Board directors represent all alumni who are degree or certificate graduates of Metropolitan State program. Your Board now represents over 27,000 graduates! We welcome your suggestions for improving and enhancing our service and communications with you.
Alumni Association Board Directors
Pictured are (from left) Kathy Burnham, George Wallin, Bob Hernz, Dave Therkelsen, Earlsworth "Baba" Letang, Gini Sanchez, Alpha Mshihiri, Caroline Lowe, Tim Doherty, and Basha Shaik.
President, Kathy Burnham (1992) is a Senior Vice-President at Padilla, Speer, Beardsley, a national public relations firm based in Minneapolis. She has served on the board of directors, executive committee and communications committee for the local March of Dimes chapter. She is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America and is a member of the Business Marketing Association. She is a Community Faculty member of Metropolitan State University. Burnham also plays in a brass and percussion ensemble, Brio Brass, and Minnesota Brass, Inc.
Vice President, Basha Shaik (2007) received his master's in business administration from Metropolitan State and was selected outstanding graduate student in the College of Management. He is now consulting on a variety of projects including films in India. His past employment includes work at Northwest Airlines, Target and Thrivent Financial. Before coming to the United States in 1999, Shaik earned several degrees in India, his native country.
Secretary, Nancy Wolf (2007) was the outstanding School of Nursing graduate student and student commencement speaker in May 2007. Wolf is a registered nurse, and, in the last decade, has focused her career on quality improvement in the hospital setting. She is the director of evaluation and product safety at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee.
Treasurer, Earlsworth "Baba" Letang (2005) is manager of the Midtown Global Market. He has worked as an elementary school teacher in his home country of Dominica, and for the Good News Project in Wisconsin. He is the president of the board of directors of the UMOJA, a Gathering Place. For six years he was the board treasurer for the Vielle Case Credit Union in Dominica. In addition he was the youth president and member of the board of directors of the Vielle Case Faith Center. In Minneapolis he was the secretary of the board of directors of the All Nations Christian Assembly as well as the music director from 2000-2002. Letang attended Dominica Teachers' College where he was elected student body president. He earned a bachelor's degree at North Central University, and has a Master of Public and Nonprofit Administration from Metropolitan State as well as a graduate certificate in project management. An accomplished musician, Letang was the leader of a musical group in Dominica in the 1990s which produced two CDs, Love You and So Different.
Tim Doherty (1994) is a business account executive with Dakota Electric Association where he establishes and maintains business partnerships and relationships with members. He is the single point of contact to address services issues of his assigned members, administers energy conservation programs, brings new program and service ideas to members, and evaluates new energy efficiency technologies for cost/benefit analysis. Prior to joining Dakota Electric, he held similar positions with CenterPoint Energy and Connexus Energy, and held technical engineering positions with Controls Engineering, Embassy Suites Hotels, Owens Services and the College of St. Catherine. He is a graduate of First College with course work in the College of Management.
Bob Hernz is the general manager of Law Enforcement Technology Group, a company in Woodbury that develops and provides information and integrated solutions to law enforcement agencies. Prior to his current position, he retired as the director of public safety after serving 30 years in Golden Valley's police department. In 1988, he was the recipient of the Golden Valley Police Officer of the Year Award. He has been an active community volunteer and his service includes being a past member and chair of Robbinsdale Area School's ISD #281 Board of Education, and member of the Rotary Club of Golden Valley. Bob received a B.A. in public administration from Metropolitan State in 1993.
Ana Ruby Lee (1993) is the Program Director at the Northwest Area Foundation. Ruby Lee has worked previously for the Saint Paul Foundation, the Minnesota Council on Spanish Speaking Affairs and the Pioneer Press. She has been an active volunteer for a number of organizations including the Urban Coalition, United Way, the World of Difference campaign, the International Institute of Minnesota, and the City of Saint Paul's Cinco de Mayo Celebration. In February she received the Amigo Award from El Fondo de Nuestra Comunidad. She came to Minnesota originally as a high school exchange student from Guatemala.
Caroline Lowe (2002) has been on the crime beat for WCCO-TV since 1977. She is also a licensed Minnesota police officer. She has received numerous awards for her reporting, including: The Alfred I. DuPont Columbia Award for "Missing the Beat" in 1994, two Regional Emmy Awards in 1994, Sweepstakes Award from the Society of Professional Journalists in 1994, an Associated Press award and an UPI award. In 1986, Lowe was awarded the Minnesota Association of Crime Victims Media Attention Service Award, the first time that award was given to a member of the media. Lowe is the only reporter in Minnesota to have a police license and may be the only one in the country. She finished her master's degree in police leadership from the University of St. Thomas in December 2004. She is also a guest faculty member at the Center for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement, where she teaches a class on the role of media and police. She is a Metropolitan State community faculty member and is co-teaching a class on criminal justice and the news media.
Jim Lukaszewski (1974) was the 2007 Alumnus of the Year. He is considered to be among the founders of modern American crisis communication management techniques, and is the author of several books and hundreds of articles on crisis management and leadership. He is profiled in the publication, Contemporary Legends of Public Relations. His monographs and newsletters are available at his Web site www.e911.com. He has been involved as an alumnus of Metropolitan State in many ways, and, three years ago, along with the former President Wilson Bradshaw and Professor Susan Rydell, he hosted the first gathering of Metropolitan State alumni and friends in New York City.
Alpha Mshihiri is a 2000 graduate with a B.S. degree in management information systems. While he is employed full-time as a business analyst at Wells Fargo, Home Mortgage Department, he is also beginning his own business, where he is a mortgage broker. His firm is named Vany International, LLC.
Gini Sanchez (2005) is originally from France and moved to the United States seven years ago. After graduating from Metropolitan State with a bachelor of arts in individual studies (First College) with a concentration in business and intercultural studies, Sanchez worked as a high-school French teacher. She has also worked at the University of St. Thomas as a tutor for the department of modern and classical languages, and as an assistant for the development office, where she used her skills to improve and streamline administrative processes. Sanchez has volunteered as a homework tutor for after-schools programs, as a reader for people with vision loss, and as an usher at Orchestra Hall. Sanchez is currently pursuing her master in liberal studies at Hamline University.
Dave Therkelsen is the Executive Director of Crisis Connection and has retired from a 28-year career at the American Red Cross, including serving as CEO of two field units. He is a board member of Kobe College Corporation, Chicago, which facilitates educational exchange between North America and Japan. He has an adjunct faculty appointment in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota. He is an accredited member of PRSA since 1976; and was elected in 1993 to the organization's College of Fellows, the highest professional designation in the field. He is a past board member of the Minnesota Press Club; he served one term on a suburban city council; and was co-founder and executive secretary of a statewide municipal organization. Dave received his individualized B.A. from Metropolitan State's First College in 1974.
G. George Wallin, Ph.D. (1982) is the director, Telecommunications Consulting at Leonard, Street and Deinard. Wallin has served as the clerk and treasurer of the Big Lake School Board and recently started his second term on that board. Current and recent leadership positions include serving as a foundation board member of Anoka Technical College; president and past treasurer of Big Lake Visioning, dba LAMP; secretary of the Initiative Foundation Board; secretary/treasurer of the NorthStar Access Board; vice chair of the WirelessNorth, LLC Board; and member of the safety and education as well as the marketing committees of the Minnesota Telephone Association. He is a past president/secretary of the Sherburne County Economic Development Alliance and has filled several positions within the Chambers of Commerce in his area. He also serves in various capacities within his church and the Food Shelf in Big Lake. He has received numerous awards for his civic involvement including Big Lakes Schools' Mentor of the Year award and the Good Neighbor award by WCCO Radio. He has also received professional awards including the Contel Award for Managing in the Face of Adversity, the Minnesota Telephone Association's Safety Leadership of the Year award and the Contel Professional Development Association's Manager of the Year award. Wallin has published in leading telecommunications publications.
Lynda Zimmerman is the Graduate Academic Advisor & Recruiter for the Master's in Nursing program at Metropolitan State University. Lynda is also a community faculty member for the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Management. Her involvement at Metropolitan State includes being a member of the Advising Council, MSUAASF secretary, former chair of the Women's Commission, and coordinator of nursing alumni events. She is a member of the National Academic Advising Association where she currently serves on the Distance Education and Adult Learner interest groups. Lynda feels her multiple perspectives and involvement on campus have prepared her to be effective in supporting the Alumni Board's mission. Lynda earned her master's degree from Metropolitan State in technical communication in 2002, and previously earned a B.S. in organizational administration from Northwestern University, Roseville.
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