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
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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. | |
| 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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Co-Director of Education Kolean Pitner education-kp@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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Co-Director of Education Seth Johnson Principal, Seth Johnson Design education-sj@minnesota.aiga.org 612 825 4424 |
Seth Johnson is a designer, brand strategist, and principal of Seth Johnson Design, a Minneapolis-based consultancy. His clients depend on him to help solve their branding and communications problems—which often leads to helping them define what those problems are. Like most Wisconsin natives, he is a connoisseur of beer and cheese, but he’s also adept at identifying typefaces in film titles—much to the annoyance of those seated nearby. He has held adjunct faculty positions for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and the Design Institute at Westwood College in Los Angeles. Seth is also an advisory board member of Art Buddies, a program of the nonprofit Creatives for Causes. |
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Director of Membership Michelle Rollins Periscope Designer membership@minnesota.aiga.org |
Spending most of her life in the south, Michelle is a true southern lady. With a slip of a "hey y'all" and a "bless your heart" she may surprise you with her Minnesota charm. Michelle is currently working as graphic designer at Periscope, a multi-disciplinary advertising and design firm. Prior to coming to Periscope, she has worked at Peterson Milla and Hooks, where she worked on projects for clients including Target and Budweiser Select. She is presently a typography instructor at the Minneapolis School of Advertising, Design, & Interactive Studies, BrainCo, teaching graduate students the fundamentals of typography, portfolio preparation and design principles. Michelle has spoken at AIGA Minnesota Portfolio One-on-One, 2006, and University of Minnesota, Mankato, 2007, on portfolio preparation. |
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| Director of Programming Brent Stickels programming@minnesota.aiga.org 612.605.4875 |
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| Director of Sponsorship Hugh Haman Visions Print Communications sponsorship@minnesota.aiga.org 612 558 7379 |
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Director of Interactive Design Director of Interactive Management |
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Director of Operations Katrin Loss operations@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 in studio and in-house environments coupled with global business experience from positions at Panasonic Industrial Europe and 3M. Katrin has been serving as chair of AIGA Minnesota Luncheon lecture series since 2003 and currently serves as the Associate Director, Luncheons on the AIGA Minnesota board. |
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| Director of Volunteers Lisa Musselman volunteers@minnesota.aiga.org |
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| Student Representative Lisa Musselman The Art Institutes International Minnesota student@minnesota.aiga.org |
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| Chapter Programming Support Teams | |||
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Associate Director Emerging Designers Liz Kästner 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 Director In-house Designers Heather Olson Larsen Design Office Marketing Director inhousedesigners@minnesota.aiga.org 952 921 8204 |
Heather is a graduate of Iowa State University in Advertising Design and Journalism & Mass Communications. Her 30 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 has served in new business development, employee recruiting, and marketing. She was the first female president of MGDA—AIGA Minnesota's predecessor—and has co-chaired design shows and conferences. | |
| Associate Director Luncheons Katrin Loss luncheons@minnesota.aiga.org |
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| Associate Director Sustainability Craig Johnson Spunk Design Machine redesign@minnesota.aiga.org |
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Associate 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. | |