Board members
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President Christina Jackson Catalyst Studios Marketing Director president@minnesota.aiga.org 612 709 7001 |
After spending over a decade in design management roles, Christina is now the Marketing Director at Catalyst Studios, a digital and interactive design firm. She's the former director of strategic alliances with a professional services firm and negotiated one of the first national partnerships with AIGA, as well as alliances with international design businesses, schools and organizations. Christina has also served on the AIGA Boston board and as a member of the Design Advisory Network at Art Center College of Design. She's a published author and has presented at several design conferences and schools. In 2004, Christina was a participant in AIGA's Perspectives for Design Leaders at the Harvard Business School. |
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Vice President |
Lauren Addy is a Fine Arts graduate from The University of Minnesota as well as a Graphic Design graduate from the Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago. Lauren has done a variety of freelance work for numerous companies through out Chicago and Minneapolis varying from brand identity to textile design to advertising and marketing. Currently, Lauren is the Marketing and Communications Specialist at Rexton Inc. and a very active member in the AIGA. | |
| Secretary/Treasurer Kirstie Walheim treasurer@minnesota.aiga.org 612 741 9443 |
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Director of Communications Joe Isaak Insync Media Group communication@minnesota.aiga.org 952 381 2798 |
Joe has amassed more than 20 years of on-the-job experience in sales, market development, and print and paper education. Over the years, he has worked with the nation’s leading designers and printers to produce a wide range of award-winning projects, including annual reports, websites, package design, advertising campaigns and all forms of print collateral. He also has organized one of the first national corporate sponsorships with AIGA, coordinated tradeshow events, and supervised the successful brand launch of new paper grades. A Graphic Design graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and working on a marketing degree from Augsburg College, Joe has extended his familiarity with different facets of graphic design through knowledge gained on the street, in pressrooms and in corporate brand strategy meetings. In the process, Joe has gained an appreciation for the types of pitfalls and challenges that confront every project and has learned a number of viable solutions that he will help customers apply in his role at Insync Media Group. |
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Director of Education Heather Olson Larsen Design Office Director of Human Resources education@minnesota.aiga.org 952 921 8204 |
Heather is a graduate of Iowa State University in Advertising Design and Journalism & Mass Communications. Her 28 years of experience run the gamut from art director positions in design firms, ad agencies, and corporate communications to a design sole proprietorship, publication editing, and community art coordination. With Larsen since 2002, Heather served in new business development, and now as director of human resources. She was the first female president of MGDA—AIGA Minnesota's predecessor—and has co-chaired design shows and conferences. | |
| Director of Membership Open Position |
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Director of Programming Brock Ray Celarity programming@minnesota.aiga.org 612 481 0566 |
Brock is an accomplished graphic design and visual communications professional with a track record of delivering strategic design solutions for such national clients as Skyline Exhibits, Sears, Piper Jaffray, Wilson’s Leather and ADT. He is currently employed as a recruiter for creative talent with Celarity. In this capacity, he uses his background in graphic design to connect talented creative professionals with the employers who need their services. In addition, Brock is Artistic Director for Wings of Peace International, Inc. | |
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Director of Technology Kenton Hanson Kenton Hanson Design & Interactive technology@minnesota.aiga.org 651 214 1032 |
Kenton is an active member of AIGA Minnesota and has served on numerous committees as a co-chair or committee member. Has more than 20 years of experience as a creative professional with a diverse background in interactive design, graphic design, marketing communications, and business development. He is currently self-employed and teaches at CVA. |
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Director of Volunteers Jen Soik Baker Associates volunteers@minnesota.aiga.org 952 475 4267 |
A year into college, Jen discovered accounting probably wasn't the right fit after eventually only caring about how pretty the numbers were. Four years later, she graduated with a BFA in design from UW-Stevens Point. She eventually made her way across the river to the large design firm, Baker Associates, just west of Minneapolis where she currently works as a designer. Her work includes environmental branding/interior decor, along with various packaging clients and other special projects. In her free time, Jen loves volunteering for AIGA, live music, fishing, ichat and the alphabet. | |
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Student Representative Audry Wolters College of Visual Arts student@minnesota.aiga.org 612 558 9450 |
Audry has recently earned a BFA in graphic design from the College of Visual Arts. She has an internship at VSA Partners Minneapolis. She is passionate about real life design for ordinary people and its effect on the planet. She takes inspiration from anything from video games to cats to abstract expressionism. She has created a variety of freelance work, ranging from identities to websites to illustrations and looks forward to making her mark on the design community. | |
| Chapter Programming Support Teams | |||
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Associate Program Director Emerging Designers Liz Homer emergingdesigners@minnesota.aiga.org |
Liz is a graduate of the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, where she earned her B.S. in Graphic Design and a minor in German Studies. While studying at the College of Design, she served as the President of the Graphic Design Club. Liz studied abroad in Berlin, Germany for her junior year of college and returned to this vibrant city immediately after graduation. She worked in Berlin and traveled around Europe in her spare time. Although she loves Germany, Liz has always felt at home in the Twin Cities, and was excited to return to her Uptown neighborhood. She keeps busy organizing and attending AIGA events. Liz also enjoys scoping out unique items at garage sales and riding her bike around town. | |
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Associate Program Director Insights Lecture Sries Kolean Pitner insights@minnesota.aiga.org 612 377 0097 |
Kolean Pitner is a graduate of Pratt Institute with a master’s degree in communication design. She has over 25 years of experience in graphic design, art direction, and corporate communications. She has also taught History of Graphic Design and History of Illustration at the College of Visual Arts in Saint Paul since 1986. Her interest in design history motivated her to co-author the book Peter Seitz: Designing a Life in 2007. Kolean is a long time AIGA member. She has served on its board as Education Director, organized the Insights Lecture Series for two years, and has sat on various committees. | |
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Associate Program Director Luncheons Katrin Loss luncheons@minnesota.aiga.org |
Katrin is a graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a BFA in Graphic Design, and also holds a business degree from Staatliche Handelsschule (H9 Campus) in Hamburg, Germany. An award winning designer, Katrin has extensive experience in graphic design and corporate brand development coupled with global business experience from positions at Panasonic Industrial Europe GmbH, Best Buy Co., Inc., Barnes & Noble College Bookstores, and 3M. Katrin most recently was a senior designer at Tilka Design, a communication design firm focused on brand development and the creation of comprehensive visual systems, located in downtown Minneapolis. She has been serving as chair of AIGA Minnesota Luncheons since 2003. | |
| Associate Program Director Sponsorship Hugh Haman Visions Print Communications sponsorship@minnesota.aiga.org 612 558 7379 |
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Associate Program Director Veterans Designers and Agency Owners Jim Madson Larsen Design Office veterandesigners@minnesota.aiga.org |
Jim is a graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and formally served as the president of the MCAD Alumni Association. He has 20 years of experience developing brands and marketing communications solutions for Unisys, Piper Jaffray, Deluxe, Cargill and Ameriprise. He is also a former vice president of Creative Services for U.S. Bank. Prior to being nominated for the position of president, he served on the AIGA Minnesota board as the director of communications. | |