Board of Directors
Mavis Connolly
Community Member
4 years on Second Harvest Board
Committee: Development
Company currently employed with or retired from: Itasca Memorial Hospital
What does being on the Second Harvest North Central Food Bank board mean to you? Helping the community.
Additional info about you: Retired R.N. and active in church activities.
Megan Drusch
American Legion
First year on Second Harvest Board
Committees: Development
Company currently employed with or retired from: American Legion
What does being on the Second Harvest North Central Food Bank board mean to you? I am honored to have been selected as a member. I grew up in poverty in a household with five brothers and sisters. We experienced several occasions of not having enough foor. I cherish any opportunity to help children and families not go through the insecurity and fear of hunger.
Additional info about you: I am a mother of three with tow teenage boys still at home. I am also a full time student, part-time realtor and part-time bartender at the American Legion. I enjoy fishing, gardening, cooking, and home improvement.
Robert Dunnell***
Figgins Transportation
Daryl Erdman
Concerto Ventures
First year on Second Harvest Board
Committee: Finance
Company currently employed with or retired from: Retired business owner
What does being on the Second Harvest North Central Food Bank board mean to you? The bulk of my business career was spent in the food industry so food has been a major part of my life. I had the opportunity to assist in the formation of the Rochester food bank, Channel One so I always have felt close to the issue of feeding the disadvantaged.
Additional info about you: When I left my business career after 23 years I went to the University of St. Thomas to start their entrepreneurial program. After 13 years with UST I left to start the entrepreneurial program at the University of Iowa. From there I joined a venture capital partnership where I was a Senior Director and helped to lead investments in many of the 23 companies we invested in. I left after six years to retire in Grand Rapids. I have recently written a book titled “Scar Tissue Lessons from the World of Entrepreneurship.”
Allen Gilbertson
Community Member, Retired educator
2.5 years on Second Harvest Board
Committee: Fundraising
Company currently employed with or retired from: ISD 318
What does being on the Second Harvest North Central Food Bank board mean to you? I believe in the mission and the organization and feel good to be a part of it. I think the staff and volunteers do everything they can to get food to people in need. It is fun to be a part of that.
Additional info about you: I am a retired teacher. My wife Karen and I have two sons; both are married and have two children. Belonging and being involved with the Grand Rapids Rotary Club for 40 years has been very meaningful. I love sports of all kinds. Karen and I have had many great travel adventures.
Frieda Hall
Educator for 32 years
First year on Second Harvest Board
Committe: None yet
Company currently employed with or retired from: ISD 318
What does being on the Second Harvest North Central Food Bank board mean to you? Hunger is the essential issue; if people don't have food, very little else matters. Being on the board gives me the opportunity to work on this issue in another way in addition to volunteering at the Food Shelf.
Deloris (Dee) Hillstrom
Lay Pastor, Retired educator
5 years on Second Harvest Board
Committee: Personnel
Company currently employed with or retired from: Retired English/French teacher of 34 years, current Authorized Lay Pastor at Our Savior Lutheran in Federal Dam.
What does being on the Second Harvest North Central Food Bank board mean to you? It has been a privilege to work with an incredible staff and a dedicated board to help stamp out hunger.
Additional info about you: My husband and I are grandparents of healthy, beautiful quadruplets born on March 6, 2010. They joined their big brother Taylor who is now 4 years old. Our other daughter is in Mozambique, Africa attempting to adopt a precious little girl whom she was holding 3 years ago when he mother dies. Our daughter was doing missionary work at that time, came back to earn money to go adopt the child and returned to Mozambique in March of 2010.
Alana Hughes**
Blandin Foundation Staff
4 years on Second Harvest Board
Committee: Governance and Fundraising
Company currently employed with or retired from: Employed at the Blandin Foundation
What does being on the Second Harvest North Central Food Bank board mean to you? An opportunity to give back to the community and increase awareness of hunger.
Additional info about you: I was born and raised in Grand Rapids, MN. I have two children - Collin 13 years old, and Rylee 10 years old, and have earned a BA in Psychology.
Deb Page*
Business Owner
3+ years on Second Harvest Board
Committee: Development
Company currently employed with or retired from: Owner of Frame Up – a custom frame shop and art gallery – 29 years
What does being on the Second Harvest North Central Food Bank board mean to you? Being on SHNCFB Board gives me the chance to increase my knowledge and awareness of the ENTIRE community in which I live and hopefully alleviate hunger within it. At the same time it gives me the opportunity to advocate and educate within my own peer group and hopefully inspire others towards that end as well.
Additional info about you: I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Minneapolis College of Art and Design. I have lived in the Grand Rapids area for 32 years. My husband Tom and I raised our two children here – Max 26 and Annie 24, both of which are living and working in the Twin Cities. I am still a working artist – working mainly in painting and printmaking.
Andy Stamson
Construction Consultant
Amy Trast
V.P. American Bank of the North
3 Years completed on Board
Committee: Finance (Treasurer)
Company currently employed with or retired from: American Bank of the North
What does being on the Second Harvest North Central Food Bank board mean to you? For me, being on the Board of Directors means that I am able to make decisions that will help end hunger in Itasca County & our surrounding communities. By being active, I have been able to learn more about hunger in our community and what Second Harvest does on a daily basis to help those in need. There is such a huge need in our community – from individuals to families to children – that education is a major priority. By sharing the information I learn with friends and family, I am able to help spread knowledge to everyone in our community and continue to create awareness.
Additional info about you: I have lived in the Grand Rapids community for over 14 years. During this time, I have been involved with numerous organizations and am currently on the Board of Directors for the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce and also on the 2011 Governor’s Fishing Opener committee. My husband, Eric, and I have two wonderful children, Emily (9) and Theo (6), that keep us very active with school and extracurricular activities. I enjoy all sporting activities and watching my children become more and more involved with them.
John Weyer
First year on Second Harvest Board
Committee: None yet
Company currently employed with or retired form: Blandin Foundation
What does being on the Second Harvest Board mean to you? I feel privileged to be on the board of a nonprofit with a mission statement specifically directing at ending hunger. I also hope to be a credible and hopeful voice in the effort of the mission.
Bill Wheeler
Consultant, Retired
About 8 years on Second Harvest Board
Committee: Personnel and Governance, formerly on Executive Committee.
Company currently employed with or retired from: IBM
What does being on the Second Harvest North Central Food Bank board mean to you? By volunteering in the Food Shelf I have seen the tremendous need for food in the Grand Rapids area, and the critical role the Food Bank plays. The various programs meet the needs of low-income people from school age through our senior citizens. I’m proud to serve on the Board and assist in setting policies and procedures that fill these needs in an efficient and respectful manner.
Additional info about you: I retired from IBM after 29 years of service, and then went to work for Intertek Services as an ISO 9000 Lead Auditor. After 10 years with Intertek I started my own company where I offered contract auditing services and consulting services to clients. In that role I contracted with four leading ISO9000 Certification companies. I retired fully in 2004 and now keep busy volunteering with the Food Bank and other non-profit agencies. Several years ago I wrote the policy and procedures manuals for the Grand Rapids Food Shelf.
Roberta Zimmerman, MD
First year on Second Harvest Board
Committee: None yet
Company currently employed with or retired form: Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital
What does being on the Second Harvest Board mean to you? I believe that no one in America should be hungry. I want to do something to reduce hunger, particularly among children.
*President **Secretary ***Treasurer