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. 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.

Paul Johnson. 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 - Chair.  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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Bentley Graves - 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 Minnesota's business community at the state capitol in St. Paul, and he enjoys serving as an advocate for the Commons here in our community.  

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​​Kate Wilinski. Kate is a Minnetonka alumni 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.

​​​Kate Holste - Secretary. Kate lives in Excelsior with her husband, Heath and dog, Cedar. She's been active in the community since working on the charter boats during summer breaks in college, is serving a second term 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.

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​Lance Madson - Treasurer. Lance has lived in the Minnetonka area for most of his life, and currently resides in Shorewood with his wife Anne, and their twin boys who recently graduated from college. 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, and currently serves as the Treasurer of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation. Working as Partner at a local accounting firm, Lance helps individuals and small business owners reach their financial goals through strategic tax planning, accounting and consulting services.

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​Lori Zenk. Lori has lived in the Minnetonka area for most of her life and is
an alumni of Minnetonka HS. She and her husband Ron 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 Co-Chairs the
“C4C Ambassadors” along with Tia Black. The Ambassadors are a local
group who reach out to area residents, businesses and park visitors with
information about our mission, progress and fundraising efforts.​
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​Jeff Thomas. Jeff and his wife Tricia have lived in the Minnetonka community for nearly 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 the past 25 years. 

​Cate Fossing
Kevin Menk
Matt Allman​

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
Deb Rogers
​Rick Rogers
Dan Johnson
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!