The Minneapolis Parks Foundation is delighted to welcome three new members to its Board of Directors: Amber Frederick At Large Commissioner, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Michael O’Neil, Project Leader at Boston Consulting Group, and Cindy Theis, Institutional Advancement at Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
Continuing Board Executive Officers include: Jasmine Russell (Board Chair), Founder and CEO, MonicatData, and Matthew Duditch (Vice Chair), Chief Operational Risk Officer, U.S. Bank.
Newly appointed Board Officers include: Donovan Walsh (Secretary), Executive Management Consultant, The Financial Services Consulting Group, and Tom Paul (Treasurer), Principal, EJ Health Advisors.
More about our incoming 2026 Minneapolis Parks Foundation Board Members:
Amber Frederick (she/they) is starting her first term as an At-Large Commissioner and looks forward to meeting with and speaking to Minneapolis residents, learning what makes the parks special to you. As a life-long Minnesotan, their love for the outdoors is rooted in expanding access and protections for our cherished natural resources. Living in District 2, Amber looks forward to engaging community from all across the city to create a park system that works for all. With a focus on youth programming, disability advocacy, and expanding worker protections, she is dedicated to making the Minneapolis park system a place for everyone.
Michael O’Neil is a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, where he advises companies across Climate and Sustainability and Industrial Goods topics. His experience includes large capital project management, growth strategy, commercial due diligence and people & culture strategy. In addition to his private sector work, he spent a year in the Netherlands on externship from BCG with the World Wildlife Fund in their Public Sector Partnerships team and is actively involved in BCG’s local social impact work. Michael is a native of the Twin Cities, attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN and enjoys playing tennis, biking and running in Minneapolis’ parks.
Cindy Theis retired as Vice President of Institutional Advancement for the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD), where her 35-year career was marked by dedication, boundless energy, and exceptional relationship-building skills. Instrumental in establishing MCAD’s Advancement Office after the College’s separation from the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts in 1988, she managed Development, Alumni, Constituent Relations, and Events, including the beloved MCAD Art Sale. She gained strong marketing and public relations experience as an account executive for an Atlanta-based advertising agency and a local publishing company. From 1999 to 2001, Theis also created, produced, and hosted A Gift for the Giver, a weekly television series connecting caregivers of older adults to community resources. Theis has extensive volunteer experience, including work with the Global Citizen’s Network in Nepal and as a volunteer consultant for the Czech Ballet and National Museum in Prague. She is actively engaged in her community as a lector at the Basilica of St. Mary, an outdoor enthusiast, and a proud former board member of Vail Place, and other organizations.
You can find a full list of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation Board of Directors, here.