BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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I moved to Harrisons Bay with my husband, Bill, in 2012.  During a busy time in our lives we couldn’t believe how lucky we were to have the lake in our back yard and took advantage of evening boat rides and Lord Fletcher’s dinners.  Now we have 3 grown kids and 3 grandchildren with a 4th on the way who love hanging at the lake.  Three years ago I retired as an IT Program Manager, a career that focused on managing projects of all types.   

Last summer I joined forces with Jane Anderson as a co-bay captain for Harrisons Bay through the Lake Minnetonka Association.  I found a passion in learning about Lake Management and Conservation and have worked to create relationships with the Minnehaha Creek watershed, DNR, Lake Minnetonka Conservation District, U of MN and other organizations.  I have received training as a Minnesota Water Steward and installed of a raingarden at the end of Overland Lane.  In 2024 I was appointed to the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Advisory Council where I hope to represent Harrisons Bay and our community to advocate for better water quality.  I am concerned about our water quality and the frequency of algae blooms, the damage that carp do to the ecosystem and the invasion of non-native vegetation that is preventing the healthy native plants to thrive.  In 2024 I was appointed to the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Advisory Council where I hope to represent Harrisons Bay and our community to advocate for projects that will improve our water quality. Harrisons has a wonderful community of people and I can’t wait to meet more neighbors. 

I have lived on Harrisons Bay since 2005.  My daughters grew up on this lake and went to Mound Westonka schools.  We have been a part of this community for a long time. I’ve witnessed the quality of our bay worsen over the years, especially the last 10 years; the invasive weeds have gotten worse and there seems to be more carp.  That’s why I co-founded Harrisons Bay Association, to join together to advocate for our bay. We’ve gotten the attention and support from several local, state, and federal agencies.  There is still a lot of work to be done to get the water quality improved.

A bit about me: I grew up in St. Paul, got my Genetics Degree from the U of M, and an MBA at St. Thomas.  I think it’s ironic that I worked on splicing growth gene into walleye DNA to create huge fish, for the purpose of attracting anglers to Minnesota Lakes with revenue that trailed.  The movie JAWs helped end that project; people were frightened the fish would get too big and scary.  I don’t blame them… I work as an independent consultant in the medical device space, specializing in neuro-endovascular procedures like stroke and aneurysm treatment.

Bart moved to Harrisons Bay in 2017 with wife of 30 years, Kari.  They raised 4 children together (who are now grown and in their 20s) across 18 years in Edina where they were both very active in the community.  Bart coached a variety of youth sports through the high school level, including 16 years of volunteer coaching in the hockey association.  Bart and Kari are active lake enthusiasts and have been on the water in some way for a large portion of their adult lives, most of which has been on Lake Minnetonka.  He has been with United Healthgroup (UHG) for more than 21+ years, and now heads up product development/innovation for a variety of consumer driven solutions.  Prior to joining UHG, Bart played an active leadership role in a healthcare industry start up and worked in risk management and financial operations for Wells Fargo (9+ years).  Bart was born and raised in MN, graduating from St. Olaf College and completing graduate MBA coursework from the University of MN Carlson School of Management.  He has previous volunteer/advisory board work with Wooddale Church, the Greater Twin Cities Youth Orchestra, and several start-up companies.  He is passionate about lake life and is committed to finding ways together to make Harrisons Bay as great as it can be.

I was born in Los Angeles, California but I have lived in Minnesota since my grade school years, graduating high school from Luverne, MN and college from Bemidji State University. In 1976. Vocationally, I started in finance and banking, ultimately forming a community consulting business at age 29.  I have been an entrepreneur for the last forty year ultimately focusing as a primary owner in two Renewable Energy companies. Most recently, I was very fortunate, as my last company, National Renewable Solutions’ (NRS), was acquired by BlackRock in 2021.   I continue working with NRS as a part time consultant to the business and three of my children are still working with the company. 

Kaia and I were married and moved our blended family to Harrison Bay in 2007.  This is our forever home, and we love and appreciate the friendships and active life we have found in Mound and on Harrison’s Bay. 

I’m looking forward to entering the second half of my life this summer as I turn 70 (OK, I know I probably won’t make it to 140) and would welcome a position on the HBA Board.   I’m looking forward to working with the talented people that have formed and grown Harrison’s Bay Association into a meaningful, active and respected organization, representing our interests. With my history of community projects focusing on renewable energy, I have a strong commitment to building our corner of this world, to be cleaner and better prepared for our next generations.

My husband, Jim and I bought our house on Harrison’s bay in 1977 and raised both our daughter and our son here. They continue to come home on visits with their families.  Our grandkids (6 of them) enjoy the lake almost as much as their parents did.  We also had the pleasure of hosting 3 foreign exchange students: Jerome from Versailles, France, Thomas from Oslo, Norway and Jorge from Curitiba, Brazil.  Each one of them took memories of Minnetonka with them.

I graduated from St Louis Park High School, received an under graduate degree in Finance from Metro State and a master’s degree from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.  My focus was on accounting, banking and securities.  I re-entered the work force once the kids were older, working as a manager for Hartford Life.  I retired after 27 years and have been enjoying my time working in the garden, working on music, reading and traveling.

 My husband and I moved here in February of 1997 and received our dock slip in April 1997 through the Mound Dock Program.   For the last 25 years, we have gotten to know many people in the Mound community, and have enjoyed lake life. We spend most of our time in Harrison Bay, so the quality of the water, the traffic conditions, and shoreline erosion are of great concern to us.  I have been actively involved in multiple organizations within our community including our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, the Westonka Food Shelf, and the Dreamwood neighborhood.  I look forward to getting to better know my neighbors on Harrison Bay and supporting the Harrison Bay Association.