Board of Directors

​Community for the Commons is guided by a Board of Directors, comprised of area residents and liaisons to Excelsior’s city governance. The Directors serve staggered terms and also participate on operating committees that report to the Board.

Voting Directors

Eric Snyder - Chair. Eric lives in Excelsior with his wife Kim and their son, Ethan. He serves as the board secretary for Community for the Commons and is currently participating as a member of the City’s Commons Master Planning work group. He and his wife Kim own and operate a consulting firm that provides fundraising and strategy counsel to nonprofits.

Dan Johnson - Vice Chair. Dan is a lifelong Lake Minnetonka area resident and lives in Excelsior with his wife, Brittney, and their four children. Dan serves as the Vice-Chair for Community for The Commons, as well as serving on the City of Excelsior’s Commons Master Planning Workgroup and volunteering with the Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society. Dan is a Principal with Dialect, an Excelsior-based professional services firm that advises clients on real estate projects.

Rick Rodgers - Secretary.  Rick is a longtime Excelsior resident and one of the founding Community for the Commons Board Members, leading the organization’s Finance Committee. Rick has a background in finance and has served as CFO for private and publicly-traded companies. He is also a Board member for several biopharmaceutical firms.

Paul Johnson - Treasurer. Paul Johnson is a 15+ year resident of Excelsior, along with his wife, Heather, and their three children. He serves as Community for The Commons’ Treasurer, and is involved in the Finance Committee as well as the group’s technology strategy. Paul is a consultant to hospitals and health systems, where he helps clients in areas such as performance improvement, operations and finance, and governance.
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Tia Black. Tia and her husband Lance live in Excelsior and have raised their children in the Lake Minnetonka area. Tia has served on the board of Stevens Square Foundation and the Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation. Tia leads the "C4C Ambassadors", a group of local residents who reach out to area residents, businesses and park visitors with information about our mission and our progress . 
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Sheila McMillan.  Sheila has lived in the Excelsior area for over 20 years. She and her husband Brian raised their children here, both of whom are graduates of Minnetonka High School. Sheila has a healthcare and financial background and has worked for both nonprofit and profit health plans and delivery systems on both a national and local level. She has also served on various other community non profit boards including the Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation and the ICA Food Shelf. Sheila's passion for the Excelsior Commons runs deep, as she favors abundant public green space made available for all.

Dave Nelson. Dave and wife Maureen have lived in Chanhassen for the past 18 years.  They have three children and ten grandchildren (all Minnetonka Skippers!).  Dave recently retired from Minnetonka High School where he taught Physical Education and coached Football.  Dave continues to serve as the Minnetonka School District's "Tonkadome" Manager.  Dave leads the Commons Adoption Program and is excited to be a part of "C4C"!

Caitlyn Pulitzer. Caitlyn is a Lake Minnetonka area native, Minnetonka Skipper Class of ’03, and Excelsior resident along with her husband, Philip, daughter Lydia and dog, Wilson. Caitlyn serves as board member and Communications Chair. When she’s not spending time with her family in Excelsior Commons, she is working as a marketing professional.
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​Deb Rodgers. Deb Rodgers is the Founder of Community for The Commons.  She has also served on the Excelsior Park Commission.  She and her husband Rick lived in Excelsior for over 23 years and have recently moved to Tucson, AZ.  Deb has been a CPA, a recruiter and an employee benefits broker as well as the owner and manager of several rental properties. She is now retired and spends her time traveling and working to improve The Commons and the Port of Excelsior.

Liaisons (Non-Voting)

​Tom Wolfe – Park Commission Liaison.  Lifelong resident of Minnetonka area and 1970 graduate of Minnetonka High School.  I have been a resident of Excelsior since 1978 along with wife Renee.  We raised 2 children in Excelsior and have 5 grandchildren ages 3 to 9.  I have been a longtime member of the Excelsior Park & Rec Commission and currently serve as Chair.  I'm also a member of the City’s Commons Master  Planning work group, member of the Lake Minnetonka Rotary Club that runs the” Concerts in the Commons”, “Burgers, Bingo By the Bay”, and many other local civic projects.  I love to volunteer for local community events and can usually be found serving beer!

Jennifer Caron – City Council Liaison.  Jennifer has lived in Excelsior for over 25 years with her husband Tim and daughter Madelena.   Jennifer and Tim are passionate about preserving Excelsior's history and own and manage several commercial buildings in the historic district.  They have long believed in conserving open space in Excelsior, including the Commons and other sites like Oak Hill Cemetery.  Jennifer is serving in her fourth term on the city council.   She is also a footwear industry consultant and entrepreneur

Mark Macpherson – Heritage Preservation Commission Liaison.  Mark is a lifelong Lake Minnetonka area and current Excelsior resident. His current home has been in the family for over 65 years and he is a graduate of Minnetonka High School. Mark serves as the chair of the Excelsior Heritage Preservation Commission and has served on the City of Excelsior Commons Master Planning Work Group. Mark is president of Macpherson-Towne Company an established (over 60 years)  masonry restoration business with extensive experience in historic properties.

Past Directors
Linda Murrell
Todd Carlson
Lynn Johnson

​Community for The Commons’ Board is always looking for additional volunteer help as we expand our presence in the community.  If you are interested in getting involved, please let us know!