American Swedish Institute Elects New Members to its Board of Trustees

MINNEAPOLIS — The American Swedish Institute (ASI) announced the election of three new members to its Board of Trustees: Marcia G. Anderson, Elodie Lee, and Sara Stenberg. The elections took place during ASI’s Annual Membership Meeting yesterday, June 15.  

ASI Trustees serve three-year terms and contribute significant knowledge and expertise as part of the cultural center’s leadership team.  

Marcia G. Anderson, St. Paul, MN, is a Collections and Culture Consultant, independent curator, author, educator, and Great Lakes Indigenous Cultures Specialist. For more than 20 years, she served as the head of the Museum Collections department at the Minnesota Historical Society. 

Elodie Lee, Minneapolis, MN, leads a team of gift officers raising essential dollars through campaign giving for housing solutions with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative.  

Sara Stenberg, Plymouth, MN, is the General Counsel and Senior Vice President at U.S. Bank and served on the board of directors for the African Development Center, Global Minnesota, and Twin Cities Diversity in Practice. 

Board Officers were also confirmed: Dr. Maggi Adamek was named Board Chair, David Sorensen as Vice-Chair, Elizabeth Olson as Treasurer, and Lynnea Atlas-Ingebretson as Secretary.  

Five trustees who completed their first three-year terms of office were nominated to serve second three-year terms: Carline Bengtsson, Brenda Butler, Marco Molinari, Andrea Oselund and David Sorensen. 

ASI thanks four trustees who completed their terms of service: Michael Bjornberg, Brad Engdahl, Mohamud Mumin, and Linda Wallenberg. 

New Board Members – Longer Bios

Marcia G. Anderson is a Collections and Culture Consultant, independent curator, author, educator, and Great Lakes Indigenous Cultures Specialist.   As the former head of the Museum Collections department at the Minnesota Historical Society, for over 20 years, Marcia has vast experience as a curator for exhibits, focused on indigenous cultures and contemporary and historic arts and crafts. Areas of particular focus and expertise during Marcia’s career include the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Object Collections liaison to the Society’s Indian Advisory Committee, author of an award-winning essay on the Minnesota Arts & Crafts Movement of the early 20th century, expertise in printed cotton of the 19th-20th centuries, Ojibwe Indian bandolier bag.  Marcia is the author of the book A Bag Worth a Pony, The Art of the Ojibwe Bandolier Bag.  Marcia has been a visitor to ASI since arriving here in the early 1980s.  Her heritage is predominately Swedish.  

Elodie Lee (pronounced ‘Ay-low-d’) is a professional fundraiser and donor organizer, with over 10 years of experience inspiring major gifts with transformational relationship building.  Elodie currently leads a team of gift officers raising essential dollars through campaign giving for housing solutions with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative.  She is a diversity and equity advocate, engaging the community through donor organizing, and cultivating major and meaningful gifts that are well-researched. She is a neighbor of ASI making her home in the Phillips neighborhood.  Elodie looks forward to “an opportunity to contribute to her Scandinavian family heritage and has long appreciated ASI as a cultural hub, art, and experience connector.”

Sara Stenberg is the Deputy General Counsel and Senior Vice President at U.S. Bank where she leads a team of more than 35 legal professionals. Sara has served on the board of directors for the African Development Center, Global Minnesota, and Twin Cities Diversity in Practice. Sara is a Swedish native who moved to the US in 1999 and to the Twin Cities in 2001.  She has been a member of ASI for many years and my children have participated in various activities, including the Lucia choir. Sara tells us, “I am committed to ASI’s mission and values, especially being a gathering place for all people while also celebrating its Swedish heritage.” 

AMERICAN SWEDISH INSTITUTE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Members of the Board (2022-2023) 

Officers: Dr. Maggi Adamek (Chair), David Sorensen (Vice-Chair), Elizabeth Olson (Treasurer), Lynnea Atlas-Ingebretson (Secretary) 

Trustees: Aimee Richcreek Baxter, Carline Bengtsson, Brenda Butler, Tikki Brown, Barbara Linell Glaser, Ed.D, Dr. Mary Dee Hicks, Axel Peter Hilger, Lisa Källebo, Dr. John Litell, Marco Molinari, Andreas Örnberg, Andrea Oseland, Lenor Scheffler, William Weiler, Marcia Anderson, Elodie Lee and Sara Stenberg 

American Swedish Institute (ASI), designated to the National Register for Historic Places, is an historic castle-like mansion, museum and cultural center, and a gathering place for all people to explore diverse experiences of migration, identity, belonging, and the environment through arts and culture, informed by enduring links to Sweden. ASI, which The Wall Street Journal calls “[a] model of how a small institution can draw visitors through exciting programming,” is located at 2600 Park Avenue in Minneapolis. For more, visit asimn.org.  

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