Board of Directors

Emily grew up in Wayzata and has called Excelsior home for the past eight years, where she lives with her husband, children and two dogs. She loves being part of a community rooted in history, surrounded by the lake and nature, and defined by the local shops and restaurants that make it such a special place to raise a family. Emily draws on her background in vendor sales and product development to bring creativity and a fresh perspective to her work with Community for the Commons.

Natasha and her family have been proud residents of Excelsior for the past decade. In addition to her professional role at Target Corporation, Natasha has been an active community member, previously volunteering to support The Commons. She brings her passion for community engagement and development to the board. In her leisure time, Natasha enjoys boating and exploring local shops and restaurants, embracing all that Excelsior has to offer.

Sue and her husband have lived in the Lake Minnetonka area for over 30 years and resided in Excelsior for six years. She has served on various local nonprofit and Club Boards and works in Marketing at UnitedHealthcare. She is enthusiastic about small communities and the outdoors and can be seen in The Commons most days with Bubbles, the family dog.

VICE CHAIR

Bentley and his family live in Shorewood, and he and his wife enjoy raising their four kids in the Excelsior area. The Graves are huge fans of The Commons and love spending time in the park as a family and with friends. Bentley advocates on behalf of his clients at the state capitol in St. Paul, and he enjoys serving as an advocate for the Commons here in our community.

SECRETARY

Kate lives in Excelsior with her husband and dog, Indie. She's been active in the community since working on the charter boats during summer breaks in college, has served on the city's Planning Commission, and volunteers with the VANTAGE program at Minnetonka HS. When not traveling for work in international sales, she enjoys the area by foot, bike, and various types of watercraft.

TREASURER

Lance has lived in the Minnetonka area for most of his life and currently resides in Shorewood with his wife. He grew up in Minnetonka, and as a 1986 grad from Minnetonka High School, has great memories playing pick-up football and frisbee with high school friends in The Commons. Lance is a former member of the Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation Board, currently serves as the Treasurer of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation and works as Partner at a local accounting firm.

CHAIR

Sheila and her husband have lived in the Excelsior area for over 25 years. Sheila’s professional career was in the healthcare and financial industries. She has worked for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations on both a national and local level and has served on various community nonprofit boards. Sheila’s passion for The Commons runs deep, with an interest in public green space and its opportunities and challenges as a regional destination within a relatively small Excelsior community of which she is a resident.

Debra lives near The Commons with her partner, Randy, and the two are regulars in the park—biking, running, walking and gardening. Professionally, she has over 30 years of experience in the financial services and healthcare industries. Debra has spent her career building partnerships and solutions designed to build wealth and improve health—helping communities thrive along the way, including work to beautify her hometown and increase community engagement. She's excited to help create the best possible park experiences--with and for the community.

Tara has lived in Shorewood for 14 years, raising her daughter Macy, a Skipper alumna and UMD graduate. She and her husband love an adventure and enjoy participating in local Excelsior festivities, such as the concerts in the park and the Firecracker run. Professionally, Tara works as a business analyst and spent over five years as an ambassador to the Community of the Commons, fostering community engagement.

Jeff and his wife have lived in the Minnetonka community for 30 Years. Their 3 children graduated from Minnetonka Schools, and they have enjoyed many activities in The Commons including triathlons, baptisms, concerts and yoga. Jeff is particularly interested in the health and care of the trees in the commons. Jeff has managed a wealth management practice downtown Minneapolis for 25+ years.

SECRETARY

Kate is a Minnetonka alumnus with fond memories of The Commons, which she now enjoys with her husband and three sons. She has worked in fundraising and communications for local non-profit organizations including Opportunity Partners, ICA Food Shelf, and Hennepin Theatre Trust. Kate has served on boards including Excelsior Rotary, Scenic Heights PTA, the Como Community Council, and has a passion for community building and the outdoors.

Lori has lived in the Minnetonka area for most of her life and is an alumnus of Minnetonka HS. She and her husband raised their family in Shorewood--so Excelsior and The Commons are near and dear to their hearts. Lori’s background is in Advertising and Design. She leads the Ambassador program which focuses on reaching out to area residents, businesses and park visitors with information about our mission, progress and fundraising efforts.​