2024-2025 YMCA Center for Youth Voice Community Advisory Board

Chris Cegilia*, Spye
Andrew Chelseth, University of Minnesota
Tim Commers, Asset Management
Katie Driscoll, Community Connector
Abby Duininck*, Land O’Lakes
Dallas Fischer, Fueling Minnesota
Mason Fong, South Washington County Schools
Wesley Friberg, Bloomington Public Schools (student)
Mary Heath*, Fredrikson & Byron
Andrew Hoffman, Neighbors, Inc.
Dave Hutchinson, GOK Law Firm
Eldon Kaul, Retired from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office
Pat Murphy, Minnesota House of Representatives
Gloria Myre, University of St. Thomas School of Law
Alysen Nesse, Hylden Advocacy & Law
Shantal Pai*, Fredrikson & Byron
Stephanie Pinkalla*, The Nature Conservancy
Emi Ren, Mounds View Public Schools (student)
Emily Richardson, City of Bloomington
Brooke Riley, Minnesota 10th Judicial District
Isabella Rojas*, Hylden Advocacy & Law
Henry Rosckes, Minnesota Senate
Beeta Siwik, University of Wisconsin Law School
Peter Swanson, Eden Prairie Schools

 * Denotes YMCA Center for Youth Voice program alum

About the Center for Youth Voice Community Advisory Board

The YMCA Center for Youth Voice Community Advisory Board (CAB) serves as the organizing body for program alumni, parents, donors, and friends who want to ensure the long-term success of the Center for Youth Voice, its programs, and its youth participants. Board members are expected to provide service, support, and counsel, and to advocate for the CYV with prospective students, parents, donors, elected officials, and other constituencies as appropriate. 

The CAB meets in-person four times each year: 

  1. A fall kick-off retreat (September)
  2. At the Youth in Government Conference (January)
  3. At the Model United Nations Conference (April)
  4. At a year-end celebration (June)

Board members serve a term of three years and may serve up to two consecutive terms. The Board calendar begins in September and ends the following June.

The CAB utilizes a projects-based approach rather than a committee structure. Each year, the CYV Executive Director will propose between 3-5 projects (based on needs and the size of the board) focused on one of three areas:

  • Improving the experience for program participants
  • Strengthening engagement with key stakeholders
  • Generating revenue to ensure access to CYV programming 

Each project team will be led by 1-2 Board members with support from CYV staff. All remaining Board members will choose which of the project teams they want to join for that year. Each project team will set outcomes for the year and how to best achieve those, including how often to meet and whether meetings will be virtual or in person or a combination. Project teams will provide updates at the large-group board meetings and ask for advice or support from the full board as appropriate.