Decades ago, the epicenter of Saint Paul’s East Side was a bustling boomtown, supporting dozens of businesses and hundreds of homes. With the decline of manufacturing in the 1980’s, the East Side struggled to survive. Today, there are signs of rebirth and opportunity springing up and the hope of a booming East Side is ripe for investment.
A longtime advocate for the city of Saint Paul, Ann serves as vice president of Community Impact for The Saint Paul & Minnesota Community Foundations. In this role, she works to ensure that the foundations financial resources support nonprofit organizations and community groups – building community capacity and partnering on community issues. Ann joined the foundations in 2010. Prior to this, she spent five years falling in love with Saint Paul while serving as the city’s deputy mayor. Ann serves on a number of community boards and initiatives, including the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota, the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood, Generation Next, East Metro Strong, Minneapolis Saint Paul Workforce Innovation Network, MinneMinds, The Nature Conservancy and the Minnesota Wild Foundation. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University in telecommunications and political science. When Ann is not working to build a stronger community, she is likely hanging out with her daughters, chatting with friends or enjoying nature. She is the mother of four daughters and lives in the Selby-Dale neighborhood of Saint Paul.