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Originally published by the Office of the Governor

Today, Governor Mark Dayton announced the appointment of five new members of the ÑÇÖÞÎÞÂë Colleges and Universites (MnSCU) Board of Trustees and the reappointment of one member. Under statute, the Board must include one member from each of the state’s congressional districts; the other members are appointed to represent the state at-large. Members are appointed to a term of six years. The Board must include three members who are students at an institution governed by the Board, and each of the student members are appointed to a two-year term.

Governor Dayton said, “I selected these six Minnesotans from a group of outstanding applicants, because of their energy, enthusiasm, and proven commitments to the mission of MnSCU. They will be strong supporters of Chancellor Rosenstone’s important new initiatives.”

Governor Dayton’s appointments to the Board:

Ann Anaya (2nd Congressional District Trustee)—Ms. Anaya has served as an Assistant United States Attorney since 2002. She is a skilled trial and appellate attorney assigned to the criminal division. Ms. Anaya is an active member of the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association, an Executive Board Member on the Federal Bar Association, Chair of the Criminal Rules Committee and a member of the Federal Practice Committee. She earned both her B.A. Political Science and J.D. from the University of Minnesota.

Margaret Anderson Kelliher (At-large Trustee)—Ms. Anderson Kelliher served as a State Representative from 1999-2011, and as Speaker of the House from 2007-2011. She is currently the President and CEO of the Minnesota High Tech Association. She presently serves on the Board of Directors for the United Way, the Board of Directors for the YWCA of Minneapolis, the Board of Directors for Women Winning and the Board of Directors for the Textile Center of Minneapolis. In 2011, she was appointed by Governor Dayton to be the Chair of the Broadband Taskforce. Ms. Anderson Kelliher earned a B.A. in Political Science from Gustavus Adolphus College and a M.A. in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Dawn Erlandson (At-large Trustee)—Ms. Erlandson is the President of Aurora Strategic Advisors, Inc., where she leads public affairs and marketing communications efforts for national, state, and local clients. She currently serves as the Immediate Past Board Chair of the Great Plains Institute, is a board member of the Product Policy Institute and a board member and co-chair of the Marketing Committee of the 1006 Summit Ave Society. She has previously served as Board President of the Minneapolis Community and Technical College Foundation, and as a board member of 1000 Friends of Minnesota (now Envision Minnesota). Ms. Erlandson earned a B.A. in Economics, Sociology and International Business from Hamline University and she completed a Policy Fellowship at the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota and the Institute for Executive Director Leadership at the University of St. Thomas.

Alex Cirillo (6th Congressional District Trustee)—Mr. Cirillo was the Vice President of Community Affairs for 3M, prior to his retirement in 2010. He had worked in different roles at 3M since he joined the company in 1979 as a Senior Physicist. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Wilder Foundation and MinnCAN and has been a member of the Itasca Project’s working team since 2007. He previously served on the Board of Directors for the Biobusiness Alliance of MN. Mr. Cirillo earned an A.B. in Chemistry from Catholic University of America and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee.

Alfredo Oliveira (Technical College Student Trustee)—Mr. Oliveira is currently pursuing a B.S. in International Business at St. Cloud State University; he expects to graduate in May 2014. He is also currently enrolled part time at St. Cloud Technical & Community College. He previously earned an A.A.S. in Business Management from St. Cloud Technical & Community College. He is a peer mentor and community advisor at St. Cloud State, as well as an intern in the Office of Admissions. Mr. Oliveira has served one 2-year term on the Board of Trustees; this will be his second term.

Maria Peluso (Community College Student Trustee)—Ms. Peluso is currently pursuing an A.A. at Itasca Community College, and she hopes to become a math teacher. She is from Taconite, MN, and is a 2011 graduate of Greenway High School. Ms. Peluso is active at school and her community and she is also an accomplished student athlete.

MnSCU is governed by a 15-member Board that is appointed by the governor. The Board has policy responsibility for system planning, academic programs, fiscal management, personnel, admissions requirements, tuition and fees, and rules and regulations. The governor’s appointments to the Board are with the advice and consent of the Senate.