Committee

The team

Committee

Union Art Alley is made possible by a dedicated group of community leaders, business owners, and nonprofit professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to keep this project thriving.

Sara Jespersen

Sara Jespersen

Owner, Lumberjack, Mad Capper, StayinStillwater

This is me, Sara. I run The Lumberjack and Mad Capper with a crew of crazy talented fun-loving individuals. I love the Stillwater Community and put all my extra energy there! A few projects closest to my heart include reimagining Union Art alley, maintaining the stairs on the bluffs of Stillwater & Co-Chairing the World Snow Sculpting Championship. I serve as the Chair for The Discover Stillwater Tourism Bureau and am on the BOD of the Stillwater Area Chamber of Commerce.

Kelly Nygaard

Kelly Nygaard

President, Discover Stillwater

Kelly Nygaard is the President of Discover Stillwater, and promotes economic growth to Oak Park Heights and Stillwater through tourism marketing. An advocate for community, historic downtowns, and public art, Kelly is thrilled to be part of the Union Art Alley team.

Eric Hoffman

Eric Hoffman

Owner, Datastream Connexion

Entrepreneur 360 Award Recipient from Entrepreneur Magazine as a technology leader known for innovation and web product development expertise with deep experience in Compliance, Security, Amazon Web Services & Cloud technologies, along with DevOps and Agile methodologies.

Heather Rutledge

Heather Rutledge

Executive Director, Art Reach

Heather Rutledge joined ArtReach St. Croix as Executive Director in 2011. For the previous ten years, she was Assistant Director of Abington Art Center & Sculpture Park in suburban Philadelphia. Heather has also worked with the MidAtlantic Arts Foundation and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. Her board service includes the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (former) and Franconia Sculpture Park. A graduate of the University of Iowa, Heather now lives in Stillwater, MN with her teacher husband and two teenagers. A former dancer, Heather now enjoys Tai Chi, bicycling and hiking.

Lindsay Belland

Lindsay Belland

Event Manager & Nonprofit Professional

Lindsay is a mission-driven, nonprofit professional; currently working as a Sr. Event Coordinator for the University of Minnesota Foundation. With over 10 years' experience in public service and non-profit positions, Lindsay takes an active role in the community she lives and plays in; proudly serving Stillwater as a Board Member to the Board of Directors for Family Means, sitting on multiple community Steering Committees and volunteering at community events throughout the year.

Outside of work she is a creative, artsy, outgoing individual and mother of three; who enjoys camping, hiking, taking the kayak out on the river and of course a nice cold Farm Girl from LiftBridge Brewery. Seasonally, she sings Second Soprano with the River City Chorale.

Want to get involved?

Union Art Alley thrives because of passionate community members. If you'd like to contribute your time, skills, or ideas, we'd love to hear from you.

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