Creative Individuals-Round 2

Kathleen Danielson: Danielson is a writer and editor at Flash Fiction Magazine, where she provides extensive feedback on submitters' short stories and helps writers polish their craft. She has previously worked at the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Humanities DC, where her roles were involved with both awarding and applying for grants. She graduated from Carleton College with a degree in English and creative writing.; Cy Dodson: Dodson is an Emmy nominated director and editor located in Minnesota. He has created six short documentaries throughout the past several years. His third film, Beneath the Ink (2018) was nominated for a national Emmy award; was Audience Favorite at Palm Springs Shortfest; won best short documentary at Nevada City, Dances With Films, Fargo, and DocEdge in New Zealand. Conde Nast acquired Beneath the Ink for its "GQ Stories" platform, and it was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick 2020. His latest film, Say His Name: Five Days for George Floyd (2021), is an immersive look at community following the murder Mr. Floyd. Dodson owns and operates Triumph Pictures, specializing in documentary style branding content for corporate and nonprofit clients.; Sharon Elmore: Elmore is a retired attorney and nonprofit professional with varied corporate and nonprofit experience. Most recently, she worked for bar associations providing continuing education, fundraising events, communications, social networking, and volunteering. Other work included website development, grant compliance, quantitative and qualitative research; consumer law practice; nutrition extension (Peace Corps volunteer); and more. She has served on nonprofit boards, including an arts nonprofit providing affordable rental space for small theater companies, a private school, and currently a condo homeowners association. She has a BA from Earlham College (Richmond, IN) and a JD from the University of Iowa College of Law (Iowa City, IA).; Jodi Greer: Greer is a dedicated community leader in Lake Benton, with a passion for the arts and education. They volunteer at the Lake Benton Opera House, enhancing cultural enrichment through various roles. Additionally, their involvement in Lake Benton Volunteers for Education and the Lake Benton Area Foundation showcases their commitment to local schools and community development. Professionally, Greer serves as an enterprise technician at Lincoln Pipestone Rural Water, where their technical skills ensure efficient water system operation.; Sarah Kass: Kass has been an arts administrator in the Twin Cities for more than a decade and currently works as a grants manager for The Cowles Center/Artspace Projects Inc. She writes grant applications, proposals, impact reports, and stewardship communications for institutional funders. Kass holds a BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and a MA in museum studies from Johns Hopkins University. Her previous work experience includes the American Craft Council, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Walker Art Center, Guthrie Theater, East Side Arts Council, and Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. Kass has also served as exhibitions cochair/ board cochair on the Altered Esthetics board of directors and as a panelist for the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council and the Minnesota State Arts Board.; Maximo Li: Li is an adjunct faculty member at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and a graphic designer at the advertising agency Carmichael Lynch. He recently moved from Peru, where he worked creating visual content with nongovernmental organizations such as Amnesty International, and cultural organizations such as the Lima Museum of Art. In 2023, he graduated from Minneapolis College of Art and Design with an MFA in visual studies, where he focused his research on transnational stories and identity challenges of Latinx communities.; Jeanette Lukowski: Lukowski is a college English professor, in her twenty-first year of teaching, currently teaching online courses for San Juan College in Farmington, NM. She holds a BA in English from the University of Minnesota, a MA in English from St. Cloud State University, and an MFA in creative writing from Goddard College (Plainfield, VT). Lukowski is a writer with a published body of work that includes two memoirs, scholarly essays, and poetry. She is a regular contributor of articles to The Country Register (published bimonthly across the USA and Canada), and volunteers with several nonprofit social organizations.; Lizabeth Sjaastad: Sjaastad is an author; she has written a 70,000-word memoir and is currently querying agents. She received The Loft Literary Center?s Mentor Series Fellowship for nonfiction last year after finishing her first draft of the book. A chapter from her memoir was a finalist in the Midwest Review in 2021. She has performed parts of her story on stage in Minneapolis, and has had three essays published.; Laura Steinmetz: Steinmetz is the compliance and HR manager for the Mortgage Calculator Mortgage Company. She is president of the board of the Twin Cities Tap Festival and has served on the board for several years in a variety of positions. Before that, she was the president of the Shakopee High School Dance Team Booster Club. All three of her children have been involved in dance since they were three years old and still teach/mentor and perform.