Children's Theatre Company Welcomes New Board Leadership and Members

Children’s Theatre Company has announced that Mary Loeffelholz has been elected by the Board of Directors to serve as the theatre’s Chair of the Board of Directors. Professionally, Loeffelholz currently serves as Co-proprietor, with her husband, of the Dampfwerk Distillery located in St. Louis Park.  

“CTC is at a pivotal moment in our journey to achieve our vision of unleashing the power of curiosity, empathy, and imagination,” said Mary Loeffelholz, incoming Chair of the Board of Directors. “I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of this journey with the new leadership, outstanding staff and talented board of directors as we build on the strong foundations of the past to achieve our vision.”

Also elected was Steven J. Thompson as Co-Vice Chair (Community Leader, NorthStar Healthcare Advisors),

John W. Geelan as Co-Vice Chair (General Counsel & Secretary, Piper Sandler Companies), Adebisi A. Wilson as Secretary (Partner, Ward & Wilson, P.C.), and Kashi Yoshikawa as Treasurer (Senior Regional Investment Manager, Wells Fargo Private Bank). 

Additionally, CTC has announced thirteen accomplished leaders as new board members, including Gulzar Babaeva (APi Group, Vice President, Deputy General Counsel), Ellen Bendel-Stenzel, M.D. (Mayo Clinic | Children’s Center Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine Neonatologist), Morgan Burns (Faegre Drinker, Partner), Corey Day (LS2group, Vice President | Blue Ox Strategies, Principal), Amol Dixit (Solhem Companies | Hot Indian Foods, Vice President, New Ventures and Business, Development | Founder and CEO), The Honorable Judge Andrew Gordon (Ramsey County, Second District Judicial, Officer), Katherine Johnson (Storj, Chief People, Legal, & Compliance Officer), Melissa Leick (Cargill, Vice President Human Resources), Anne M. Lockner (Robins Kaplan LLP, Partner), Kunal Mehta (Winnebago, Vice President of Strategy, Business Development, and Marketing), Fatima Moore (Firefly Advocacy, Principal), Harry Overly (Flagstone Foods, President and CEO), and Kara Feemster Smith (Fuel Cycle, Enterprise Sales Director). 

“CTC’s new board members are talented, diverse and bring a shared passion for a vibrant community and world class multi-generational theater,” said Kate Kelly, Chair of the Governance Committee. “They will join an already outstanding board of directors and leaders.”

2024–2025 Children’s Theatre Company’s Board of Directors

Officers

• Mary Loeffelholz, Chair | Co-proprietor, Dampfwerk Distillery
• Steven J. Thompson, Vice Chair | Community Leader, NorthStar Healthcare Advisors
• John W. Geelan, Vice Chair | General Counsel & Secretary, Piper Sandler Companies
• Adebisi A. Wilson, Secretary | Partner, Ward & Wilson, P.C.
• Kashi Yoshikawa, Treasurer | Senior Regional Investment Manager, Wells Fargo Private Bank

Members

• Stef Adams, Vice Chair | Principal, Director of Client Service and Marketing, Peregrine
• Gulzar Babaeva | APi Group, Vice President Deputy General Counsel
• Tomme Beevas | Founder and Chief Strategic Officer, Pimento Jamaican Kitchen
• Ellen Bendel-Stenzel | Mayo Clinic, Neonatal M.D.
• Michael J. Blum | VP and General Counsel, Securitas Technology North America
• Kwadwo Boadi-Aboagye | Director, Eleven Eleven Development
• Morgan Burns | Partner, Faegre Drinker LLP
• Joe Carroll | Senior Vice President, Enterprise Process Solutions and Technology & Operations Services Strategy, U.S. Bank
• Scott Cummings | Market Development Director, Accenture Corey Day | Principal, Blue Ox Strategies
• Tami R. Diehm | President and Shareholder, Winthrop & Weinstine
• Peter Diessner | President, Kraus-Anderson Realty & Development Companies
• Amol Dixit | Vice President, New Ventures & Business Development, Solhem Companies, Founder, Hot Indian Foods, LLC
• Danielle Duzan | Vice President, Human Resources, Polaris
• Ben Eklo | Chief Financial Officer, UnitedHealthcare Medicare and Retirement
• Meredith Englund | Founder and CEO, Camperoni
• Kara Feemster Smith | Enterprise Sales Director, Fuel Cycle
• Jean Freeman | Principal and CEO, Zambezi
• Betsy Frost | CEO, Hoplark Brands
• The Honorable Judge Andrew Gordon | Ramsey County Courthouse
• Andy Gorski | Community Leader
• Conor Green | Partner, TT Capital Partners
• Lili Hall | President and CEO, KNOCK, Inc.
• Andy Ho | Principal, Deloitte
• Hoyt Hsiao | President and CEO, Shaw-Lundquist Assoc. Inc.
• Dominic Iannazzo | Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
• Bill Johnson | Community Leader
• Katherine Johnson | Storj Labs, Chief People and Legal Officer, Head of Compliance
• Ellen Krug | Founder and President, Human Inspiration Works, LLC
• Chad M. Larsen | Realtor, Berg Larsen Group of Coldwell Banker Realty
• Melissa Leick | Vice President, Human Resources, Cargill
• Anne M. Lockner | Partner, Robins Kaplan LLP
• Trisha London | Community Leader and Counselor, Crisis Text Line
• Wendy Mahling | Senior Vice President, Corporate Secretary & Securities and Corporate Law, Ameriprise Financial
• Kunal Mehta | head of Strategy, Marketing and Business Development, Winnebago
• Kelly Miller | Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Private Bank
• Sonny Miller | Partner, Dorsey & Whitney
• Fatima Moore | Principal, Firefly Advocacy
• Jeb A. Myers | Interim-President, Cristo Rey Tampa Salesian High School
• Nnamdi Njoku | President, Sports Medicine, ZimmerBiomet
• Todd Noteboom | Litigation Attorney & Partner, Stinson LLP
• Melissa Ostrom | Vice President, Controller, Xcel Energy
• Harry Overly | President and CEO, Flagstone Foods
• Angela Pennington | Community Leader
• Silvia M. Perez, Past Chair | President & General Manager, 3M, Commercial Solutions Division
• Josh Peterson | Community Leader
• Donald-Stephen Porter | Managing Director, Sector Portfolio Manager/Analyst, Winslow Capital
• Maria Wagner Reamer | Community Leader
• Chris Schermer | President, SCHERMER
• Hillery Shay | Vice President Marketing & Communications, Children’s Minnesota
• Anne E. Stavney | Head of School, The Blake School
• Tanya M. Taylor | SVP, General Counsel, Tepper Sports and Entertainment
• Hannah Yankelevich | Partner, McKinsey & Co. 

Lifetime Board Members

Mary Lou Dasburg