Michael B. Fiterman, president and CEO of Liberty Diversified International. Fiterman received an undergraduate degree in business from the University of Minnesota. He has been recognized for his business leadership and is a member of the Minnesota Business Partnership. Among his commitments to community service is active involvement on the Board of Herzl Camp and the Minnesota Viking Children's Fund.

Archie J. Givens, Jr., president and CEO of Legacy Management and Development Corporation, and president of the Givens Foundation for African American Literature, the only non-profit dedicated exclusively to celebrating black literature and writers. His family has helped establish a collection, named after his father, Archie Givens, Sr., of over 10,000 rare and first-edition books by African American writers at the University's Anderson Library. Archie Givens, Jr. holds a B.A. in history and humanities, and an MHA in hospital and healthcare administration, from the U of M. He is past president of the University of Minnesota National Alumni Association. He has been recognized extensively for his service to and work in the community, which includes active involvement in numerous cultural and social service organizations.

Erwin A. Kelen has been a venture capitalist and angel investor for the past 20 years, and is president of Kelen Ventures. Prior to this he was president and CEO of DataMyte Corporation and chairman and CEO of Electro-Craft Corporation. He holds an undergraduate degree from the Technical University of Budapest, Hungary, and a master's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota. In addition to multiple business interests, he serves on the board of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Margaret (Peggy) E. Lucas, a partner in Brighton Development Corporation, which specializes in residential development and inner-city redevelopment. Lucas holds a master's degree in social work from the University of Minnesota. She has served in the Peace Corps in Iran and worked as a caseworker on the Navaho Indian Reservation. She received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the University in 2010. Lucas is a member of the Minnesota Women's Economic Roundtable and the International Women's Forum, and serves on the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission and numerous community boards.

Virginia (Ginny) Morris, a third-generation broadcaster, is chair of Hubbard Radio, which operates 21 radio stations in Chicago, Washington D.C., Minneapolis-St. Paul, St. Louis and Cincinnati. She was formerly president and general manager of KSTP radio and properties. She serves on the executive committee of the Radio Advertisers Bureau, the board of Broadcast Music Inc., and the Library of American Broadcasting.

Christopher J. Policinski, president and chief executive officer of Land O'Lakes, Inc. Policinski has over 30 years of experience in the food industry, holding leadership positions at Kraft General Foods, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Pillsbury before joining Land O'Lakes in 1997. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from New York University. In addition to serving on several national industry boards, he is chairman of the Greater Twin Cities United Way and serves on other community boards.

Kendall J. Powell, chairman and chief executive officer of General Mills, where he has worked since 1979. Under his leadership, General Mills has been recognized internationally as a best company to work for, among other industry honors. Powell has a B.S. in biology from Harvard and an MBA from Stanford. He serves on multiple industry boards, and on the Minnesota Business Partnership and Twin Cities United Way.

The University of Minnesota Foundation (UMF) raises gifts and other private resources on behalf of the University of Minnesota, invests and manages endowed funds for long-term growth, and stewards gifts to ensure they are used as donors intend. In FY11, UMF recorded $151 million in gifts and pledges to the University and distributed $107 million to the programs designated by donors.

Steven Goldstein is president and CEO of the Foundation. There are currently 39 trustees on the board, including University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler and three representatives of the Board of Regents. Trustees are elected annually for three-year terms. A complete list of board members can be found at http://giving.umn.edu/foundation/leadership/.