Creative Support for Organizations-Round 2

Melinda Breva currently serves as development officer in corporate and foundation relations at the University of Minnesota Foundation. She previously served as development manager at Franconia Sculpture Park, and has an extensive background in nonprofit development managing multimillion dollar portfolios. Breva graduated from Metropolitan State University with a MA in nonprofit and public administration and a BA in environmental studies. She is also past board president of the Friends of Maplewood Nature.; Keith Dixon: Dixon began pursuing drawing, painting, and sculpture toward the end of a career as an educator, psychologist, and health care executive. Largely self taught, Dixon traces his influences to the works of the European old masters, and in particular, to the late works of Titian and Rembrandt. Dixon also is an admirer of the contemporary Norwegian master, Odd Nerdrum, with whom he apprenticed in 2016. Dixon maintains a private studio in the Northeast Minneapolis arts district. His works have been in juried exhibitions at the Minnetonka and Edina Art Centers where he received the blue ribbon in painting in 2016. Dixon has also been selected multiple times for curated shows at the annual Minnesota State Fair fine arts exhibition, where he won awards from the Minnesota College of Art and Design and The Maple Grove Art Center.; Megan Fillbrandt is the assistant director of research and sponsored programs at Gustavus Adolphus College. Fillbrandt graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College with a BA in communication studies and English where she became a trained facilitator and continued playing flute in a small ensemble.; Rebecca Froehlich serves as the development and communications associate for the Minnesota Urban Debate League. She received her BFA in painting from the University of South Dakota and is currently pursuing her master of arts in education at Augsburg University. She has been trained as an artist in healthcare within rural and urban settings, and studied at the University of South Dakota and the University of Florida.; Alyssa Johnson is a third-year student at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Before law school, she worked in a variety of nonprofit settings, serving victims of domestic violence, adults with disabilities, and more. During law school, she has volunteered with Standpoint and the Advocates for Human Rights, and has worked with an artist and attorney in the Twin Cities who does consulting for nonprofits and government entities. Johnson graduated from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota with a BA in psychology and criminal justice, and a minor in sociology. Her JD is expected in May of 2022.; Anne Krocak: Weaving her skills as a visual artist, teacher, and public artist together, Krocak has worked for over forty years to bring marginalized people into the center while creating a greater sense of community. Krocak has lived with multiple sclerosis for more than thirty years and understands the importance and power of moving beyond any perceived limitations and works to bring this awareness and accessibility to all of her artist participants. Along with owning her own business, Phoenix Designs, she has a master?s degree in art education and certification in emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). Krocak has conducted public art residencies and won awards through VSA Minnesota, The Kennedy Center, COMPAS, Public Art Saint Paul, ArtSage, Children's Hospital Minneapolis/Saint Paul Campus, and the Minnesota Creative Artists and Aging Network (MnCAAN). She received the 2009 Jahney Arts Access Award for outstanding artist educator of the year. In 2011, she received a national fellowship from VSA National and the Kennedy Center (Washington, DC). Krocak is a Lifetime Arts teaching artist.; Christina Martinez currently works for the University of Minnesota supporting the Chicano and Latino Studies Department as a project specialist. She also is a graduate student within the arts and cultural leadership program at UMN (anticipated May 2022). Martinez volunteers with CaMinO Sister Cities (the Cuernavaca, Mexico/Minneapolis, Minnesota Sister Cities Chapter) and Creative Mornings, Minneapolis. Martinez will be serving on the Springboard for the Arts board of directors in a graduate student capacity in fall 2021. Martinez has a general appreciation for a variety of arts endeavors, but has developed a special appreciation for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) after working at the Science Museum of Minnesota for more than six years.; Leah Moore is the program manager of the Free Arts program of Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities (BBBSTC) where she coordinates arts based mentoring with over 20 local social service agencies and nonprofit organizations. She was the first ever "Spark Award" recipient at BBBSTC for her exceptional contribution to igniting the potential of local youth. She graduated from DePaul University with an MEd in urban, multicultural education; and Boston College with a BA in economics. She also studied in Parma, Italy for one year.; Benjamin Olsen is a designer, policy advocate, and entrepreneur. Trained as both an architect and stage designer, his work encompasses architectural, theatrical, and exhibit environments; policy advocacy; and architectural and urban research. Olsen cofounded Office Hughes Olsen, a wide ranging freelance design practice that invests creative energy in a range of built and theoretical projects. He graduated from Saint Olaf College and Yale School of Architecture and has worked with many local nonprofit theater and art centers in both professional and avocational roles.; Shauna Pickens is an assistant professor and coordinator of music education at Concordia College, where she teaches various courses in the music education sequence and conducts the symphonic band. Prior to her appointment at Concordia College, Pickens taught middle school band in Texas. She graduated with a PhD in music education from Texas Tech University, a MM in music performance from Southern Methodist University, and a BM in music performance from Texas Tech University. Her current research focuses on teaching music in low SES, urban communities and music teacher preparation.