Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post Ex. Director Minnesota History Society (MHS) Native American liaison St. Paul, MN
As a Native youth who’s family came from the Reservation “Rez”(Grand Portage band of the Ojibwe), Mr. Zimmerman has always felt the need and purpose to help improve conditions and life for all Indian people and the commitment to serve as a “unifying liaison” between all racom St. John's University, he has worked in several areas of youth development, Race relations and Human Rights with special emphasis in American Indian cultural recovery and advancement. Prior to his current position, he provided family self-sufficiency and support services es and cultures. After completing military service and graduating fron behalf of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce in Minneapolis and was a lead organizer and Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe (the first ever on a Minnesota reservation).
From 1995-97, as executive director of the St. Cloud Area American Indian Center, Mr. Zimmerman helped develop programs to provide services and opportunities to the urban Indian population never before served. He was instrumental in starting the annual “Unity Pow Wows” designed to create awareness and improve understanding between the Native and Non-Native populations in St. Cloud and surrounding Central Minnesota. He has served on the St. Cloud Human Rights Commission and worked with “at risk youth” as a substance abuse/Youth counselor and as a community liaison worker with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota, and at the St. Cloud Children's Home.
Louis Stanley (Lou) Schoen Minneapolis, MN
Lou Schoen is a consultant/writer/educator specializing in racial equity and multicultural reconciliation, following careers as a print and broadcast journalist, health agency field representative, corporate public relations executive, ecumenical social justice program director and seminary multicultural studies consultant/facilitator. He attended Augsburg College, Columbia University (as a CBS Foundation Fellow) and the University of Kansas, and has degrees from the University of Nebraska and United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.
His 21st Century consulting relationships have included:
The Episcopal Church, New York, NY(principal client, 2003-9); African Assistance Program (Minnesota African refugee/immigrant service initiative), Diversity Foundation, St. Cloud, MN (advocacy/organizing/film production). He is author of After Jubilee: Justice…or Exile? - The Church in the Global Economy (Episcopal Parish Services, New York, NY, September, 2000), chapters in Ending Racism in the Church (Susan E. Davies & Sr. Paul Teresa Hennessee, S.A., eds., United Church Press, Cleveland, 1998) and Re-Membering and Re-Imagining (Nancy J. Berneking & Pamela Carter Joern, eds., The Pilgrim Press, Cleveland, 1995); articles in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Anglican Theological Review; and Racism in the USA: An Essay on Power and Identity (2005 updated through March 2010), used as a workshop handout and available at www.socialjusticeblog.com
As a volunteer, he coordinates the Anti-Racism Network for Episcopal Province VI (eight-state Upper Midwest/West); is a member of planning teams for the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative in the Twin Cities, the Minneapolis interfaith Discussions That Encounter, and the Minneapolis Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness; board member of the African Assistance Program and the Diversity Foundation, Clerk of Gethsemane Episcopal Church and a member of its Shelf of Hope Team; and is a member of the Minnesota Episcopal Multi-Cultural Ministries Network.
Nate Damian Emerson VP Finance of Student Affairs Minnesota State College, SE Technical Winona, MN
Dedicated, resourceful, and decisive individual who successfully maintains multiple tasks in all facets of the college. Work in a multi-campus environment supporting over 3500 students. Has been an Admissions Counselor at a four-year university, a Financial Aid Director, Director of Institutional Research, Interim Director of Finance, and currently the Vice President of Student Affairs at Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical.
Current duties include the supervision of over 30 full time staff members. Oversees all aspects of student affairs including Learn Resoruce Center, Admissions, Financial Aid, Registrars, Institutional Research, Enrollment Services, Placement, and Marketing.
Jerry L. Carter Journalist/Marketing/Internet Information Specialist Annandale, MN
Mr. Carter is an Internet Information Specialist, web site designer and program specialist. He started and designed the company's Internet Help Desk. Formerly a county government reporter for the St. Cloud Times, the Duluth News-Tribune and other Greater Minnesota newspapers. His journalism experience includes coverage of city and county government, racial discrimination, socioeconomic developments, and human relations. His heritage (Spanish and Southwestern Native American) gives him the ability to enhance news stories through a minority perspective. As a volunteer with the St. Cloud Area Indian Center, Mr. Carter begin to present a more balanced account of news stories related to Native American issues for area publications.
James B. Jensen Attorney/ Small Business Owner (retired) Bella Vista, Arkansas
After graduating with a BA degree from the University of Minnesota, Mr. Jensen spent several years serving his country thru Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA). His first assignment as a volunteer was to an inner-city neighborhood in Houston, Texas where he worked along with other VISTAs as a community organizer. With the help of the neighborhood people they were successful in creating a community center which provided many services for the neighborhood.
Jim was then asked to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico where as a Vista Leader he supported the efforts of 48 volunteers in central New Mexico who were working at a variety of projects including two Job Corps camps, a migrant camp, the Acoma and Laguna Pueblos, three rural community action agencies and several inner-city neighborhoods of Albuquerque. From there, he was then asked to transfer to the VISTA project in the Virgin Islands and was a resource for 41 volunteers that were mostly involved in pre-school education and community organizing. He also worked as a VISTA recruiter in northern California and was on the national evaluating team out of Washington, D.C.
At the conclusion of that assignment, Mr. Jensen returned to school and earned a J.D. degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul. He has used that degree in a variety of ways from agricultural and small business planning to working at the Minnesota State Auditor’s Office. For Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, he organized and staffed a Senior Citizen Legal Services program for a six county area in southeastern Minnesota. For the Minnesota Board on Aging, he completed the mandate to provide legal services for all senior citizens in Minnesota. For XCEL (then NSP) he was an ombudsman.
Jim and his wife, Julie, recently retired after 9+ years as co-owners and operators of the Wild Bird Center of St. Cloud. Prior to his small business ownership, Jim worked over 12 years in product development in the legal department at Wolters Kluwer.
Since moving to Bella Vista, Arkansas, Mr. Jensen spent three years as a Stephen Minister with the Bella Vista Community Church and three years as a board member—two years as treasurer—of the Unity Church of the Ozarks.
As a Native youth who’s family came from the Reservation “Rez”(Grand Portage band of the Ojibwe), Mr. Zimmerman has always felt the need and purpose to help improve conditions and life for all Indian people and the commitment to serve as a “unifying liaison” between all racom St. John's University, he has worked in several areas of youth development, Race relations and Human Rights with special emphasis in American Indian cultural recovery and advancement. Prior to his current position, he provided family self-sufficiency and support services es and cultures. After completing military service and graduating fron behalf of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce in Minneapolis and was a lead organizer and Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe (the first ever on a Minnesota reservation). 
Mr. Carter is an Internet Information Specialist, web site designer and program specialist. He started and designed the company's Internet Help Desk. Formerly a county government reporter for the St. Cloud Times, the Duluth News-Tribune and other Greater Minnesota newspapers. His journalism experience includes coverage of city and county government, racial discrimination, socioeconomic developments, and human relations. His heritage (Spanish and Southwestern Native American) gives him the ability to enhance news stories through a minority perspective. As a volunteer with the St. Cloud Area Indian Center, Mr. Carter begin to present a more balanced account of news stories related to Native American issues for area publications.
