Ecumen is very pleased to welcome Brian Nelson as executive director of The Ecumen Foundation and vice president of philanthropy. His role is integral to our values of service, people, innovation, spirituality, wellness, collaboration and stewardship.

‘We’re so pleased to have Brian joining the Ecumen team,’ said Kathryn Roberts, Ecumen CEO and president. ‘Brian’s leadership and talents are essential to our transformation work and helping our society view and understand aging in radically different ways.’

Brian joins Ecumen from Minneapolis-based Allina Hospitals and Clinics, where he headed fund development for Allina Home Care, Hospice and Palliative Care. Over his career he has helped raise nearly $100 million for leading Twin Cities organizations, including Memorial Blood Centers, Catholic Charities, Children’s Cancer Research Fund and the American Cancer Society.

‘The unprecedented age wave is incredible opportunity for innovation in our society,’ said Brian. ‘I’m greatly looking forward to connecting people and their philanthropic investments to the creativity, passion and vision at Ecumen, and help fuel the future of aging in America.’

A native of Alexandria, Minn., site of Ecumen’s Bethany Community, Brian is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., where he received a B.A. in Communications and English. In 2000, he was named one of the Twin Cities’ top ’40 Under 40′ leaders by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. He lives in Eagan with his wife Sue and sons Mack, Jake and Gabe.