Hospital Board
Meet the board of directors for Children’s Minnesota. An asterisk (*) denotes people who serve on both the hospital and foundation boards.
Garfield A. Bowen
Vice President, Policy & Community Engagement – Government Affairs, 3M
Chair-Elect, Children’s Minnesota Board of Directors
Garfield A. Bowen is a global leader with proven capabilities in business operations, strategy, manufacturing, R&D and human resources. He currently serves as the Vice President of Policy & Community Engagement – Government Affairs at 3M. Prior to his current appointment, Bowen held positions as vice president, social & environmental justice, vice president, social justice strategy & initiatives, global R&D operations & PMO director and global commercialization director both in the Safety & Industrial Business Group. He was also Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with a manufacturing focus, quality leader, and PMO leader in the Transportation & Electronics Business Group.
Bowen joined 3M in 2014 with 18 years of experience in the information technology filed. He’s held roles as software engineer, project manager, head of IT, director of PMO, IT director, and associate chief information officer.
He earned a BS in Computer & Management Science from the University of Technology, Jamaica and an MS, Management Information Systems from the University of the West Indies, Mona.
With a passion for service, Bowen serves on the 3M Foundation Board, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Board, as well as the leadership board of his church.
He is a Jamaican native and is married to Mauvalyn. They have two boys and live in Plymouth, MN.
Shelley Carthen Watson
President and CEO, YWCA Minneapolis
Shelley Carthen Watson is the president and CEO of YWCA Minneapolis. A nationally-renowned public higher education labor and employment law expert, she previously served as Senior Associate General Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel at the University of Minnesota. Prior to her role at the University of Minnesota, she was a partner with the law firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi. A former Deputy Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Carthen Watson also served as executive director of the Hennepin County Bar Association and Hennepin County Bar Foundation. She received her BA from Macalester College, and her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.
A former Macalester College trustee, Carthen Watson has served as a board member with both YWCA Minneapolis and YWCA St. Paul; Planned Parenthood of North Central States; The Blake School and The Blake School Learning Works; the Mastery School; Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Minneapolis Chapter; WATCH; In Interest For Others; The Playwrights’ Center; Minnesota Minority Lawyers Association; The Fund for the Legal Aid Society; Twin Cities co-chair of the Northwestern University Black Alumni Association, and the Courage Center. She currently serves as vice president – programs of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of the Links, Inc., on the boards of the Minneapolis Downtown Council and Northwestern Pritzker Law School Fund Board, and the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal Women’s Leadership Council.
Carthen Watson has continually been recognized for both her professional and community activities. In 2019, she received the Minnesota Lawyer In-House Counsel Award and was recognized in 2018 as a Top Assistant General Counsel by First Chair, an annual national selection of in-house counsel who have made significant contributions to the legal community. She is also a past recipient of the National Association of College and University Attorneys’ First Decade Award, which recognizes university attorneys who have been NACUA members for 10 or fewer years and have made “a significantly innovative contribution, or provided outstanding service, to the association and to the practice.” She has been honored by Macalester College with the Catharine Lealtad Service to Society Award, given to alumni of color who have used their education to distinguish themselves in service to community. She also received the Hennepin County Attorney Community Leadership Award, was selected as one of the CityBusiness “40 under 40,” and was recently honored with the Celebrating the Sistas Women of Excellence, as well as the Woman of Color Achievement Award sponsored by the Women Presidents Organization and the 100 Black Men of the Twin Cities Awards.
Prior to assuming the position of President and CEO of YWCA Minneapolis, Carthen Watson was a longtime supporter of YWCA Minneapolis and a two-term board member. She was a member of the successful Power to Soar campaign committee, helping raise $22.5 million dollars to support and sustain YWCA Minneapolis’ future. In 2020, she received YWCA Minneapolis’ Woman of Power Award for her distinguished civic, professional and academic roles and extraordinary commitment to YWCA values of peace, justice, freedom and dignity.
Matt Carter
Senior Vice President, Best Buy Co. Inc
Matt Carter serves as Senior Vice President of Finance for Best Buy, where he leads retail, services and membership financial planning and analysis and enterprise procurement and financial services.
Since joining Best Buy in 2004, Carter has been integral in creating a streamlined approach to budgeting, forecasting and performance management and has supported almost every area of the business in the past two decades. He’s also a strong proponent of the company’s ongoing procurement transformation.
Carter received his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and his master’s degree in finance from University of St. Thomas. He started his career serving in analyst roles at McLeodUSA and Qwest Communications.
In his free time, Carter enjoys golfing, traveling, cooking and cheering on the New Orleans Saints. He lives in Minnetonka, MN, with his wife Susan and silver lab Nash, and is a proud dad of two — a University of Virginia freshman and a recent grad of the University of Minnesota!
J. Kevin Croston, MD
Former CEO, North Memorial Hospital
J. Kevin Croston, MD is former health care CEO and independent board director, driven by the mission to provide better care for all. Leading North Memorial Health for over nine years, he possesses a broad scope of experience in strategy and operations across healthcare systems, clinical practice, and ambulatory care. He possesses a strong payor/insurance know-how of the complexities and approach between care organizations and insurance companies. With his entrepreneurial spirit, Dr. Croston built a medical care practice and consultant business advising clients on medical device product innovation, medical-legal malpractice claims, lobbying support, and healthcare consulting. He possesses a data- and process-oriented discipline that provides the capability for leading effective change inclusive of rapid growth and financial turnarounds. Within the multi-faceted health care industry, Dr. Croston has built a positive reputation and is sought out as an effective speaker addressing audiences on topics ranging from clinical surgery to health care leadership, and physician-administration alignment. As an effective board and committee member, he is disciplined in board governance, engaging in robust dialogues which contribute to solving critical business problems.
At North Memorial, Dr. Croston led a branding transformation focusing on 5-star customer experiences and value-based payment models to grow from $850M to $1.1B in revenue. Along with this financial growth, he made significant change by driving a marketing campaign focused on community awareness of the health system role, resulting in increased brand awareness by 75% and a 20% growth in market share. In collaboration with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, he instituted a joint venture to promote provider and clinic transformation for a value-based care model that aligned financial incentives between the insurance industry and healthcare providers. Dr. Croston is a welcomed visitor at the legislature where he has influenced champions for health care change during the Covid pandemic, staffing ratios, long-term care, and financing. Earlier in his career, as Surgical Director of Trauma at the hospital, Dr. Croston significantly changed the landscape for trauma care in the state of Minnesota, acting as statewide chairperson building a vision and collaboration between government and health care facilities to create standards and broader access for care, resulting in verification of trauma centers at 120 sites.
Dr. Croston has been an active board member in numerous health care and professional organizations, insurance companies, as well as education, government, and non-profits. He brings his depth and breadth of experience into the boardroom with the intent to listen and ask questions that spark conversation around options to navigate business challenges, obstacles, and concerns. His objective thinking and positive attitude allows for boards to find collaborative win-win opportunities. He is an active community liaison and was recognized by the State of Minnesota and the Minnesota Medical Association for his community service. At North Memorial, as board member for the Foundation which currently manages over $14M in assets, he has been instrumental in fundraising leadership to support patient critical care needs, community training, staff development, and community health care crisis needs.
Dr. Croston earned his Doctor of Medicine and Bachelor of Science in Biology (cum laude) degrees from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD. He completed his general surgery residency at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN, and is a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons.
Archelle Georgiou, MD
President, Georgiou Consulting
Archelle Georgiou, MD, is a nationally recognized physician, health executive, medical reporter and author who is known for her commitment to patient advocacy. She maintains a diverse portfolio of advisory relationships with companies and organizations that improve health and the health care system. In addition, she is an executive in residence at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Dr. Georgiou is also an on-air medical expert with a weekly segment on KSTP-TV, the ABC affiliate in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and has covered over 1,600 medical topics. In 2017, Dr. Georgiou published her book, Health Care Choices: 5 Steps to Getting the Medical Care You Want and Need – a book that explains how consumers can be an equal partner in their care and have a voice in their medical decisions. From 1995 to 2007, Dr. Georgiou served as chief medical officer of UnitedHealth Group. She has served on boards of directors for non-profit, private and publicly-traded companies.
Dr. Georgiou graduated from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and was board-certified in Internal Medicine.
Jeff von Gillern
Retired
Treasurer, Children’s Minnesota Board of Directors
Jeff von Gillern is the former Vice Chair of Technology and Operations Services at U.S. Bancorp, a role he held from 2010 to 2023. He joined U.S. Bancorp in 2001 as Executive Vice President and later served as Chief Information Officer from 2007 to 2010. Prior to his tenure at U.S. Bancorp, von Gillern spent 12 years at Visa International, where he served as Senior Vice President of Processing Services.
Currently, von Gillern serves on the Board of Directors of NCR Atleos (since 2023). His previous roles include Board Director of Syncada, a for-profit joint venture between Visa and U.S. Bancorp (2012–2014); Lead Director of ViewPoint LLC, the largest industry archive for check imaging and exchange (2010–2015); and Chair of the Board of Governors for the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis (2014–2017).
Von Gillern earned a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Arizona and also studied at the University of London in England. He and his wife, Janet von Gillern, live in Wayzata, Minnesota, and have two children, Katie and Jack.
Tom Goodmanson
CEO of EcoOnline
Tom Goodmanson, CEO of EcoOnline, brings over 25 years of expertise in spearheading the growth of dynamic software and technology firms. Returning from retirement in 2023, Goodmanson was compelled by the opportunity to revolutionize how organizations safeguard both individuals and the environment for future generations. Under his leadership, EcoOnline has undergone a transformative journey, prioritizing scalable and sustainable growth while nurturing a culture of empowerment for its employees and clients alike. Recognizing the market demand for a comprehensive EHS and ESG solution, Goodmanson’s vision of a user-friendly, fully integrated platform positions EcoOnline as the premier choice for global organizations striving higher impact.
Marc Gorelick, MD*
President, chief executive officer, Children’s Minnesota
Marc Gorelick, MD, was appointed chief executive officer of Children’s Minnesota in December 2017. He joined Children’s Minnesota in March 2017 as president and chief operating officer. He is deeply committed to identifying sustainable ways Children’s Minnesota can continue to deliver exceptional care in an evolving health care environment.
Dr. Gorelick previously served as executive vice president and COO of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. A pediatric emergency medicine physician by training, his prior experience includes faculty positions at Medical College of Wisconsin and University of Pennsylvania, and clinical and leadership roles at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, AI DuPont Hospital for Children, and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
His education includes an A.B. degree in history from Princeton University, an M.D. degree from Duke University, and a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Gorelick trained in pediatrics at Children’s National Medical Center, and in pediatric emergency medicine at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Dr. Gorelick’s interests include running, cycling, and paddling; homebrewing; and playing the tuba.
Linda Jean Hall, PhD
Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Carlson School of Business, University of Minnesota
Linda Jean Hall has served on public company, private company and non-profit healthcare boards. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for DentaQuest and IRET where she is a member of the Compensation and Nominating & Governance Committees.
Hall’s consulting work includes clients; Minnesota Cup semi-finalists, Stemonix, Mayo Clinic, Virtuwell, Shape, Children’s HeartLink, BCBS of MN and Xylo.
Hall has held executive positions with Accurate Home Healthcare, CEO, MinuteClinic, CEO, Ceridian Performance Partners, president, Honeywell serving in several capacities, Vice President Worldwide Consumer Business Group, Director HVAC Commercial Controls, Director Traffic, Customer Service and Distribution , Director Information Technology – Residential and Commercial Controls Division, Manager International Marketing – Commercial Controls Business Unit. Her career began in social work/special education in school districts in both Minnesota and Michigan. She earned an MSW and PhD from the University of Minnesota and BS and MA from the University of Michigan.
Chris Hedberg
Chief Operating Officer, AB CarVal
Chris Hedberg is chief operating officer for AB CarVal. In addition to leading operations globally for the firm, Hedberg is responsible for developing and executing an integrated commercial strategy and managing all product development, capital formation and investor relations activities. He serves on the Executive and Portfolio Investment committees for the firm and co-chairs AB CarVal’s Responsible Investing committee. Hedberg joined AB CarVal in 2002 and has held a variety of financial management positions, including serving as the firm’s chief financial officer and global controller for AB CarVal’s corporate credit business. Prior to joining AB CarVal, Hedberg was with Cargill and Dain Bosworth. He received his M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and his B.S. in finance, magna cum laude from the University of Colorado.
Jean V. Kane
Real Estate Executive
Jean Kane is a strategic and progressive thought leader best known for driving enterprise-wide business transformations that propel shareholder value. She has deep knowledge in commercial real estate and has extensive experience leading across multiple ownership structures.
Most recently, Ms. Kane was CEO of Colliers International-Minneapolis/St. Paul, the Minnesota business unit of Colliers International Group Inc. (Nasdaq:CIGI) (TSX:CIGI). Prior to her role at Colliers, Ms. Kane was CEO of Welsh Companies, a full-service commercial real estate services firm operating throughout Minnesota.
Ms. Kane has a long history of private company and non-profit board service. She serves on the board of JE Dunn Construction, a privately held construction services firm and Children’s Minnesota Hospital & Clinics. In addition, she is a senior advisor with NB Alternative Advisors and will serve on the board of directors or advise certain portfolio companies in the ARS Funds. Ms. Kane previously served as board chair for National NAIOP and currently serves as a trustee and vice chair of the NAIOP Research Foundation.
Nestor Jaramillo*
Retired CEO
Foundation Board Chair
Nestor Jaramillo, Jr. has been a key player in health care industry for more than 30 years and has led commercial organizations in both multinational and startup companies.
Jaramillo spent 23 years at Medtronic in sales and marketing roles, both domestic and international assignments. In addition, he also spent seven years as a managing director of health care investment banking at both Cherry Tree & Associates and Craig-Hallum Capital, both firms located in Minneapolis.
Jaramillo has served as president and CEO of Nuwellis, Inc., a publicly traded company, from 2019 through 2025, and of Innerspace Neuro Solution, Inc., a Tustin, Calif.-based commercial-stage medical technology company that developed, manufactured, and distributed an intracranial pressure monitoring system. He also worked in a variety of capacities at startup Transoma Medica, and Abbott (St. Jude Medical). He served in the board of directors of Accumold Inc. (DesMoines, IA) and NPI Medical (Ansonia, Conn.)
Jaramillo holds an electrical engineering degree from the University of North Dakota and a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. He serves on the Finance Committee of the Basilica of St. Mary Landmark Foundation. For ten years he was on the board of NPH, serving as chairman for two years. NPH is a non-profit organization supporting abandoned and disadvantaged children in Central and South America. Jaramillo lives in Edina with wife Laurie where they raised their children Carmen and Nicholas, now adults with children of their own.
Andrew Kiragu, MD, FAAP, FCCM
Pediatric Intensivist, Children’s Respiratory and Critical Care Specialists
Vice-Chief of Staff, Children’s Minnesota
Dr. Andrew W. Kiragu is the Vice Chief of Staff at Children’s Minnesota and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. As a pediatric intensivist, he provides critical care at Children’s Minnesota through the Children’s Respiratory and Critical Care Specialist group.
Dr. Kiragu is a Fellow of both the American College of Critical Care Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics. He completed his undergraduate studies at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, followed by his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC. He completed his Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency and Pediatric Critical Care fellowship at the University of Minnesota.
As a clinician-scientist, he is a co-investigator in NIH, CDC, HRSA, and state-funded research. He is also a passionate advocate for children and participates in injury prevention efforts nationally and statewide. He is a board member of the Midwest Injury Prevention Alliance. He serves on the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention and the Safe Kids Worldwide Equity Advisory Council. Additionally, he is a member of the Fraser Board of Directors and the Minnesota Department of Health Science Advisory Team. Dr. Kiragu is a former President of both the Minnesota Association of African American Physicians and the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
JJ Kuhn
Senior Vice President, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, Solventum Corporation
Chair, Children’s Minnesota Board of Directors
JJ Kuhn is a global leader with extensive legal and compliance experience in both law firm and corporate contexts. Immediately prior to joining Solventum as their Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, Kuhn worked at Medtronic in a variety of legal and compliance roles. He began with Medtronic in 2006, first working in several legal roles within their Cardiovascular Group. Kuhn then moved into compliance as the Senior Director of Ethics & Compliance for Medtronic’s Neuromodulation Business, followed by several years as the VP Ethics & Compliance – Compliance Officer for the CVG and MITG Groups, and finally he served as the VP and Chief Counsel for Global Investigations.
Prior to Medtronic, Kuhn worked as a business attorney at Lathrop GPM (F/K/A Gray Plant Mooty, P.A.) and as the Director of Legal Services and Business Development for Miga Solutions in Minneapolis. He is originally from Portland, Oregon and is a graduate of Carleton College and the University of Minnesota Law School. Kuhn lives in Edina, Minnesota with his wife, two children and two poorly behaved dogs.
Jim Leslie
Chairman of the Board of the James D. Leslie Family Foundation; Business Executive
Jim Leslie is a retired entrepreneur who built and sold three companies to publicly traded entities. Most recently, Leslie was Cofounder/CEO of Flipgrid, a venture-backed spinout from the University of Minnesota which became one of the world’s Top 5 education platforms and was sold to Microsoft in 2018.
Prior to Flipgrid, Leslie was Founder/CEO of Midwave, a data center technology and consulting firm which grew to $100M in annual revenues and sold to Datalink in 2011. In 1998, Leslie was President of OPM Information Systems which was acquired by Inacom, a Fortune 500 company at the time.
Leslie was named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005 and was recognized as The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Tech Titan in 2015.
Leslie serves on the boards of Origina, LTD, a Dublin, Ireland based software maintenance company and Claros Technologies, a material sciences company inventing functional textiles and PFAS capture and destruction technologies.
Leslie is an angel investor and founder advisor through his membership in New York Angels and business connections in the Twin Cities.
Leslie and his wife Norma created the Leslie Family Foundation in 1998 to fund scholarships and provide housing and food security to inner-city youth.
Rebecca Lieberman*
Vice president, People, Optum
Rebecca Lieberman is known as an inspiring, transformational leader who builds winning teams. Her hallmark trait is engaging and partnering with senior leaders to develop innovative solutions and expand their capabilities in fast-paced, everchanging global environments.
Ms. Lieberman is currently the vice president people for Optum Technology. In her role she is focused on advancing the business through forward thinking people strategies, building teams with the skills needed to meet current and future customer needs and creating an inclusive culture.
Prior to joining Optum in 2021, Ms. Lieberman spent five years at Radisson Hotel Group in a variety of roles, most recently as chief human resources officer leading the human resources, communications, responsible business and facilities functions for the Americas. In this role, she was responsible for leading and enabling the business to deliver on the achievement of strategic and operational business goals. Additionally, she developed and deployed globally aligned strategies throughout the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific regions for both Performance and Talent.
She was the owner and principal human resources consultant for RTL Consulting, where she specialized in HR strategy and organizational effectiveness for various companies going through M&A and divestitures. Ms. Lieberman also spent 10 years at Target Corporation serving in a variety of roles and leading organizational transformations for both corporate and store divisions.
As a community volunteer, Ms. Lieberman has served in various roles with Children’s Cancer Research Fund, YPO and Junior League of Minneapolis. She previously served in a chair position for the Minneapolis Jewish Federation. Rebecca holds a BA in Mass Communication and Journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.
Ms. Lieberman is also the Chair of the Children’s Minnesota Foundation Board.
Damu McCoy
Executive Vice President, Talent Acquisition, Wells Fargo
Damu McCoy is executive vice president, talent acquisition at Wells Fargo and is responsible for recruiting globally for all functions of the organization. Before joining Wells Fargo McCoy held several leadership positions at Target Corporation.
Growing up in North Minneapolis, McCoy developed an understanding for the needs in our local community and a passion for creating equitable opportunities. He has served on several nonprofit boards focused on reducing disparities for diverse individuals and is currently serving on the executive and DEI committees for Project for Pride in Living (PPL). PPL is a results-driven organization that provides transformative affordable housing and career readiness services. He also serves as the chair of Minnesota Chamber of Commerce’s Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Committee. In addition, McCoy is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC) which opens channels of opportunity for the development of black executives to positively impact businesses and communities.
McCoy earned his BA, Business Administration and Management from Wittenberg University and his MBA from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management.
William Mize, MD, FACR
Medical Director, Radiology, Children’s Minnesota Radiology
Chief of Staff, Children’s Minnesota
William Mize, MD, FACR, completed his medical degree at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1988, radiology residency at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in 1993, and pediatric radiology fellowship at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati in 1994. He was an assistant professor in the radiology department at the University of Minnesota Medical Center from 1994 to 1998. Dr. Mize has served as a pediatric radiologist at Children’s Minnesota since 1998 and has served as medical director of Radiology since 2012. He enjoys all aspects of pediatric imaging including X-ray, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, CT, MRI, and nuclear medicine, and participates in our fetal MRI program.
Dr. Mize is grateful for time with patients and families as well as collaborative relationships with colleagues throughout the community. He has participated in a variety of organizations, including the Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR) and the Society of Chiefs of Radiology at Children’s Hospitals (SCORCH), as well as a variety of committees and work groups at Children’s Minnesota including EPOCH (Employed Clinicians of Children’s Hospital), Associate Chief of Critical Care, Credentials Committee, the Professional Executive Council (PEC), the Trauma Practice Improvement Committee in support of Children’s designation as a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center by the American College or Surgeons, the PIPSQKS committee for the American College of Surgeons designation of Children’s as a Level 1 Pediatric Surgery Center, the Professional Strategic Advisory Committee, and various other work groups in support of the organization through improvements in medical imaging at Children’s Minnesota.
Brooke Moore, MD, MPH
Pediatric Pulmonologist, Children’s Respiratory and Critical Care Specialists
Chief of Staff, Children’s Minnesota
Brooke Moore, MD, MPH, is a pediatric pulmonologist at Children’s Respiratory and Critical Care Specialists. She completed her fellowship in pediatric pulmonology at the University of Minnesota and Children’s Minnesota in June 2011. She attended medical school at the University of Minnesota – Duluth, received her masters in public health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and completed her pediatric residency at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Moore is board-certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics in Pediatric Pulmonology. She is the medical director for Respiratory Therapy and is the associate medical director for the Cystic Fibrosis Center at Children’s Minnesota. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis. She is currently chief of staff at Children’s Minnesota.
Anna Richo
Retired Chief Legal & Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary
Anna Richo retired from Cargill, Inc., where she was the General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary. In addition to her global responsibilities for law and compliance, she oversaw Global Government Relations, Global Security and Shareholder Relations, and was a member of Cargill’s Executive Team. With a law career spanning more than 35 years, Richo wore multiple hats and has extensive experience in compliance and business ethics, intellectual property and corporate litigation.
Before joining Cargill, Richo was executive vice president and general counsel at UCB, a biopharmaceutical company based in Belgium, where she resided for many years. She also served as senior vice president and chief compliance officer at Amgen, a global biotechnology firm, and as chief litigation counsel, associate general counsel and vice president of law at Baxter Healthcare. Her broad international experience extends throughout Europe, Latin America and Asia and has served to strengthen her commitment to championing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.
A native New Yorker, Richo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University and a Juris Doctor degree from the College of Law at DePaul University. Richo is a member of the Board of Directors of Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), the nation’s largest energy delivery company, a member of the Board of Directors of Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), a global human genomics DNA sequencing company, a member of the Board of Trustees of DePaul University, and is a member of Children’s Minnesota Governance Board. Richo formerly served on the Board of Directors of Adamas Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded neurology company, from 2020-2021, subsequently acquired by Supernus Pharmaceuticals, and on the Board of Directors of Cytyc Corporation, a publicly traded medical diagnostics company, from 1998-2003, subsequently acquired by Hologic Inc. Additionally, Richo served on the Board of Directors for the California Manufacturers & Technology Association, a statewide nonprofit association, from 2000-2003, where she was Vice-Chairman of the Board.
Matt Van Slooten
Chief Executive Officer, United Properties
Matt Van Slooten is the chief executive officer of United Properties. As chief executive officer, Van Slooten oversees all aspects of the business. He joined United Properties in 2018 as President and Portfolio CIO and was promoted to CEO in 2022.
Van Slooten has been a long-time real estate industry leader, with 25 years at Carlson Real Estate Company, advancing through all critical company roles leading ultimately to becoming president of the organization, a post he held for 13 years. He also served as the president of commercial properties for CSM Corporation for 4 years, overseeing a 10 million sq. ft. portfolio of industrial, office and retail properties.
An active member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP) and a past Chapter President of NAIOP Minnesota, he is also a recipient of the NAIOP President’s Award (2009).
He is an active member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO) and served on the Minnesota Chapter board as the membership chair. While at Carlson Companies, he was the recipient of the Carlson Fellow Award for Leadership Achievement, the company’s highest honor.
Van Slooten earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from St. Cloud State University.
