About

My areas of expertise include corporate and financial communications, crisis communications, speechwriting, media relations, corporate reputation management and issues management.

I have provided public relations counsel for a wide range of organizations, including retailers, manufacturers, professional service firms, universities and nonprofits. My clients include The Opus Group, Regis Corp., Accra, Children’s Minnesota, Medtronic, Xcel Energy, Multifoods, Andersen Corp., Stora Enso North America, SoftBrands (Infor), Golf Galaxy, NVE Corporation and Stop it Now! Minnesota.

I recently served as interim head of marketing and communications for Accra, Minnesota’s largest nonprofit provider of home care services. Prior to that, I served as interim vice president of marketing and communications for Children’s Minnesota, one of the largest freestanding pediatric health systems in the United States.

As Sleep Number’s senior director of public relations and corporate communications, I reorganized the function and resources to be more effective. I was responsible for financial communications, executive leadership communications, issues management, media relations, publicity and internal communications for the 550-store retailer.

As Cargill’s senior director, corporate responsibility communications, I was responsible for global communications strategy and execution for the food and agriculture company’s corporate responsibility efforts. I also led a global Corporate Affairs team responsible for positioning the company as a leader in food security; led corporate communications key projects; and was the principal speechwriter for senior management.

As director of corporate public relations for Target Corporation, I was the company’s primary spokesperson and responsible for media relations, financial communications and issues management for the retailer.

In 1990, I was honored to be one of the founding partners of Tunheim Santrizos Co., which quickly grew to be one of the top Twin Cities public relations agencies — known today as Tunheim.

Earlier in my career, I spent seven years at Honeywell Inc., managing public relations and financial communications, and gaining significant experience in acquisitions, divestitures and corporate restructuring.

I hold a B.A. in economics and political science from St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana and a master’s in business administration (in marketing) from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.