New Directors:

Mary K. Brainerd is president and chief executive officer of HealthPartners, a group of organizations with 9,000 employees and nearly 30 medical care delivery sites. Prior to joining HealthPartners, Brainerd held senior-level positions with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. She is a frequent speaker on a variety of health care topics and is involved with initiatives focused on patient safety and patient-centered health care. Brainerd serves on the boards of eleven organizations, including Regions Hospital, Guthrie Theater and Possis Medical. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas.

Robert A. Engebretsen is senior vice president and regional trust manager for the Private Client Group of U.S. Bank, an organization he has served for 32 years. Engebretsen oversees 270 trust professionals in five states. Previously, Engebretsen managed U.S. Bank’s trust tax division. He has served on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities and was board treasurer for the Education Foundation of Bloomington. Engebretsen holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Augustana College and a Certified Financial Services Counselor designation from Northwestern University National Trust Graduate School.

Robyn Hansen is a partner with the law firm of Leonard, Street and Deinard, where she focuses primarily on public finance, commercial lending and real estate lending. Hansen’s clients include the Saint Paul Port Authority and the Saint Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority. She is a member of the Ramsey County, Minnesota State and American Bar Associations as well as the National Association of Bond Lawyers. Hansen currently serves on the boards of Metropolitan State University Foundation, the Saint Paul Convention and Visitors Bureau, Capital City Partnership and Park Square Theatre. Hansen is a member and past president of the Minnesota Institute of Public Finance. She holds a J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law.

Cynthia Lesher is vice president and chief administrative officer of Xcel Energy. Previously, she held a variety of positions, including vice president of human resources and president, at Northern States Power Gas. She has been recognized for excellence in human resources by HR Magazine and was named one of the Twin Cities’ most innovative women by The Business Journal (formerly CityBusiness). Lesher is chair of the board of the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and serves on the boards of Metropolitan Economic Development Association, Neighborhood House, Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation, United Hospital and the YWCA of Minneapolis. Lesher holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Drake University and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and psychology from St. Cloud State University.

Manuel Mariano López serves as associate vice chancellor for continuous improvement in the office of the chancellor of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU). Previously, he served for five years as associate vice chancellor of academic and student affairs before becoming MnSCU’s interim chief of staff. López has also worked as senior academic planner for the University of Wisconsin and as a professor at Pan American University in Texas. López served for many years on the board of the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library and is presently a member of the board of Neighborhood House. A native of New York City, he holds a master’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in sociology from Michigan State University.

Elsa Vega-Perez is a senior program officer for the Otto Bremer Foundation. Previously, she was equal opportunity director for the State of Minnesota and special assistant to the general superintendent of schools for the Chicago Board of Education. Throughout her career, Vega-Perez has worked to affirm the rights of disadvantaged populations. She is a past chair of Hispanics in Philanthropy and has served on the board of El Fondo de Nuestra Comunidad, an endowment of SpectrumTrust of The Saint Paul Foundation. She is presently a trustee of Twin Cities Public Television, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and Metropolitan State University Foundation. Vega-Perez holds a bachelor’s degree in human services administration from Metropolitan State University and studied public administration at Bernard Baruch College as a National Urban Fellow.

History

The Saint Paul Foundation is the community foundation for Saint Paul and surrounding areas. It connects and supports donors, nonprofits and partners to enrich lives and communities through philanthropy. Since 1940, The Saint Paul Foundation has granted more than $400 million to nonprofit organizations contributing to the health and vitality of the community. Through special projects and programs such as the Community Sharing Fund, SpectrumTrust, Management Improvement Fund and Words Work!, the Foundation works with the community to identify and address key issues. For more information, visit www.saintpaulfoundation.org.

Contact:
Megan O’Leary
mko@saintpaulfoundation.org
651.325.4295