Board of Trustees

Keith Halleland, Chair

Keith is a founding member of the law firm Halleland Lewis Nilan & Johnson. As chair of Halleland Health Consulting, he is committed to innovation and collaboration in order to improve community and health services for all. He provides leadership in the practice areas of regulatory compliance, business transactions and health policy.

Keith has served on a variety of boards, including, the Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota, Citizens League, University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Children’s HeartLink, Courage Center, and Way to Grow. He also does Pro bono work for the Neighborhood Health Care Network and mentors high school students through the ABC (A Better Chance) Foundation.

He received his B.A. from the University of Iowa and his J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law.

John Byom, Vice Chair

John has an extensive background in finance and organizational leadership. He is CEO of Classic Provisions Inc. a specialty foods distribution business. Previously John worked at International Multifoods for 26 years, serving as chief financial officer and division president. John is a board member of MGP Ingredients and Prestige Brands Inc.

John is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). He has served as a board member for the Park Nicollet/Methodist Hospital Foundation, Edina Community Lutheran Church, and is involved in mentoring through Kinship Inc.

He received his B.A. in accounting from Luther College Decorah, Iowa.

Loanne Thrane, Secretary

Loanne was state chairwoman of the Republican Party of Minnesota from 1977 to 1980 and was the Minnesota chief of staff to former U.S. Senator Rudy Boschwitz from 1980 to 1991. 

Loanne served on the Board of Regents for the University of Minnesota and Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.; the boards for the Minnesota State Council on Quality Education; the Minnesota Educational Computer Consortium; the Minnesota Private College Council, and she’s a commissioner on the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, which is Minnesota’s professional sports public agency and owner of the Metrodome.

Loanne has a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Concordia College and has done graduate work at the University of Hawaii and the University of California (Berkeley).

Lynn Anderson, Treasurer

Lynn Anderson has vast experience in public policy and education with emphasis in executive management, leadership development, and public relations. She spent half of her career in state government service, including positions in the Minnesota State Senate and Minnesota Governor’s Office.

During her 10 years in the Governor’s Office, Ms. Anderson was chief of staff to Gov. Rudy Perpich, responsible for management of the state’s executive branch of government from 1987-1991. She also served on the Governor’s cabinet and the Governor’s Senior State Policy and Budget Development Council.

The other half of her career has been focused on post-secondary education, serving as director of development at Macalester College and senior vice president at the Minnesota Private College Council, Fund and Research Foundation. Lynn is a private consultant in post-secondary education focusing on strategic planning and implementation, marketing and public relations, and community and government relations.

Dr. Robert Hoffman

Robert is vice president of strategic business, education and regional partnerships at Minnesota State University, Mankato. His career began as a teacher and coach in Redwood Falls, Minn., and then as principal of Wanamingo High School in Minnesota. He then worked for IBM as an educational consultant in data processing.

After completing his doctorate in education, Bob returned to education as assistant superintendent of schools in Worthington, Minn., and superintendent of schools in Waseca, Minn. In 1975, Bob joined Brown Printing Company in Waseca as director of marketing. Following positions of vice president of manufacturing and senior vice president of sales and marketing for Brown, he joined Taylor Corporation in 1988 as group vice president of the commercial division. He was a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees for six years and served two years as the chairman.

Lisa Deverell

Lisa is vice president of strategy and planning at Land O’Lakes. Before joining Land O’Lakes, Lisa was vice president of finance for the U.S. consumer products division of International Multifoods Corporation. She previously held various leadership positions in finance for Pillsbury.

Lisa earned her B.A. in Management from Hamline University and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management.

Rev. Dean Johnson

Dean Johnson has been a parish pastor at Calvary Lutheran Church in Willmar, Minnesota for 35 years. He also was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives (1978 to 1982) and the Minnesota Senate (1982 to 2006), where he served as minority and majority leader. A brigadier general in the United States Army National Guard, he was special assistant to the chief of chaplains, National Guard Bureau, Washington, D.C., and received numerous awards and commendations, including the Legion of Merit.

Johnson grew up on a farm near Lanesboro, Minnesota. He received a B.A. in business administration from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, a master of divinity degree from Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., and, in 2002, a master's degree in strategic studies from the United States Army War College.

Rev. Kris Linner

Kris Linner is the pastor of care ministries at Trinity Lutheran Church in Stillwater, Minn.  Her extensive experience as a chaplain includes service at Lyngblomsten Care Center in St. Paul and Gunderson Lutheran Hospice in LaCrosse, WI.  She was working as a social worker with seniors, when she felt called to enter seminary. 

Today her work combines both callings. Kris is the author of the children’s book My Brother Dave: Living Through a Loved One’s Death, and her work has appeared in Thanatos, Lutheran Women Today, Connections and The Lutheran. She is a graduate of Bemidji State University and Luther Northwestern Seminary.

Dianne Nimmer

Diane is a personal life coach. Diane works with people facing transitions in their life and has a particular interest in legacy development, working with people to establish how they want to be remembered. Diane has more than 25 years of corporate experience in human resources and training in the housing industry.

In addition, she has provided board leadership for a number of non-profit organizations, including St. John’s Lutheran Church of Minneapolis, Central Lutheran Church of Minneapolis, the Golden Valley Federated Women’s Club, the Chi Rho Center and World Voices. She serves as a commissioner on the Human Services Foundation in Golden Valley, Minn.

A graduate of The Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara, Calif., a leader in personal coaching, renewal and leadership she also holds a speech communications degree from the University of Minnesota.

Rev. Henry “Hank” Noordzy

Rev. Henry Noordzy has served Ecumen and its predecessor organization The Board of Social Ministry in a variety of roles, first serving on the board of trustees of The Board of Social Ministry in 1985. He was chairperson from 1999-2002. In 2002 he chaired the search to bring Kathryn Roberts to Ecumen as its president and CEO.

Rev. Noordzy served as pastor at Holy Nativity in New Hope, Minn.; Spring Garden Lutheran Church in Cannon Falls, Minn., and Bethany in Duluth, Minn. Retired from full-time pastoral work, he continues his involvement in the Duluth area serving on advisory boards for Ecumen’s Lakeshore community. He has also served on RSVP/Duluth, Twin Ports Ministry to Seafarers, United Developmental Achievement Center, Arrowhead Council of Churches, and Lutheran Social Services.

Gerald Peterson

Gerald has extensive background in computer technology, business development, and real estate. He retired from West Publishing Company with 27 years in computer technology management positions including software development and product management. Since then, he has been an owner, investor and consultant in multi-family housing.

Gerald has been an active member in the Forest Lake, Minn., community for most of his life. He attends Faith Lutheran Church in Forest Lake. He has served on the church council, and has been active in missions to Africa.

He earned his B.S. in Physics from Hamline University.

David Stillman

David is an expert on generational issues in the workplace and marketplace. He is co-author of the best selling business book When Generations Collide: Who They Are. Why They Clash. How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work. As a leader of the company Bridgeworks, he has been sought by organizations from the IRS to MTV to discuss how to connect four distinct generations of employees and customers. He’s also appeared on CNN, CNBC, and the Today show and has been featured in many publications, including TIME, Entrepreneur, The New York Times, and USA Today.

David was named one of Forty Under 40 leaders by The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, has received awards from the New York Film Festival, the Houston Film Festival and is a recipient of the much coveted CLIO Award.

David graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a B.A. degree in Communications and Sociology. He also completed Mass Media in Britain, a Michigan State University program in conjunction with the British Broadcasting Company.

Rev. Harold Usgaard

Rev. Harold Usgaard was first elected in 2001 and re-elected June 8, 2007 to a second six-year term as bishop of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Prior to his call as bishop, he served as a pastor at St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Austin, Minn.; at Mount Hope Lutheran Church in West Allis, Wis.; and at Zumbro Lutheran Church, Rochester, Minn.

Usgaard holds degrees from Luther College and Luther Seminary, and was ordained a pastor in 1973. He was born and raised in Decorah, Iowa, and resides in Austin, Minn.

Glenn Baron

Glenn Baron is the founder and president of Lancer Hospitality, a Minnesota-based hospitality company. Lancer provides catering and on-site food service to many notable clients, such as Minnesota Zoo, Science Museum of Minnesota, Como Park Zoo, Deluxe Corporation and Comcast as well as Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington. Lancer also operates Como Town amusement park.

As a student at UW Madison, Glenn started his business with a single ice cream vending truck. From that beginning he has forged a successful entrepreneurial career in business for over 30 years.

Richard Leider

Richard Leider is the founder and chairman of The Inventure Group, a coaching and consulting firm in Minneapolis. He is also a Senior Fellow and founder of The Purpose Project at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing. Ranked by Forbes as one of the “Top 5” most respected coaches in America, Richard has a global coaching practice.

Richard is a lecturer at Duke Corporate Education, the University of Minnesota Carlson School’s Executive Development Center and the Harvard Business School’s General Management Program. Richard has authored eight books, including three bestsellers: Repacking Your Bags, The Power of Purpose, and Claiming Your Place at the Fire.

Richard has a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and is a Nationally Certified Master Career Counselor.

Todd Peterson

Todd Peterson is an entrepreneur and investor focused on turn-around opportunities and consumer-related investing businesses. He brought Chippewa Springs Water from the verge of bankruptcy and rebuilt the brand. He also served as the CEO of LabSeek.com and chairman of Underwater Adventures Aquarium at the Mall of America. At the beginning of his career, Todd helped develop the PLATO educational software system at Control Data and spent five years at Piper Jaffray as a vice president of Corporate Finance.

Todd has an A.B. from Harvard College and M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He serves as regional director of the Harvard Alumni Association.

Gail M. Olson

Gail M. Olson has served as general counsel for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities since 1997. Prior to that, she was a deputy attorney general for the State of Minnesota. Her current legal practice includes governance, employment law, and higher education law; she previously practiced in human services issues and long-term care rate regulation.

Gail is the lay leader of the Saint Paul Area Synod and is a director and officer for Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services in St. Paul.

She is a graduate of William Mitchell College of Law and Augustana College, Sioux Falls.

Robert Karrick

Robert Karrick is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Smead Manufacturing Company. He is a past-chair of the Alzheimer's Association Minnesota-North Dakota.

Prior to joining Smead, he served as Principal, and Vice President at Manchester Companies, a milti-disciplinary professional services firm in Minneapolis that provides financial and management advisory services to small- and middle-market companies, which he joined in 2001. He also has held senior management positionas as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Tiro Industries; Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of TicketAmerica, Inc.; President and Chief Executive Officer of Gelco Information Network; and Chief Financial Officer of Norwest Technical Services.

Karrick holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a master's degree in Finance from Western Illinois University.