ST. PAUL, Minn. — Twin Cities PBS announces the election of three accomplished Minnesota leaders to its Board of Trustees: John Bergstrom, Kathleen Schmidlkofer, and Theresa Seys.
Collectively, the new trustees bring decades of experience in business, philanthropy, finance, governance, and law, strengthening Twin Cities PBS as it continues to expand its impact across Minnesota through trusted journalism, educational programming, and community engagement.
"John, Kathleen, and Theresa each bring exceptional leadership experience and a deep commitment to serving Minnesota communities," said Sylvia Strobel, President and CEO of Twin Cities PBS. "Their diverse expertise will help guide us as we continue to grow our public service mission, deepen our community impact, and serve audiences across the state."
John Bergstrom
John Bergstrom is a partner at Mairs & Power Venture Capital in St. Paul. He has built a career spanning more than three decades in entrepreneurial finance and venture investing. Throughout his career, he has worked with more than 100 portfolio companies and served on over 40 corporate boards.
His commitment to community leadership includes board service with Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, and Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity. Bergstrom holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor's degree from Gustavus Adolphus College.
Kathleen Schmidlkofer
Kathleen Schmidlkofer recently retired as President and CEO of the University of Minnesota Foundation after leading the organization for 11 years. During her tenure, the Foundation achieved record fundraising results through the University's $4 billion “Driven” campaign while managing a $5 billion philanthropic endowment and a significant real estate portfolio supporting the University's future growth.
Prior to the Foundation, Schmidlkofer served as Executive Vice President and a founding leader of GREATER MSP and spent more than 25 years in senior finance leadership roles at General Mills. She currently serves on the boards of The Nature Conservancy's Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota chapter and The Constellation Fund, and is active in several University of Minnesota advisory and leadership organizations.
Theresa Seys
Theresa Seys is Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at Ameriprise Financial, where she has served since 2003. With over two decades of experience advising global financial services organizations, she is nationally recognized for her expertise in retirement policy and financial regulation.
Seys previously served on the U.S. Department of Labor's ERISA Advisory Council and has testified before the Department of Labor on fiduciary regulations, while also advocating on Capitol Hill and at the White House on behalf of financial advisors and retirement security. She earned her undergraduate degree from Macalester College and her law degree from the University of Minnesota.
The Twin Cities PBS Board of Trustees provides strategic governance and oversight, helping ensure the organization fulfills its mission to enrich lives and strengthen communities through media that educates, informs, and inspires.
About Twin Cities PBS:
Twin Cities PBS’s mission is to enrich lives and strengthen our community through the power of media. Established nearly 70 years ago, Twin Cities PBS now operates as a public service media organization that harnesses a range of media tools to serve citizens in new ways — with multiple broadcast channels, online teaching resources, educational outreach, and community engagement activities reaching millions of people each month. In addition to producing high-impact local films and series, Twin Cities PBS is also a national producer of content with a body of work that includes America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston, When Whales Walked, SciGirls, Hero Elementary, and our latest children’s media program Skillsville. Over its history, Twin Cities PBS has been recognized for its innovation and creativity with numerous awards, including Peabody awards and national and regional Emmy® Awards. Find more information at TPT.org.
Media Contact:
Amy Campbell [email protected](952) 428-9369